Some of the biggest stars in music stepped out Sunday for the 54th Grammy Awards, but the mood was certainly more somber on the red carpet as celebrities took time to remember Whitney Houston, who passed away suddenly Saturday afternoon.
Houston, a six-time Grammy winner, will be remembered in a tribute during the show, where Jennifer Hudson is reportedly set to honor the beloved singer.
Find out what some celebrities told E! News while remembering Houston on the red carpet:
Tony Bennett: "I remember when I first heard Whitney [Houston], I called Clive Davis on the phone and said 'You've really got the right artist, she's the greatest singer I've ever heard.'"
L.L. Cool J (Grammy host): "Obviously the news was devastating, hearing about Whitney Houston's passing. We immediately had to jump in gear and try to figure out how we can be respectful and how we can show the love and the appreciation she deserves and that her life warrants and merits. We discussed it all night, a lot of people stay up real late trying to figure something out and hope that Whitney Houston's family and her friends, first of all, and the rest of the people watching appreciate what we do."
Billy Ray Cyrus: "A great deal of sadness but yet at the same time, I think there's a feeling of honor, to respect and to honor an incredible talent this world has lost," he said regarding the tone of the evening in the wake of Houston's death. "First of all, as a human being, she's always been very nice to me, my family, me, as we've crossed paths throughout the years, As an artist, she's one of those artists -- she sang the backdrop of our lives. She really was the soundtrack of a lot of the emotions and storylines, the different moments that we all went though over the past 25 years. She's been singing the songs we've all been living."
Paris Hilton: "The first time I met her, I was so excited, because I always admired her since I was a little girl. I loved her movies, her music and I thought she was such an icon, and now that this has happened, I was in shock, it's so heartbreaking and awful."
Corinne Bailey Rae: "I think Whitney Houston was an influence on all singers, really, that are sort of my age, and for those younger as well. It was really sad to hear that news today."
Kelly Price (who sang with Houston on Thursday): "Singing with Whitney has always been, to me, just an honor. I looked up to her prior to becoming an artist. I was a background singer with a lot of people, and she was just the premier artist to beat. She was just amazing. In my heart I was praying [news of her death] was an Internet hoax ... and to realize that it wasn't, I don't even know how to explain it."
Kelly Rowland: "I think it's a really somber tone tonight at the Grammys because we lost our hero. I know if I say she's my hero, I mean that with every fiber of my being ... I just love her so much and really, my heart is heavy, but my prayers go out to her mother, her daughter, because if we feel this great of a loss, I can only imagine how heavy their hearts are."
Ice-T: "I met Whitney back in the day when she was with [ex-husband] Bobby [Brown]. It's a tragedy ...Especially with the all the [Grammys stuff going on today, it's sad."
Adam Levine: "I don't even know what to say, I don't even have words at this point, I think everyone's kind of in shock ... She impacted everyone, she's unbelievable. She's Whitney-freaking-Houston, so we're all just really upset and still in shock."
Jessie J: "Yesterday was not how I expected it to be. I kind of expected to meet her and sing for her, but I met her daughter and I sang for her ... I feel very honored that I was alive with her music, and I got to look up to her as an artist."
Miranda Lambert: "I feel like, there is a little bit a dark cloud, but I feel like it's sort of ironic because this the night where instead of grieving, we can let music heal us and we can celebrate Whitney through music because this is the one night of the year that's all about just music, of all genres, and everyone here has been affected by Whitney in way or another."
Flo Rida: "She's paved the way for a lot of people. She inspired me and my immediate family. My condolences go out to her and her family, because she's definitely a true legend."
Check out red carpet photos from the Grammys below:
