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Whitney Houston tribute brings tears at BET Awards

Cissy Houston performs onstage during the 2012 BET Awards on July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. Getty

(CBS/AP) Whitney Houston was remembered at Sunday's BET Awards with an emotional tribute that celebrated her life and career.

Houston's mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, gave a rousing performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" that left audience members including Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.

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She was followed by Monica, who performed "I Love the Lord." Brandy, heavily influenced by Houston, sang two of the late singer's hits, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Chaka Khan blazed the stage with "I'm Every Woman," which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney's brother, also performed.

Mariah Carey opened the tribute by sharing memories of her friend, almost losing her composure at the end of her speech.

"I miss my friend," she said, trying to hold back tears. "I miss hearing her voice and laughter. But we'll always ... we'll always have the music. We will always have the music. We always have that voice we all fell in love with."

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