Entertainment Music Christina Aguilera Honors Whitney Houston with Stirring 'Bodyguard' Tribute: 'I Hope I Did You Proud' Christina Aguilera channeled Whitney Houston's iconic onscreen character Rachel Marron in a tribute performance to The Bodyguard and the late singer By Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble Lindsay Kimble is a Senior Digital News Editor and the Sports Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She's worked at PEOPLE for over seven years as a writer, reporter and editor across our Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams, covering everything from the Super Bowl to the Met Gala. She's been nominated for the ASME NEXT Awards for Journalists Under 30, and previously wrote for Us Weekly while on staff at Wenner Media. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 19, 2017 09:15 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Whitney Houston‘s most iconic on-screen persona got new life at the 2017 American Music Awards on Sunday, with Christina Aguilera performing her own rendition of the music from The Bodyguard in tribute to the late singer. Taking the stage after an introduction from Oscar-winner Viola Davis, Aguilera treated viewers to a powerhouse show of Houston’s hit tracks from the 1992 film soundtrack. Wearing a black satin suit dress and her platinum blonde hair slicked back, Aguilera opened her performance with a smooth and spot-on a cappella rendition of Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” before transitioning into hits “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You” as scenes from the iconic film played behind her. Check out PEOPLE’s full 2017 American Music Awards coverage. Fellow performer Pink, who was caught on camera looking on in awe, took to Twitter following the performance, saying “Christina f—ing killed it tonight for one of our favorite singers ever. This about Whitney, and I am in awe of Christina’s talent.” Aguilera ended the set with a rousing performance of Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” as the crowd rose to their feet and stars like Chrissy Metz sang along. Jeff Kravitz/AMA2017/FilmMagic ABC Nov. 25, 1992 marks the 25th anniversary of the original movie, which starred Houston as fictional pop star Rachel Marron. The accompanying soundtrack has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide to become the best-selling movie album of all time. Related Video: Christina Aguilera Says “Mom Guilt is the Worst” Houston, who had long battled drug addiction, died tragically in 2012 at age 48, after accidentally drowning in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Ahead of the performance, Aguilera wrote on Instagram, “I am excited, honored and humbled to perform a tribute to one of my idols.” Houston’s sister-in-law Pat Houston and Whitney’s niece were in attendance for the night’s tribute. Following her performance, Aguilera took to Twitter with a video message thanking the AMAs and the Houston family “for making a little girl’s dream come true. I’ve had the time of my life.” She ends her short clip saying “I hope I did you proud Whitney. Love you forever.”