Janet Jackson: Whitney Houston Had A "Beautiful Soul"

USMagazine, Friday, February 17, 2012, 4:58am (PST)

What does Janet Jackson remember most about pal Whitney Houston?

Her "beautiful soul," Jackson, 45, tells Prevention in an exclusive interview with the mag. Jackson--whose own career took off just as Houston's got underway during the mid-1980s--recalls one moment in particular when the legendary songstress' kind nature was on display.

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"I remember, it was at the Grammys...It was my first time I was performing, actually," Jackson shares. "[I] could hear Whitney...just cheering me on during the whole performance [from backstage]. And I thought: How sweet. How sweet is that?"

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More than anything, Jackson says she wishes Houston's fans had the same chance she did to know the troubled star. "I wish more people would have had the opportunity to get to see that," Jackson confesses. "Not just the entertainer, not just the voice." Adds Jackson of the "I Will Always Love You" singer (who passed away at the age of 48 February 11), "I don’t think there will be another like her, honestly...I don’t think [another] Whitney is gonna happen again."

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Houston will be laid to rest this Saturday in her hometown of Newark, NJ, and though the services will only be open to family and friends, CNN confirmed earlier today that mourners will be able to watch the services via an online broadcast (accessible via livestream.com/aplive).

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