“I love me some Mariah,” said Kelly Rowland while saluting Mariah Carey at the 5th Annual BET Honors. The Destiny’s Child diva, who grew up listening to the pop diva’s music, paid tribute to her idol by performing her classic “Fantasy” with Raekwon, who rapped ODB’s verses. The ceremony, honoring achievements of legends in the fields of music, literature, entertainment, media, service, and education, was pre-taped last month at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
“The voice of an angel. I remember when her first record came out,” said Kelly, shimmering in a short gold dress. “She ruled the charts with her not one, not two, not three, not four, but five-octave range. She was and still is a pure vision of love. And I can’t lie ya’ll, with the hair, the legs, I wanted to be just like her.”
Patti LaBelle followed with a cover of “Hero” as a teary-eyed Mariah watched from the audience with Randy Jackson.
After some words from L.A. Reid, Mariah took the stage to thank her fans for their support in front of her fellow honorees and First Lady Michelle Obama. She brought out her husband Nick and son Moroccan. “I’m really and utterly humbled. I can’t thank you enough, everybody,” said a grateful Mariah.
