Last night's finale of The Voice was supposed to include a pretty groundbreaking finale — one that promised to bring Whitney Houston back, if only for the span of a song.
The performance would have included a duet between the late artist and Voice judge Christina Aguilera. But the show nixed the Houston hologram after representatives of the singer's estate decided that it was not up to spec.
“We are so appreciative of the opportunity for the Whitney Houston hologram to appear on NBC’s The Voice with a talent pairing as extraordinary as Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston," Pat Houston, executor of the iconic singer's estate, said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.
"We were looking to deliver a ground breaking duet performance for the fans of both artists," she went on. "Holograms are a new technology that takes time to perfect, and we believe with artists of this iconic calibre, it must be perfect. Whitney’s legacy and her devoted fans deserve perfection.
“After closely viewing the performance, we decided the hologram was not ready to air. We have much respect and appreciation for Christina, and she was absolutely flawless."
Anything less than flawless might have landed the performance in uncanny-valley territory — which would have done a disservice to Houston's legacy and her many fans. While we wait for technology to catch up, let's all take a moment to enjoy the real Whitney doing what she did best: singing her heart out.
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