Mariah Carey’s Whitney Houston Tribute 10 Years After She Died Is Heartbreaking

Legendary singer Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, and to mark 10 years since her sudden passing, her famous friend Mariah Carey posted a behind-the-scenes photo of them together in a recording studio. The snap, which shows them smiling and doing what they do best, comes from the recording sessions for “When You Believe,” their 1998 duet from the Disney animated film The Prince of Egypt. The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” chart-topper kept things simple in her Instagram and Twitter captions, simply saying, “Missing you,” paired with a red heart emoji.

The superstars were recruited to turn the Stephen Schwartz-penned ballad into a soaring smash, and “When You Believe” went on to win Best Original Song at the 1999 Oscars, where they performed the song live and held hands while belting some of the lyrics.

While Houston became a star in the 1980s, long before Carey arrived on the scene in 1990, there were many years when they were both at the top of their game at the same time. Because of their immense fame and the fact that they were competing against one another for chart supremacy, rumors swirled that the singers didn’t care for one another. One rumor claimed that Carey once shaded Houston when they first met. But if there was animosity, it didn’t last long.

The Grammy winners went on Oprah to promote “When You Believe,” and the host asked about those rumors. “Everyone I know has thought that this was a big rivalry between the two of you,” Oprah said. “You certainly have put that to rest.” Houston agreed, and Carey said, “I think we have.” Carey admitted that when she first walked into the room with Houston, she didn’t know how things would go, but Houston assured everyone that it all went great. “When we got together it was like magic,” Houston interjected. “We clicked. We talked. We laughed like old girlfriends.”

During a 2012 appearance on Good Morning America after Houston’s passing, Carey had nothing but wonderful things to say about her late singing partner. “I don’t think people could ever understand our relationship … There was always this supposed rivalry in the beginning and then we did the duet and we became friends,” she said. “I loved her. We all loved her. May she rest in peace.”