e all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. good morning. remembering whitney houston. the music world comes together for the grammys and honors the legendary singer. ♪ and i will always love you >> an emotional tribute to a remarkable and troubled talent this morning the investigation into houston's death, her behavior in her final days and her lasting impact on music. athens on fire. violence breaks out in greece overnight after lawmakers approved far-reaching spending cuts to stave off bankruptcy. more than 120 people injured. several historic buildings

damaged. we're there live. and rolling in the awards. adele returns to the stage for the first time since undergoing throat surgery and walks away with six grammys, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in one night. the achievement that brought her to tears today rs monday, february 13, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. you're right. emotionin is were running high the grammy awards with the show just a day after houston's death. >> l.l. cool j started by talking about a death in the family and then led a prayer.

>> houston was found dead on saturday in her hotel room. an autopsy has been performed. the latest straight ahead. >> her life was marked by personal struggle. she went to rehab three times, but one of her close family friends believes she was on the verge of a comeback. we'll talk to her, darlene love, about houston's highs and lows coming up. >> let us begin with the investigation into houston's death. jeff rosen is in los angeles with the latest. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. here at the coroner's office in los angeles. we have news about the autopsy. it is now complete on whitney houston's body, but they will not release the official cause of death yet. they are waiting for toxicology reports to come back which could take weeks. it all comes down to that. did houston have krdrugs in her system at the time of death and, if so, what were they? ♪ and i

>> reporter: the grammys sunday night weren't supposed to sound like this. a powerful tribute to whitney houston, care of jennifer hudson. ♪ love you [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: who knew it would end this way? inside a bathtub at the luxurious beverly hilton, whitney houston was reportly in the bathroom for a while. tmz reports members of her entourage were hanging out on the other side of the door in her fourth floor suite. one of them finally went in and the coroner said discovered the singer's body in the bathtub. tmz reports she was under water and unresponsive. >> when officers arrived in the hotel room on the 4th floor, fire department and security were already attempting resuscitation measures. >> reporter: authorities found prescription pill bottles in her

room including the powerful anti-anxiety drug xanax. it was too late for cpr. "the voice" was gone. >> no visible signs of trauma. foul play is not suspects at this time. >> reporter: whitney's ex-husband bobby brown got word while performing in mississippi and reacted on stage. >> i just want to say, i love you whitney. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: sunday the couple's only daughter bobbi kristina was rushed to the hospital for stress but was released hours later. some say the warning signs of whitney's deterioration were there, just 48 hours before her death. thursday night, her final performance. sounding like a shell of her former self and outside the club many say she looked like a shell of her former self. mismatched clothes with visible

scratches and blood running down her leg. >> in my opinion she seemed like she was under the influence of something -- be it drugs or alcohol, i don't know. but she certainly seemed not to be all there. >> reporter: kelly carter is a journalist who spent time with the star. you interviewed whitney houston four months ago. how did she look? >> great. she was polished, witty, engaging and funny. the narrative she had was clear -- i'm back, i'm better than ever. >> reporter: you saw her this past thursday. how did she look? >> clothing was dishevelled. she spoke in rapid fire succession which was odd and threw me off a little bit. just wasn't the whitney i had just talked to a few months before. >> reporter: whitney had been to rehab three times. so was this the end of a long battle with addiction or was it something else? so now we are all waiting for

the toxicology report to come back. that could take six to eight weeks. meanwhile the case is what's in the security hold. they often do it in high profile cases so information is not released as police interview all of the members of houston's entourage. remember, there were plenty of people in the suite that day. all cooperating with police as they try to put together what happened in those critical, final hours. >> jeff rossen, thank you. investigator kennedy is a music writer for the los angeles times who saw houston days before she die and "access hollywood"'s shawn robinson had the last interview with houston. >> good morning. >> take me back. you're at the hotel for a press event. you ran into houston. describe her behavior for me. >> you know, she was very -- almost kind of frantic. there was a bit of erraticness in her behavior, you know, when i had the first time to interact

with her outside in the lobby. she was wandering around aimlessly, almost like a child. she seemed lost. she asked me if rehearsals were done. i said, yes. she walked right back in. that was the first interaction i had. but as the day went on, you know, you got more p glimpses of her and you got another taste of the fact that something was off that day. >> i was reading something you said over the last day. she came up and asked you about rehearsal. you said immediately you could smell sig ises acigarettes and >> it was the second time i saw her actually. she walked by after rehearsals were done. the girls were interviewing with clive. she walked by me and other reporters. that was the moment you could smell she'd obviously been smoking a lot and had a couple of drinks obviously in her system. >> grammy organizers were reacting to this how? >> there was a little bit of worry, concern that the reporters that were there, they

would be, you know, kind of jumping onto reporting on this. none of us did. we respected the fact that she was there, very low key. yet she probably was under the influence, but she was not there for attention. she was there to help brandy and monica. so we left it at that. it was a conversation a lot of us had. i think some of the on-camera footage you can see because she was disruptive to some of the interviews. >> shawn, over the years, especially the last two or three years it seemed on several occasions we got word that she was cleaning up her act a. >> right. >> that she was getting it together, making a comeback. i know you interviewed her back in november. actually you thought this could be true. there could be truth in advertising. >> absolutely, matt. i had the last one-on-one interview with whitney houston. it was set up by my friend who was whitney houston's long-time

producing partner. all of the other interviews whitney was paired with other people because they wanted to respect her privacy and deflect questions about her personal life. >> what was her behavior like during your interview? >> you could not tell me that this was a woman who was going to be dead in some 13 weeks. she looked healthy. she sounded fantastic. she came into the room, my parents were there, she chatted with them, complimented me on my shoes that i had on. she seemed very happy and in a really good place. she was coming to work every day on the set of "sparkle." everyone on the set looked at her as a mentor. she gave advice to jordin sparks and some of the other actors on set. she was in tip-top form. matt, when i looked in her eyes i said, this is the time that whitney houston is going to come back. this is it. we have all seen stories about this is whitney's comeback and

she never looked as put together as she did when i interviewed her in november. to think i was looking at a woman who just in a few months was going to no longer be here, i am still in shock about it. >> shawn, you were at the grammys last night. your reaction to the feeling in the room? >> it was somber but a celebratory room. as l.l. cool j. and alicia keys said this is the time to celebrate her life and what she meant to us because she wrote the soundtrack for many of our lives. we have lost someone obviously close to our hearts. >> shawn robinson and investigator kennedy, thank you very much. i appreciate it. ten minutes after the hour. here's ann. matt, thank you. we are joined now by darlene love. she knew houston since she was 8 years old. she was a close family friend. good morning. our deepest condolences. so sorry. >> thank you. >> what do you want to say about

whitney houston, this little girl you knew? >> i have to go back to when she was a little girl, 8 yeefars ol my memories of her and how much i cared for her. i was pregnant at the time and i was working with dion, cissy. i said where am i going to sleep and nippy said, you sleep in my room. >> that was her nickname? >> yes. she would run to a store on the corner. she would run to get me fruit. >> you say it was like having somebody punch you in the gut. >> yeah. it was amazing. i worked a club in new jersey saturday. we were just talking and the people at the next table we had been laughing with all night because they were carrying on. we said, what's going on with you all? they were celebrating birthdays, three ladies.

we overheard them talking about whitney. so my girlfriend went, oh, now you're talking about whitney. they said, no, no, no, we heard she died. it was like -- what? what did you say? no, no, no. there must be a mistake. after that we really found out and i did have to excuse myself from the table because i didn't want -- the people at the next table didn't know who i was. we were just another group of people having dinner. but the people i was having dinner with know my relationship with the whole family, dionne, cissy and nippy. i excused myself and my husband took me back to the hotel. >> you haven't been able to reach her mother or dionne. >> i know dionne is in london. >> what about bobbi kristina.

>> i don't know her that well. my kids grew up with whitney. >> what information might you know to explain why whitney houston has died so young at 48 years old? >> that's a tough one for me. because i never thought i would be sitting somewhere talking about her not being here. because she had so much life. even going through all the things she was going through, she loved life. one of her favorite songs. she could be introducing her mother for an award and she would start singing a cappella, "yes, jesus loves me." she wanted to be here. she wanted to be a light. now that the light has been taken out -- >> if you find out drugs played a part in her death, will that add to the devastation for you

and for cissy, her mother? >> yes. cissy and i pray for nippy all the time and hope for the best. because we know when you go down that trail, that's a trail that you don't really want to take. sometimes you can't come back from it. >> you know, it looks as though from her last television interview that whitney was looking better. she was sounding better. what do you know about this comeback she was trying to make? >> every time i would talk to cissy and say, how is nip? she'd say, she's coming along. her voice is coming back. she loved life too much. >> yeah. >> she really did. i never thought i would be sitting here talking about my baby. i really think about her. the fun i had with her when she was a kid. just growing up. long before she became whitney houston, the superstar.

even if i didn't have this relationship with her and her family, because i know great singers, but she's the greatest voice i have ever heard in my life. >> a lot of people agree with you. darlene love, i'm sorry that we're sitting here talking about this this morning. >> thank you. >> good luck. give her family all our hugs as well. thank you. now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. hey, natalie. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. violent protests are sweeping across greece as that country's parliament passed an austerity bill needed to keep the country in the eurozone and out of bankruptcy. stephanie gosk is in athens this morning with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. the greek prime minister says this country is a breath away from ground zero, bankruptcy as early as next month if they don't get this $170 billion rescue package from the e.u. and the imf.

to get it they had to pass another round of painful budget cuts. the response on the streets of athens was dramatic and destructive. while a majority of parliament approved the measure the center of town went up in flames. tens of thousands protested. the most violent taking on riot police with rocks and fire bombs. officers drove them back with stun guns and an endless barrage of teargas. dozens of buildings were torched including two historic theaters and businesses were looted. after five years of recession, higher taxes and more than 21% unemployment, the newest austerity measures are a bitter pill. minimum wage will drop by a fifth and 150,000 government jobs will be cut by 2015. without these steps the country will default on loans and likely pull out of the eurozone.

>> i believe the only stability for greece is for us to remain within the euro area. this means we have to make a lot of sacrifices. >> reporter: in the after math of last night's riot, a sense of hopelessness seems to be creeping in. >> if you are angry inside, what can you do. >> reporter: with no end in sight to the economic pain, the anger is growing. >> the eurozone finance ministers meet wednesday to approve this rescue package. this is only a short-term solution. at some point this country has to figure out how to grow its economy again. natalie? >> stephanie gosk in athens, thank you. president obama is sending a new budget to congress in a bid to reduce the deficit by some $4 trillion over the next decade. the spending blueprint outlines plans to cut spending and raise taxes on wealthy americans. pakistan's prime minister is on trial for contempt.

the supreme court in islamabad charged him with defying an order to open a corruption case against the president. galani pleaded not guilty. political turmoil complicated relations with the u.s. as you know, gas prices are on the rise again jumping by nearly 12 cents in the past three weeks according to the latest survey. now to wall street and mary thompson at the new york stock exchange for us. good morning. >> good morning. after a down week on wall street last week investors looking at this week's economic and earnings reports to provide direction to trading. the numbers will include figures on retail sales and consumer prices as well as earnings from general motors and avon products. this year love and money is in the area on valentine's day. the national retail federation saying on average americans will spend $126.03 each, the most they have spent on valentine's

day in a decade. back to you. >> thanks for the reminder. the grammys began on a somber note in memory of whitney houston but it was a night of recognition for british soul singer adele who spent the show. she was nominated for six grammys and won every one of them including album of the year. the evening was her first live performance since undergoing vocal surgery. other performances included katy perry, nicki minaj and three members of the beach boys reuniting to perform with maroon 5. good performances all around last night. now back to matt, ann and al. >> and the boss kicked off the show last night. that was good. >> very good. >> he did. i liked bruno mars and rihanna. they were fun. >> it was a good night. >> a good night for the young people! >> not so young people, too.

mr. roker, what's going on? >> we have a big system in the good morning, star shine. on this monday morning under a clear sky, it is cold. temperatures are down into the 20s and teens throughout much of the region. winds have diminished overnight under this clear sky. they're around 5 to 10 miles an hour. windchills are in the teens and later today with the bright sun we'll climb into the 40s. cloudy tomorrow, maybe a flurry in the morning or afternoon sprinkle.

then sun back on wednesday. could get some rain thursda and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you. just ahead, much more on the life and legacy of whitney houston. first, more of jennifer hudson's touching tribute to her idol during last night's grammy awards. ♪ and i will always love you >> this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, how much will the new mortgage deal really help if you're under water on your home? we'll have answers. >> plus this morning more of academy award winner reese witherspoon. she's trying something different in her new movie. it's an action-adventure. she tells us all about it after

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good morning. i i'm joe krebs at 7:26 this morning. let's get a look at the roadways. >> good morning. taking chopper view right now, live over i-66 eastbound, slow from 50, delays continue as you head to the beltway. no accidents on i-66 east or west. inner loop of the beltway in virginia, from the interchange to the dulles toll road, 35 miles per hour. i-270 jammed attachedy grove. delays continue southbound as you connect to the beltway. back to you. the sun's up. still cold though. still cold though. we'll find

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good morning. bright sun and a clear sky on this monday morning. that's a live view from our sky

watcher camera. plenty of shine today but a cold start. temperatures now just in the teens and 20s and we vp windchills down into the teens, too, with a wind around 5 to 10 miles an hour. later today into the 40

7:30 now on this monday morning. it's the 13th of february, 2012. lots of hats and scarves in the crowd this morning. it's cold but sunny in rockefeller plaza. that's the good news. around 30 degrees, i understand. we're going to get outside soon. inside studio 1a i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. coming up, more about whitney houston. what a talent. >> immense talent. incredible voice. she told more than 170 million albums worldwide. i think she was fourth on the all-time list of biggest female recording artists. as we know she also balted addiction. coming up, a closer look at

houston's life off stage. >> we'll have a live interview with the woman who sang with her just last week in what would have been -- what would be her last public appearance. >> later on we'll lighten up with academy award winner reese witherspoon here to tell us about her new movie. this one's called "this means war." we begin with more on whitney houston's troubled final year. miguel almaguer is in beverly hills. good morning. >> reporter: we still don't know what caused houston's life to come to an end here at the beverly hilton hotel. like so many superstars she had troubles in her life. she may have looked and sung like one but as far back as 1993 whitney houston was quoted saying "i'm nobody's angel." her image changed when she married bad boy bobby brown in

1992. >> you started seeing the scandal and drama. you would in somewhat distant horror watch and say, please let this stop, let this recover. >> reporter: houston became fodder for the tabloids. there were missed shows, drugs in her luggage, public meltdowns. in 1996 after the release of "the preacher's wife" houston admitted to using drugs every day for a year or two. in 2002 told abc's diane sawyer she had limits. >> first of all, let's get one thing straight. crack is cheap. i make too much money to ever smoke crack. crack is whack. >> reporter: the next year houston had bruises and a cut lip after a fight with her husband. she later called the incident a misunderstanding. then came the reality show "being bobby brown," an up front raw look into the couple's

chaotic life. >> [ bleep ] you started it. >> reporter: brown addressed his wife's troubles in this interview with matt. >> it's a struggle. we are addictive personalities. >> reporter: they divorced in 2007 after 15 years of marriage. in 2009 houston appeared on oprah, again admitting to drug use. >> what was your drug of choice? >> cocaine. marijuana. that's it. >> reporter: also claiming to be finally drug-free, poised to launch a comeback album. her "nothing but love" tour didn't go well. houston's legendary voice no longer up to the challenge of performing live. a comeback that fell short. a star who had shown brightly on stage but stumbled so often in life. >> reporter: houston has been dubbed the queen of pain because of her struggles in her life. despite mistakes she always

owned up to them and will be remembered as one of the most legendary performers that ever lived. ann? >> miguel almaguer, thank you so much. kate coin is people's managing editor and gail saltz joins us. good morning to you both. what has been happening with whitney houston's life in recent years? we all heard so much about the difficulties she was going through in the early years of 2000. 2002. what has been happening since her divorce from her husband? >> it's been an ongoing struggle for her. the comeback everyone hoped for with whitney, the return to the mid '80s, early '90s whitney houston never materialized, even after the divorce to bobby brown. there was a hope that now that she was free from that troubled marriage she would somehow return to fine form. it never happened. >> her voice, there was a sense, had been damaged.

>> her voice was not what it once was. it never fully returned to where it had been. in the interview she gave in 2002 and in 2010 it wasn't there. she couldn't hit notes she used to hit. even "million dollar bill" you could tell the notes were brought down to a lower register to accommodate what she was capable of. >> was there a sense that she was cleaning up her act, not using the drugs and alcohol she inferred in previous interviewed she had used. >> it was never completely clear. if you look at whitney's 2002 interview, most notably, she would never declare herself completely free of o party, butm going to be all right. there was never a full embracing of complete and total sobriety. >> let's talk about it in terms of the psychological part. gail, on top of everything else she was trying to apparently achieve some degree of sobriety

while under the public eye. is there a complicating factor there? >> there isn't some degree of sobriety. if you have had an addiction it's a lifelong illness. you need to be sober. so if you have had a serious drug problem, the idea that you are going to be drinking is not a good idea. it makes you susceptible to returning to drugs. if you were using any drugs including prescription medications which frankly are the most commonly abused medications at this point, that's the same thing. just because it's not illicit, crack, meth doesn't mean it's not substantial dangerous drug use. >> we'll talk about the possibility of what may have happened in the final hours. she's a 48-year-old woman. >> right. >> way too young. >> not that 48-year-old women don't have strokes or heart attacks, but it is unusual. if you had a long history of drug abuse, even if you weren't using much at the time it makes

your body more susceptible to other things and something else could have happened. however, if you're drinking, using something like xanax which is a benzodiazapime, it is a sedative. it stops your breathing. if you combine it with alcohol that's an additive effect. we have seen it. sadly i have sad here for the heath ledger situation, for anna nicole smith. people aren't understanding that a combination of drugs like something a doctor may have gave you, and alcohol combined have an additive effect and can stop your breathing. >> let's talk about the legacy. in your role at people magazine you have a sense of what whitney houston has meant to music. how would you put it? >> there would be no christina, no jennifer hudson. there would be a number of stars

that would not be there if not for the trail whitney houston blazed. she brought a gospel sound with the masses, blended it with pop in a way no one had ever seen. she was a living legend, long before this tragedy happened. she meant something to music that cannot be replaced. >> which is why so many people are mourning her today. kate coin and gail saltz, thanks for joining us. now for a check of the weather from al. >> we have legends back here, smoky the bear and mcgruff the crime dog. what's going on? >> it's ad council's 70th anniversary. we have mcgruff and smoky the bear. >> you can visit us on our facebook page. >> that's disturbing. >> matt lauer. >> that on

good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. sky watcher camera looking toward the southwest into fairfax county there on the horizon in the foregrounds, american university in the northwest. temperatures are cold under this clear sky. the 20s and teens throughout most of the region. winds diminished thankfully around 10 miles per hour. later today sunshine, and into the 40s. tomorrow maybe a flurry or afternoon sprinkle, highs in the 40s again. sun back on wednesday, could get rain thursday. don't forget. get your weather day or night on

the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> thank you, al. just ahead, if you're struggling to afford your home, how much help will you get from the new mortgage settlement deal? we'll have some answers right after this. three. wo. one. -two. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% back on groceries. and 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. new chicken mcbites from mcdonald's. juicy, poppable, premium chicken breast with homestyle seasoning. but they're only here for a limited time. the simple joy of really big fun. ♪

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back now at 7:43 with positivable relief if you're struggling to pay your mortgage. five of the biggest banks agreed to a landmark deal with 49 states to help homeowners hit hard by the burst of the housing bubble. what does it mean for you? jean chatzky is here with answers. good morning. >> good morning. >> before we get to who might be helped by the deal, what's behind it? >> this is a year-long investigation into foreclosure practices, fraudulent practices. the states attorneys general, the federal government and all of the states got together. this is the result. >> $25 billion? >> yes. $25 billion for the customers of five banks.

citi, allied, bank of america, chase and wells fargo. you have to have a mortgage owned by one of those banks. >> who will get to take advantage of this? >> there are three groups of people. $17 billion there for people who are under water and at risk of foreclosure which generally means you are not paying on your mortgage. $3 billion for people who are current on loans but are under water to help them refinance their mortgages and there is $1.5 billion for people who have been foreclosed upon already. those people are looking at settlements of about $1,500 to $2,000 each. >> that doesn't seem like a lot. that's all you get? >> well, you have the ability to go ahead and sue. it stakes resources. >> how do people take advantage of the programs? >> what the banks are saying is six to nine months down the road, and it will take them a while to put all the pieces into place, we'll contact you.

if that's not good enough for you, if you go to nationalmortgagesettlement.com which is a website set up for the program, you will find links to the individual banks and toll-free numbers. >> that's terrific to do just to get smart -- >> just to figure out who ounce your loan. the down side of this is people who have loans with fannie mae and freddie mac which is 60% to 70% of all loans won't see relief. >> you say the option to them is a short sell. >> the banks are not only allowing more short sales now, but they are providing incentives to get you out of your home. we are hearing about incentives of $30,000, $35,000 to move. >> what we are talking about is selling your house for basically less than it's worth. >> less than you owe on the loan and the bank will, in some cases, write you a check to move for a fresh start. >> we obviously will keep talking about this.

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goes down. [ male announcer ] tempurpedic brand owners are more satisfied than owners of any traditional mattress brand. ergonomics. [ male announcer ] tempurpedic. the most highly recommended bed in america. it's the perfect time to save up to $200 on your own ergo. find out more at tempurpedic.com. during her career, whitney houston sold over 170 million albums worldwide. it's not surprising that her untimely death left her many fans shocked and saddened. mike taibbi has more on the world's reaction to this loss. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. for the most part those commenting publically aren't fixated on whitney houston's long decline or speculation about how exactly she died. they're talking about her legacy, the once in a lifetime voice that's now been silenced. ♪ i will always love you >> reporter: it's the one song even the most casual whitney

houston fan can sing along to. "i will always love you," written by dolly parton and the center piece of houston's sound track for her debut movie "the bodyguard kwchlts bodyguard." in dubai, the fountains were synch ro niezed to the song. and one fan was moved to tears before singing his rendition of the song. actress viola davis said she has every one of houston's songs on her ipod. >> they all mean something special to me. even the star-spangled banner. >> reporter: not the words but by whitney houston's voice. that voice made a pop version of her anthem sung before the super bowl. the voice of such range and purity she could hold an emotion and make you believe it. ♪ if tomorrow is judgment day

>> there was no one before her and no one that came after. she had a unique sound, a true gift. >> reporter: a gift and gifted woman mourned in the social network universe. from rihanna, no words, just tears. queen latifah, oh, dear lord, hurting so bad. my sister whitney. from barbra streisand, how sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us. whitney was tormented for years by the demons of addiction. but she left behind a gift that was timeless, even if she was not. oprah's reaction, to me, whitney was the voice. we got to hear a part of god every time she sang. ♪ learning to love yourself ♪ is the greatest love of all >> amazing voice. clive davis who discovered whitney in 1983 said at the

release of the last of her seven albums in 2009 her goal was to perform in such a way that others would sing them ten years, 50 years from today or more. well, that's exactly what she did. matt? >> all right. mike taibbi in los angeles this morning, thank you very much. years ago i got to watch her sing, do a concert for returning troops from the first gulf war. it was a packed airplane hangar basically. she got up on stage and i have never seen anyone with that kind of vocal power and so much charisma on stage. she completely wowed the audience. >> i had a similar experience at a charity event. the hair on my neck stood up. she's so wonderful. we have a lot more coming up. we're back after your local news. losing weight clicked for us when we realized

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good morning. i'm joe krebs on this monday morning, the 13th day of february. we have a nice sunny day out there. let's get the forecast from tom kierein. >> it is still cold but thankfully the wind diminished from over the weekend. a gorgeous blue sky over the region and temperatures still down into the teens and low 20s throughout much of the region. in the mid 20s closer to washington and later today, with the wind still fairly light we'll climb into the mid 40s by this afternoon. then tomorrow cloudy, might have a morning flurry or afternoon sprinkle. small chance of that. highs in the 40s. sun back on wednesday, back into the 50s, could get rain thursday. joe? thanks very much, tom. take a break, come back and look at traffic. stay with us.

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good morning. at pennsylvania avenue have an accident blocking the right lane and right shoulder lane. delays start around ritchey m l marlbo

we're back now. 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 13th day of february 2012. you know what it feels like? 31 degrees. probably feels like a lot colder than that. we have a nice crowd of people on the plaza. thanks to them for stopping by. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker. do you know what? we have an oscar winner in the house. >> we have reese witherspoon here in a new movie called "this means war." get this, it's a blend of an action, are manslaughter -- romance and comedy. we're excited to have her in the

house and talking to us about the new movie. >> on a different note, more on the death of whitney houston. she gave what would be her final performance on thursday night taking the stage with singer kelly clark. we'll talk to kelly about the night, get the thoughts of tommy matola as well. >> before we go further, natalie is at the news desk. she has the other headlines of the morning. natalie, good morning. >> good morning again. the shock over singer whitney houston's sudden death has given way to the investigation into what killed her. an autopsy has been completed but results won't be released until toxicology results are in. the six-time grammy award winner was found saturday afternoon in a bathtub at the beverly hilton hotel. there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play. whitney houston was 48 years old. israel's foreign ministry said the foreign diplomats in georgia were targeted by car

bombs this morning. at least two people were wounded in an attack near the israeli embassy in new delhi. a similar attack against a vehicle in georgia's capitol was thwarted. now to presidential politics and a big weekend for mitt romney. he won both the maine caucuses and a key straw poll of conservative leaders. peter alexander is in washington, d.c. with more. good morning. >> good morning to you. mitt romney regained momentum this weekend, but rick santorum is now on the attack suggesting the romney campaign filled the room of the conservative straw poll event with supporters and calling romney's criticisms desperate. more than two weeks before the next show downs in arizona and michigan. rick santorum insists the battle for the republican nomination is now between him and mitt romney. >> i feel very good that this is a two-person race right now. >> reporter: santorum who lost a straw poll of conservative activists at the cpac event this

weekend on sunday suggested romney's staff rigged the vote by buying tickets for supporters. >> well, you have to talk to the romney campaign and how many tickets they buy. we have heard things. >> reporter: a romney spokesperson said, rick santorum has a history of making statements that aren't grounded in the truth. for his part, romney who took sunday off at his home in southern california is playing up his first place finish in the straw poll and his narrow victory in the maine caucuses, drawing a sharp contrast with his opponents. >> i didn't spend my life in washington. i have never had a job in washington. i look forward to going there and fixing washington and then when i'm done, i will come home. >> reporter: meanwhile, sarah palin is back. >> hope and change? yeah. you've got to hope things change. >> reporter: after firing up the party's base at cpac, on sunday palin called romney a great candidate but questioned his conservative credentials. >> i don't think the majority of gop and independent voters are

convinced. that's why you don't see romney get over that hump. >> reporter: strategists for both romney and santorum tell me it will be a bat of over contrast. romney's advisers touting him as a washington outsider versus santorum, a former senator. santorum's team hoping to capitalize on his blue collar background versus romney's years at bain capitol. >> now a look at what's trending. the isolated vocal track from whitney houston's "how will i know" is going viral as fans recall her perfect voice. ♪ how will i know ♪ how will i know >> well, that single reached number one 26 years ago this week. british singer adele is buzzing

across the blogs after sweeping six grammy categories including album of the year for "21" shh she said in her acceptance speech was born out of a rubbish relationship. she also took to the stage to belt out "rolling in the deep." it was her first live performance since vocal surgery last year. sounds amazing. and entries in ellen's dance challenge are hitting youtube. ellen dared people to dance behind complete strangers and they responded only as ellen fans can. got to love it. it's great. poor guy on the phone. what's going on? let's go outside to al. >> not going to see me doing that. this poor young lady. where are you from? >> north dakota. >> and you're cold? >> yes! >> exp expecting things to warm up here? >> uh-huh! >> it will warm up later today. let's see what we've got for

you. our pick city today, shovel off to buffalo. nbc 2 news on your side. partly cloudy, breezy and cold. kevin o'connell there, good morning. we've got a beautiful blue sky on this monday morning. live view from the sky watcher camera looking toward tyson's corner there on the horizon and we have temperatures cold, subfreezing all throughout the region from the mountains all the way to the atlantic beaches. few locations in virginia down in the teens and it is in the low to mid 20s right around washington.

later today into the 40s with lots of sun. cloudy tomorrow, maybe a flurry in the morning or afternoon sprinkle with highs in the 40s. sun >> that's your latest weather. it's your anniversary? >> my seventh anniversary. >> where is your husband? >> over there. >> that's how they stay happily married. congratulations. happy anniversary. ann? >> coming up next, more of the tributes to whitney houston at the grammy awards last night. also we'll talk to the last person to sing with her coming up after this. you are? see the egg. uh huh. ♪ so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪ alakazaam! you're good. and now i'm going to make this flower bloom. presto. "love you lots." do you want to see it again? yes, i want to see it again! [ female announcer ] hallmark blooming expressions delivers your love again and again.

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you squashed my willpower like a fly. you looked so innocent and so sweet. convinced my lips that we should meet. you were a relentless flirt. oh no we had indecent dessert. twinkle twinkle hope appears. a stevia leaf erased my fears. it made my willpower a super hero. as for calories, it has zero. twinkle twinkle truvia® star natural sweetness, i love just what you are. truvia. honestly sweet. back now at 8:10 with the biggest names in music paying tribute to whitney houston during last night's grammy awards. her death cast a shadow over the event. kristin dahlgren joining us from los angeles. >> reporter: the grammys are why whitney houston was in los angeles and many shill stil in

shock paid tribute. ♪ and i will always love you >> reporter: from the start there was no ignoring the magnitude of the loss. >> we have had a death in our family. >> reporter: the audience, full of music royalty bowed their heads and joined in prayer. >> although she is gone too soon we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit. >> reporter: on a stage houston graced many times throughout the years as she picked up six grammys of her own -- ♪ i will always love you ♪ >> reporter: the stars honored houston. >> i just want to say to whitney up in heaven, we all love you, whitney houston. [ applause ] >> reporter: the highlight, a moving rendition from jennifer hudson who was awarded her first grammy by whitney houston and considered the star her longtime idol. ♪ please don't cry >> jennifer delivered a really

controlled performance. it was personal and yet it was big and we see who jennifer is. we also see who whitney houston was. >> reporter: tears weren't far from the surface, but from the moment the stars arrived there seemed to be an effort to celebrate houston's life instead of mourning her death. there were still reasons to celebrate. ♪ we could have had it all ♪ rolling in the deep >> reporter: adele returned to the stage after vocal chord surgery. but there was no denying the night was about whitney. the 48-year-old music legend who will never take the grammy stage again. >> tonight we celebrate music! tonight we celebrate the beautiful ms. whitney houston. >> reporter: but can never be far from the countless musicians she inspired.

♪ [ applause ] >> reporter: friends say grammy weekend was always whitney houston's favorite and that the artist would have wanted the show to go on. >> kristen, thank you. tommy matola is a top music industry executive. singer kelly price performed on thursday night when whitney houston jumped on stage to sing with her. it was houston's final performance. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> kelly, darlene love said "yes, jesus loves me" was one of whitney's favorite songs. when she started to sing it on stage with you, it must have been an emotional moment. >> it was one of her favorite songs. everyone remembers that she sang it in "the bodyguard," but it was one of her personal favorite songs. it was a song that took her back to childhood and her beginnings

in church. >> you spent so much time watching her talent and watching her star rise over the years. as you watched her that night, kelly, and the condition she was in -- and i don't mean it in a derogatory fashion -- what were your impressions? >> well, my impression was she was there. she was happy. she was celebrating. it was a pre-grammy celebration and a party themed for r & b music. i saw nothing other than someone who was happy, moving forward, having a good time. her daughter was there with her. she was dancing, smiling, singing, talking about the new movie coming out. there was no condition i noticed other than one of celebration and one of ready to have a good time. we were supposed to meet up again at clive davis's party on saturday and she would have been here for the grammys yesterday. >> tommy, obviously there has been so much talk over the years of a comeback, getting her act

together, getting it all back together. how much pressure do you think it put on her? >> it's incredible pressure. physically, emotionally, in every respect. really reconditioning her instrument, her voice, getting it into topnotch form. the pressure of wanting to sound as good as she always did. it's just an overwhelming amount of pressure. >> as someone with an ear who obviously knows these types of things, could she have gotten the music, the instrument back to where it needed to be? >> the instrument -- the voice is a very delicate instrument. you need to protect it and take care of it at all times. but you can look at people like an 87-year-old man, tony bennett whose instrument is as good as it was when he was 20 years old. obviously he's taken care of himself for a long time. >> who would you compare her to in terms of level of talent over the years?

>> there are some people who achieve stratosphere success. basharbra streisand with "peopl celine dion with "titanic," but "i will always love you" broke all barriers. >> we lost michael jackson, amy winehouse and now whitney houston. different people, different stories. is there a common thread? >> only that some people can with stand all of the pressure and media blitz that comes with it. some people have an adverse effect in their lives and how it really allows them to perform or not perform. >> kelly, let me come back to you. as you try to sum up what she meant to you as a performer, what you took away from her career, how would you describe

it? >> i took away a lot of lessons. in our personal time together whitney spent a lot of time talking to me about the rough side of the business and how it can adversely affect you if you are not someone with a really good strong foundation. she advised that i always maintain a strong sense of family because when the day was done, when the lights went out i would need to go home and depend on my family to keep me sane and functioning in a world where there is just a lot of make believe. if you fall into it and believe the hype and that's all you have, it will be all you have. when that goes away, everything is gone. >> kelly price, thank you. tommy, always good to see you as well. we thank you for your thoughts. up next, academy award winner reese witherspoon opens up about her new movie right after this. [ male announcer ] why do we grow quaker oats? because there are mountains to climb. ♪ dreams to be realized.

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action film, if you can believe it. it's called "this means war." she has not one but two men vying for her attention. what she does not know is that they are cia agents who can watch her every move as she talks about them with her best friend played by chelsea handler. take a look. >> is there anything bad about them? >> let me think. flaws. fdr has tiny girl hands. like little t-rex hands. [ laughter ] >> and tuck is british. >> ew. >> what's that supposed to mean? >> so they're even. i need you to get into decision-making mode. >> i'm giving myself a finite amount of time to make the decision. one week i have. >> one week. >> talk about a love triangle. reese witherspoon, good morning. it's great to have you here. when they offered you a role to be the romantic interest for chris hines and thomas hardy, how long did it take you to say

yes? >> about maybe a minute. maybe a minute. i read the script. i thought it was so charming and joyful. it's a comedy, too. it has great action elements but the idea of this woman stuck between two secret agents and she has no idea that they are best friends and secret agents, it was a fun premise. >> she's also incredibly powerful and secure as a career woman. yet she's completely indecisive in matters of love. >> i think a lot of women can relate to the idea of having your life together but your romantic life is a mess. we played on that. the idea that she's a consumer tester and she's super decisive in her business, but she just cannot decide between the two guys. >> so that's the reason we see chelsea handler. that's where she comes in. she comes in with crazy advice. i get the impression you had a lot of fun behind the scenes, the two of you working together. >> chelsea and i laughed all the time. i'm a big fan of her show.

i read her books and i thought they were funny. it's not anything like my personality. so that's why it's funny. we're this unlikely match. but we got along. she makes up everything off the top of her head. >> so a lot of it is ad libbed. >> she said it herself. i don't read the script. we'd tell her the scene and she would make up stuff. every man, woman in the whole room was dying laughing. >> i heard they cut a lot out, but what they kept was hilarious. >> she says so much crazy stuff. it will be an insane dvd. >> oh, hey now! >> yeah. >> on top of everything else the action part is that both tom and chris's characters are trying to stay alive on top of everything else. >> right. >> they are being chased by a crazy guy trying to kill them. this is your first action film. you're running. you've got a gun. things are exploding around you. >> yeah.

it was crazy. the comedy elements are there so i felt safe in that part of it. sometimes it was like the bad guys would be chasing us and i was like, this is ridiculous! >> would you do it again? >> do you like action films? >> i had so much fun. the director was a joy to be around. we had so much fun running around and pretending we were action stars. >> you said this is your first action. interesting to hear what tom said. both said nice things about working with you. but they actually said -- tom said working with you was like taking a master class in the comedy genre. >> oh, that's very sweet. i have learned from many people throughout the years. you know, from vince vaughn to owen wilson and paul rudd. i have had a lot of experience working with comedians. hopefully i can pass along with they teach me. oh, and chelsea handler as well. i learned things i will try to

forget. >> what was it like working with them? >> chris pine is just wonderful. smart and charming and tom hardy is rough and tumble. there's something for every girl in this movie. >> the director of the movie said about you, it's a new look at reese witherspoon. she's occupying a more overtly sexual space. the intelligent, empowered bombshell. how do you feel about that, reese? >> well, you know. embarrassed. but it's a sexier part for me. it's exciting to grow up a little bit. >> you definitely do. it's just in time for valentine's day. we love you, reese. good luck. the movie is called "this means war" and it opens friday. we're back after your local news.

8:26 is your time now on this monday, february 13, 2012. good morning. an accident in prince george's county is causing some delays. >> good news, the accident inner loop of the beltway at pennsylvania avenue now just blocking the right shoulder lane but still significant delays. you'll see your delays at central avenue. traveling westbound on 50, slow inside the beltway heading into the city. 30 miles per hour at kennelworth avenue, continuing on to new york avenue. a live look at north capital street. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices

in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum, we can empower more people to innovate, create jobs, and put momentum behind our economy. and a spectrum auction could raise as much as 30 billion dollars to help fund the payroll tax cut. it's simple. more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. good morning. clear and cold on this monday morning. temperatures are just approaching the freezing mark across parts of northern virginia and maryland. elsewhere though we're still generally in the 20s and we have a lighter wind thankfully this morning. lots of sun later today, highs

into the mid 40s. cloudy tomorrow, might get afternoon flurries or an sprinkle. sun back on wednesday, high low 50s. could get rain thursday. a dry and chilly pat tornado friday look! here she comes! ♪ she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes... ♪ ♪hen she comes. ♪ it'll be spinning new chrome wheels when it comes. ♪ ♪ when it comes. ♪ custom spoiler, race grade pistons, ♪ ♪ gt35 turbo charger. ♪ and they'll all know that it's kevin's awesome car. ♪ bought em! ( clears throat ) sorry. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay.

8:30 now on this monday morning, the 13th of february 2012. the start of another work week. these folks look like they have stretched out another day to their weekend. congratulations and good morning to them. we are excited to be outside with them. even though it's warming up a little bit, the gang's all here and we have a very remarkable couple. their names are kim and --

carpenter. years ago they were in a car accident and she lost her short-term memory. she forgot who her husband was. this became a real challenge for him because he realized when the woman he had fallen in love with didn't know who he was. there is a new movie out about their love called "the vow." it was a number one box office hit this weekend. we'll talk to them about the real story about what happened to them. >> we'll look forward to that. and katharine mcphee is here. most people realize she burst on the scene on "american idol." now she's one of the stars of the new nbc show "smash." it tells the story of a broadway musical in the making. she will be here talking about that role. >> she's so talented and beautiful. >> absolutely. coming up, how to be a better cook. >> our teacher, none other than

noted new orleans chef john besh. he'll share some of his favorite mardi gras recipes. upstairs smells like one big vat of fried chicken. it is so good! >> he also has a chicken that's a little bit not fried, too. >> an oven fried chicken. >> what's the point? it's fried chicken! >> that would make a lovely valentine's perfume. eua de fried chicken. >> ew! >> coming up, a check of the weathe

good morning. bright sun and a blue sky on this monday morning. and temperatures right now are in the 20s to near 30 degrees. i'm tom kierein in storm center 4. increasing clouds tonight and cloudy tomorrow. maybe a morning flurry or afternoon sprinkle. otherwise a cloudy day, highs in the 40s. then on wednesday, sunshine back, highs low 50s. might get some rain on thursday. looks like dry and that's your latest weather. we want to remind you. you can get your weather day or night on the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> when we come back, the real life couple that inspired "the vow." they will tell us their story. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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back now at 8:35 with the real life story behind "the

vow," this weekend's number one movie at the box office. it's based on the lives of kim and cricket carpenter who were newlyweds when a car accident left cricket without her short-term memory. we'll talk to them in a moment. first their story from nbc's kristen dahlgren. >> i promise to provide for and protect you through times of challenge and need. >> reporter: vows meant to last a lifetime. for kim and cricket carpenter, pushed to the limit. just two months after their wedding while driving to see cricket's parents for thanksgiving, a gruesome accident changed everything. >> i heard "watch out" and the most blood curdling scream. i heard cricket just gasp. i thought it was the last breath of air she could get. the doctors told me she was way beyond medical help. >> reporter: cricket survived but had a serious brain injury. >> they asked who her husband was. she said, i'm not married. >> reporter: she had no recollection of even meeting kim. >> i wanted my wife back.

i became obsessed with putting pictures before we were married, our engagement picture up everywhere. she couldn't even sit down in the bathroom without seeing a picture. >> reporter: nothing worked. then a therapist suggested they fall in love again. ann talked to the couple in 1997. >> you dated? movies? >> yeah. go to the show, eat pizza. >> flowers? >> yep. >> he gave you flowers? >> she fell in love with me, not once but twice. >> reporter: kim and cricket remarried. >> i need you, kimmer and i love you. >> reporter: two kids, four dogs and 18 years have now passed since cricket's injury. she still hasn't regained her memory. but that doesn't seem to matter. for so long it was that accident that defined their lives. these days the carpenters say this is what life is about -- family. now hollywood has handed them a new role. ♪ >> reporter: last week the

carpenters were honored at the premiere of their life story, hollywood-style. "the vow," a movie i spired by the lives of kim and cricket starring channing tatum and rachel mcadam. >> it's like a new wedding for us. >> reporter: as excited as they are about the movie they say they are more excited about what got them there. >> that's what we want to be known for, doing what we said we were going to do. >> reporter: do you love her more today? >> more than ever. we have really won the battle. >> reporter: from storybook beginning to a hollywood ending. >> i promise never to forget that this is a once in a life tile love. >> reporter: a vow unbroken. >> only one thing can surpass forever the painful events that we have felt and that is the love i have for you. i'm truly honored to be your

husband. >> reporter: for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, farmington, new mexico. >> the carpenters are now joining us. they share their story in a book called "the vow." good to see you. >> great to see you again. >> the movie is number one at the box office. >> amen, yeah! >> you just got the news on your blackberry. >> we have been talking to producers and presidents of studios. they have been so excited to call us. we have been having a great time over the weekend. watched friday, saturday and last night. >> the you believe the greatest adversity in your life, where it's taken you? >> it's amazing. we are truly blessed. going from where i was given less than half a percent chance to survive and if i did i would be a vegetable. you know, the lord is a great physician. >> channing tatum is your -- >> yeah. channing's the man. >> he said something about you.

>> you know what? he told the editor of the paper -- and i was honored and touched. he said, you know, kim is one of the greatest guys i have ever known. i love the guy, what he stands for. quite an honor for a box office hero to be saying that. we had a great relationship with him. we did. spent good time with rachel and channing. just the chemistry they portrayed and the way they studied us was a really neat thing. >> you know, the real story, i think -- i saw the movie and it's fantastic. the real story is even better. not only did you not remember him, and he didn't give up you, he took you out again. he asked you out. why didn't you give up? >> you know, we live in a society where vows are constantly broken. 40 years ago "'til death do us

part" meant the death of a soul mate. today it's the death of marriage is accepted. there are so many things we can talk about and such a long conversation we could have. the real thing is that two very faithful sets of parents that took great care of us over a hundred anniversaries between our parents together. accompany that with our faith. you know, that's what you do. you do the right thing. >> you loved her so much. >> oh, yeah. >> you couldn't bear not being with her even though she had no idea who you were. you made her fall in love with you again. this is where it gets really good. you actually proposed to her. >> i did. >> you had another wedding. >> we did. >> you had the first wedding and there is videotape of a second wedding you had and the doctors were there, the nurses were there. >> yes. >> what was it uh like? >> it was exciting that i had a memory to hold onto. it wasn't the second time around that i fell in love with him again.

it was a choice. i chose to love kim based on obedience to god. not based on feelings because my feelings were wiped out. i chose to love him. my love obviously grew for him. he's a wonderful individual. you have to stay committed. you know? you have trials in your life and you have to keep persevering. >> as proof that love can be reborn you've got a couple of kids here. hailey ann and danny, come on in. >> this is the real blessing of our vow right here. >> when you think about the legacy, have you thought about how this is going to inform their lives? >> you know, it's the greatest compliment for a parent to let the kids see the glitz and attention for doing the right thing. to have a movie made about your life has been sensational. but to write the book for the world to see is awesome. for these kids to get to see

what mom and dad did and the right thing and all the attention you're getting, it's the greatest life lesson you could have for the kids to carry on the legacy. parents often preach to kids to do the right thing. now they're seeing it all. hopefully this will be a real memory for them to carry on. >> how can you forget? you've got the biggest smile on your face. your parents, their story is in a movie, for goodness sake. i just want to tell you, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> we're very blessed. >> congratulations on the success. it's great to know you. and i'm glad to know your kids. >> it's been fun. we look forward to continuing to get to know you more through the years and you have been a blessing. they were excited to meet you. i don't know. we have to tell everybody in america this girl is named after you. >> thank you so much. >> it's an honor for me. i'm so excited.

>> what do you think america would have done? the movie is asking the question, what would i do. that's the challenge in this. we hope we're able to inspire lives. >> thank you so much. >> you keep smiling. you can read an excerpt from their book at today.com. "the vow" is in theaters nationwide. up next, the star of "smash." we'll catch up with katharine mcphee. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:46 with the star of nbc's new drama "smash." katharine mcphee first got attention competing on "american idol" in 2006. now she's showcasing her singing, dancing and acting abilities on "smash" playing karen, one of two actresses vying for a role in a musical about marilyn monroe.

tonight she tries to transform herself into the icon. ♪ >> you're still doing the routine here in the studio. good to see you. welcome back. >> thank you for having me. >> are you happy the advanced hype is over and you can get down to delivering the show now? >> thank you for saying that. we shot the pilot almost a year ago, the show that aired last week. it's been a long time coming. we have been a little bubble of just working on the show. it is exciting that it's finally out for people to see. >> good news/bad news. hype brings an audience. bad news is it's hard to live up to expectations.

>> right. >> how do you feel about what you have put on screen so far? >> just the other day i watched the first four episodes. i have been holding out. i think it's hard to watch yourself on tv but i feel proud of just the entire show and all of our amazing cast. it really is a special show. it's one of the things i'm most proud of that i have done in my professional career. >> here you are playing karen, an actress, but you're playing an actress trying to become another actress. so it's a little schizophrenic. >> right. >> how do you go about that? >> well, i thought, how am i going to approach playing marilyn, but karen playing marilyn. you just take it one scene at a time. beyond that i think the most challenging thing for me was the dancing. i hadn't danced -- i grew up dancing and things like that, in and out of classes, but i was

never a professional dancer. the first big number you just saw took me a while to learn the steps. >> you were saying in the commercial break that the schedule on this is demanding because as opposed to other shows where actors and actresses go into a room, learn lines and deliver them, you've got that and the whole rehearsal -- dancing rehearsal part. >> it's funny when we are shooting scenes the choreographer will come in between takes and work on steps with us because two days later we're doing a big dance number. he'll be in between takes teaching us dance routines. so it's a hectic schedule. >> i don't have to tell you what nbc has riding on the show. what about you personally? is this a vehicle for you to show people that it's more than just a beautiful voice? >> you know, it's so many things for me. since i have come off "idol" and before i have been plugging away -- pounding away, i should say, as an actress, trying to

get people to see you in a different light. "idol" was a great place for me to get exposure. with that comes certain challenges. every actor has, you know. for me, it's just an amazing opportunity to be able to do what i love. and i never would have imagined that i would be -- being able to act which is what i really wanted to achieve but being able to do everything. i get to sing and dance and act. if someone told me that five years ago i never would have thought it would be possible. >> i think people will view you as a triple threat after this. >> oh, thank you. >> katharine mcphee, good luck with "smash." we all counting on you. you can catch a new episode tonight at 10:00/9:00 central time. up next, mardi gras favorites in the kitchen including fried chicken with john besh right af

whatcha lookin' for hon? ah, these new jeans i want. i've been looking everywhere. new blue jeans? oh, don't be crazy, i've got tons of blue jeans.

frank! frank! get my jean bin, susie wants my jeans. no she doesn't. here we go. nice and loose. ohhh. those are loose, but i actually just ordered three pairs of this kind. ooooohhhh. oh. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay. >> announcer: today's kitchen is brought to you by crystal light. stay light. this morning on today's kitchen, how to be a better home cook. celebrity chef john besh is here with some of the mardi gras favorites he makes for his own family. the latest cookbook he's written is called "my family table: a passionate plea for home cooking." john, welcome. >> thanks for having me back.

>> why a passionate plea? >> you know, for years -- >> for home cooking. >> we have gotten away from the family table. we spend so many meals eating out. i'm a chef. i'm saying stay at home and eat, but at the same time when we were growing up, going out was a special occasion. i think people need to get back to the family table and eat things like fried chicken and jambalaya and things if you take time to cook them. >> you're outspoken about this. in an interview you said, listen, i worry the more cooking becomes entertainment and spectator sport instead of a family activity and the more we fetishize celebrity chef it is more we discourage people from getting in the kitchen. >> we turned into a spectacle. i watched chefs on television actually cook. now they want us out of the kitchen and it's a spectator

sport. here we are cooking again. >> we are making fried chicken, your grandmother's recipe. >> take good chicken and toss it in seasoned flour. seasoned with a touch of salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. >> flour first, then milk and back to the flour. >> and then look, drop it in there -- >> into? >> canola oil, 350 degrees. put a lid on it. 15 minutes, this is it. >> this is what you serve on mardi gras. >> it's mardi gras season. it comes down to mardi gras is a time when people don't realize it's family time in new orleans. you come out to the parade routes and bring fried chicken and jambalaya and things like this. this is what i started doing recently at home. our no fryer fried chicken. >> healthier. >> now we're talking. what's that? mayonnaise?

>> fat-free mayonnaise. you're laughing -- >> he's choking on the idea of healthy. >> is that cajun mustard? >> i'm not a healthy chef per se, but cooking for the family at the house, there is nothing healthier. >> you have mayonnaise, mustard. >> a little creole mustard and hot sauce. salt and pepper. take boneless, skinless thighs. this is fat-free mayo, so don't freak out, matt. >> no, no. is that panko? >> right into the panko bread crumbs. form it back into the shape of the fried chicken into a 375 degree oven. >> i want a bite of that. >> i'm having a bite of this one. >> no, no, no. here's the deal. matt was complaining earlier about the king cake. >> there is something about it that screams overpowering to me. >> it's mardi gras!

>> exactly. >> everything here is about bigger, better and more. so jambalaya. perfect place to your festivities. we have the jambalaya. fried chicken. don't feel too guilty. throw on not fried chicken. >> what happens when you have a baby? >> you get the baby, throw the next party. it's all about having fun. keeping it simple. >> the book is "my family table." we're back after your local news 8:56 now. february 13th, 2012. right now part of the fairfax county parkway is closed. the accident involves a tractor-trailer and right now surround 7100 is shut down. all lanes are blocked.

if you're taking fairfax county parkway northbound, only the right shoulder lane gets by. a mile-long back-up in both directions traveling north and south on fairfax county parkway. montgomery county still delays on the outer loop of the beltway at new hampshire avenue. slow making your way to georgia

good morning. we've got a bright blue sky and now temperatures as we approach 9:00 are beginning to get a little above freezing in a few locations but most areas still in the 20s to near 30 degrees. reagan national now at 29. later today though climbing into the 40s with bright sunshine and cloudy tomorrow. we'll be into the 40s again. might have a morning flurry or maybe afternoon sprinkle. sun back on

♪ and i will always love you >> i just want to say to whitney up in heaven, we all love you, whitney houston. >> we've had a death in our family. >> back n with more of "today" on a monday morning. 13th of february 2012. those were some of the star tributes last night at the staples center in los angeles as the music world got together and remembered whitney houston. inside the studio i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. whitney houston's untimely death is sinking in for a lot of people, a lot of friends and family members and fans she had

all around the world. >> that's right, matt. she was arguably one of the greatest singers of all time with a voice that was unparalleled for decades. tributes have been pouring in from around the world and especially through social media. also some of her greatest hits are once again topping the charts. >> houston was only 48 years old. she was found in a bathtub saturday in her room at the beverly hilton. an autopsy has been performed. it could be weeks before an official cause of death is determined. we'll have more on that in a live report from los angeles ahead. >> we'll talk with her long-time friend who was is last person to perform on stage with whitney houston on friday. kelly price will join us with more on whitney houston's life, legacy and impact on the music world. >> thousand for more on this and other top stories, natalie is at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the latest into whitney houston's death as we learn more about the troubled

singer's final hours. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with more. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, natalie. good morning to you. the investigation certainly under way at this point. we are here at the l.a. county coroner's office. the autopsy on whitney houston's body is complete though they are not releasing the official cause of death yet awaiting toxicology reports which could take, by the way, six to eight weeks. it all comes down to the tox report now. basically to figure out was there drugs in whitney houston's body and what were they? ♪ and i >> reporter: the grammys sunday night weren't supposed to sound like this. a powerful tribute to whitney houston, care of jennifer hudson.

♪ love you [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: who knew it would end this way? inside a bathtub at the luxurious beverly hilton, whitney houston was reportedly in the bathroom for a while. tmz reports members of her entourage were hanging out on the other side of the door in her fourth floor suite. one of them finally went in and the coroner said discovered the singer's body in the bathtub. tmz reports she was under water and unresponsive. >> when officers arrived in the hotel room on the 4th floor, fire department and security were already attempting resuscitation measures. >> reporter: authorities found prescription pill bottles in her room including the powerful anti-anxiety drug xanax. it was too late for cpr. "the voice" was gone. >> no visible signs of trauma. foul play is not suspected at this time. >> reporter: whitney's ex-husband bobby brown got word

while performing in mississippi and reacted on stage. >> i just want to say, i love you, whitney. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: sunday the couple's only daughter bobbi kristina was rushed to the hospital for stress but was released hours later. some say the warning signs of whitney's deterioration were there, just 48 hours before her death. thursday night, her final performance. sounding like a shell of her former self and outside the club many say she looked like a shell of her former self. mismatched clothes with visible scratches and blood running down her leg. >> in my opinion she seemed like she was under the influence of something -- be it drugs or alcohol, i don't know. but she certainly seemed not to be all there. >> reporter: kelly carter is a journalist who spent time with the star. you interviewed whitney houston four months ago. how did she look? >> great. she was polished, witty,

engaging and funny. the narrative she had was clear -- i'm back, i'm better than ever. >> reporter: you saw her this past thursday. how did she look? >> clothing was dishevelled. she spoke in rapid fire succession which was odd and threw me off a little bit. just wasn't the whitney i had just talked to a few months before. >> reporter: whitney had been to rehab three times. so was this the end of a long battle with addiction or was it something else? this case is now on what's called a security hold here at the medical examiner's office. pretty common in these high profile situations. that way more information isn't re-reesed as police try to figure out what happened in the final hours for whitney houston at the beverly hilton. they are now interviewing several members, all of them, in fact, of whitney's entourage

that were in the room to find out what did happen. >> thank you, jeff. president obama is sending a new budget to congress today in a bid to reduce the deficit by some $4 trillion over the next decade. the spending blueprint outlines plans to cut government spending and raise taxes on the wealthiest americans. mitt romney got back on track this weekend in the republican presidential race. he won the maine caucuses and a straw poll of conservative activists at a cpac event in washington. on sunday, rick santorum suggested romney's staff rigged the cpac vote by purchasing tickets for supporters. romney's campfired back that santorum has a history of making statements not grounded in the truth. love conquered all at the box office in the weekend before valentine's day. "the vow" with rachel mcadams and channing tatum took in more than $41 million dollars and took the top spot. then "safe house" with ryan

reynolds and denzel washington while "journey 2: the mysterious island" was in third. in nagano japan, each year people watch monkeys relax. they munch on apples and groom each other before returning to the forest. looks like he's enjoying it there. seven minutes past the hour. back to you. i wasn't going to say anything. >> i don't know if it's weird that you would touch my hair or you think i look like those monkeys. that you even found hair. no hair. nothing. >> no worries. >> let's check on the weather from

good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4 now at 9:08 on this monday morning. temperatures are still below freezing most of the area. upper 20s to near 30 degrees. reagan national now at 29. wind is much gentler this morning, around 5 to 10 miles an hour so windchills are down around 0. later today we'll be into the mid 40s are light wind, a lot of sun. tomorrow maybe a few flurries or >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> more now on the life and legacy of whitney houston. recently her battle with addiction and personal struggles took center stage.

but whitney houston will be remembered, of course, for her voice. ji joe levy is here from rolling stone and "weekends of bellevue" author julie holland join us. in the end, won't whitney houston be remembered as the amazing voice? >> sure. absolutely. you know, her struggles were her struggles. the only person she hurt and the only person we talk about her possibly having hurt is herself. so when we find out what happened, of course we'll remember the music. that's what a lot of us are focused on now. one of the greatest singers in popular music. certainly one of the greatest in the last 20, 30 years. someone who influenced so many singers from the next generation and established a way of singing. >> you know, it's hard to remember a time for a certain generation when there wasn't whitney houston on the scene.

what did she bring to this industry? how did she transform it? >> well, you know, she established a way of approaching a song vocally. when you hear mariah carey, beyonce, jennifer hudson, anyone on "american idol" or talent shows take a vocal run where they are breaking up one syllable into many, many parts and playing with the melody, that's a whitney houston style. it's a church style, but she brought it into pop r & b soul and codified it. she influenced everyone from maria carey to lady gaga. >> you look at somebody like whitney houston who just reached the heights of success absolutely but obviously something was ultimately so shattering for her to be in that limelight. what do you think it is about that kind of fame that can be so trying for some of our brightest stars? >> i don't know. when she started in the early '90s she was very strong and before she met bobbybrown had

these problems. not everyone in the limelight ends up taking drugs. >> we see the pattern repeated time and again. you hate to lump people together, but you think of amy winehouse, michael jackson. >> yeah. you see this pattern in the entertainment industry. of course many of us know a family member or friend who has also struggled with addiction. addiction doesn't care whether you are famous or not. we talk about pressures when you're a star and we don't talk about the sense of entitlement when you're a star. the sense that i can do anything, nothing can hurt me. everyone is here to protect me. >> and people don't say no to you. they don't cut you off, confront you, say, i think you have a problem. they are enabling you. you have more enablers in that situation. also something i want to comment on about her hurting no one but herself. she has a daughter. so i don't agree. there is another victim here. >> absolutely a fair point. >> when i'm drunk and there are kids around you're not fully

attending to them. >> it's early on in the investigation and we don't get toxicology back for weeks but it was reported that xanax, the anti-anxiety medicine was found in her hotel room. that's a legal drug but we hear it time and again. >> it is highly abusable. it creates tolerance and dependent. there is withdrawal syndrome. it's a controlled substance. it's one of the most popular prescriptions in america. millions of americans, especially women are taking anti-anxiety meds. over a hundred million prescriptions for these benzodyazapimes. they are cutting into the market for illicit drugs. prescription drug abuse is the new most popular thing to be abused in america. >> the withdrawal is tremendously painful and difficult. >> the most important take-home message is that combining the sedatives with alcohol is deadly. especially if you're in a bathtub. it's possible if she were just

in her bed we wouldn't be having this conversation. when you're combining benzo and alcohol you get sedated and you won't wake up if your face is covered with water. >> you mentioned her influence. it seemed she was hoping to be poised for a comeback with the new movie coming out. there was a record with critical success. >> not the best of her records but there were moments. in 2010 she went on tour. several of the tour dates were cancelled. people walked out of some dates, wanted their money back. it was clear her voice wasn't there. i worry about the pressure that creates on people with incredible instruments who has to step on stage. >> incredible expectations. it would be overwhelming indeed. thank you for your time and perspective. much more on the tributes to whitney houston as we remember

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whitney houston's death came on the eve of music's biggest night, the grammys. last night the show did go on with heart felt tributes to the music superstar. now more from nbc's kristen dahlgren. ♪ and i will always love you >> reporter: from the start

there was no ignoring the magnitude of the loss. >> we have had a death in our family. >> reporter: the audience, full of music royalty bowed their heads and joined in prayer. >> although she is gone too soon we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit. >> reporter: on a stage houston graced many times throughout the years as she picked up six grammys of her own -- ♪ i will always love you >> reporter: the stars honored houston. >> i just want to say to whitney up in heaven, we all love you, whitney houston. [ applause ] >> reporter: the highlight, a moving rendition from jennifer hudson who was awarded her first grammy by whitney houston and considered the star her longtime idol. ♪ please don't cry >> jennifer delivered a really controlled performance. it was personal and yet it was big and we see who jennifer is.

we also see who whitney houston was. >> reporter: tears weren't far from the surface, but from the moment the stars arrived there seemed to be an effort to celebrate houston's life instead of mourning her death. there were still reasons to celebrate. ♪ we could have had it all ♪ rolling in the deep >> reporter: adele returned to the stage after vocal chord surgery. but there was no denying the night was about whitney. the 48-year-old music legend who will never take the grammy stage again. >> tonight we celebrate music! tonight we celebrate the beautiful ms. whitney houston. >> reporter: but can never be far from the countless musicians she inspired. ♪ we love you [ applause ] >> nbc's kristen dahlgren.

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well, thursday night singer kelly price was performing in los angeles when she got a big surprise. >> her friend whitney houston got on stage and started singing with her. sadly it turned out to be houston's final performance. ♪ >> ms. whitney houston! >> kelly price, good morning. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> you know, kelly, that obviously was a happy moment there. you had no idea what would happen 48 hours later. you know, we are hearing from people who were there, who saw

afterwards she seemed dievelled, disoriented, maybe had been drinking. what did you see on stage with whitney houston that night? >> what i saw on stage with whitney is exactly what you just witnessed. a friend who was celebrating another friend for having made some accomplishments in achieving what the ultimate almost is to be a musician in this business, to get grammy nominations. she was happy, joyful. she was congratulating me all night long. what people are saying, i didn't see. from what i understand they are making those judgments based on the way she looked when she left the club. it was the wee hours of the morning. after being on her feet for over three hours, standing at the side of the stage and rooting me on and every singer that took the stage that night. i performed that night. anthony hamilton performed that night. a host of other artists performed and she was just a part of the moment and rather

than going and sitting in a vip area she was to the side of the stage so every artist that touched the stage she got a chance to speak to them as they got on or off. it's a little disappointing. i get that people understand or know there have been challenges in the past and they would like to tribute that moment to that, but that's not what that moment was about. we all left true hollywood that night or early that morning on friday and we all looked like, for lack of a better phrase, like we had just walked through a car wash. we were sweaty. we had been dancing, celebrating. we had a really, really good time. it saddens me so much. now that we don't have her anymore, the memory i get to walk away with is that on thursday night she came out to celebrate her friend for achieving three grammy nominations after putting out a record independently. we did just that. we celebrated. we danced. we laughed, we tried.

>> all right. >> we were worn out at the end of the evening, but for nothing other than that. >> kelly price, thank you for your remembrances. we'll be right back after your local news and weather. security would be like --hat, there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. united mileageplus explorer card. try olive garden's new three course italian dinner for $12.95. start with all the homemade soup or salad and breadsticks you want. next choose from five new entrees like smoked mozzarella chicken. finally a delicious dessert. the new three course italian dinner. from olive garden.

we have breaking news at 9:26. a multi-vehicle crash. right now chopper 4 is live over fairfax county parkway. northbound, two right lanes get by the accident. this is right near i-66. also traveling southbound at this time, completely shut down, accident involves a tractor-trailer. multiple cars are involved. a car here, another car off in the ditch in this delays. if you're traveling on i-66 you cannot access fair fairfax county parkway at all at this time.

good morning. clear and cold now, near 30 degrees. later today climbing into the 40s, lots of sun.

cloudy tomorrow, back into the 40s again. might have a morning flurry or afternoon few sprinkles of light rain. then sun back on wednesday, into the 50s. maybe rain thursday but looking dry and chilly

♪ >> that, of course, is grammy winner taylor smith who added to her total last night with two more statues for best country song and best country solo performance. today we'll hear from taylor about her new project voicing a character in the upcoming dr. seuss movie "the lorax." i can't wait for that one. meanwhile coming up this half hour, with valentine's day tomorrow it's never too late to find love. coming up, dating advice for singles in their 60s. >> later on in today's kitchen a warm winter soup that's a

mexican classic. it's called pozole. we'll show you how to give it a modern american twist. >> that salad looks good, too. yum. >> hungry! we should eat but let's do the weather first. >> as we look good morning. still below freezing throughout much of the region. tom kierein in storm center 4. temperatures now in the upper 20s to near 30 degrees throughout much of the area. later today though we'll quickly climb into the upper 30s by noon time, then in the mid 40s by mid afternoon. lots of sun today.

cloudy on tuesday. maybe a flurry in the morning, afternoon highs in the 40s and perhaps a few sprinkles in the afternoon. then sun back on wednesday with highs low 50s. could get some rain on thursday. looks like a dry and that's your latest weather. >> now we want to say hi to musician tony luca whose silky vocals had owl four judges on "the voice" begging to work with him. nice to see you. >> it's a pleasure to be here. >> watching you sing and watching each judge turn around one by one was so exciting. how was it for you? >> the whole thing is surreal. it's a very unnatural setting going out to get people to turn around that aren't watching you play. but, you know, i saw adam's chair turn around and then i didn't have to worry anymore. i could just unleash a what i have been doing for so long. >> they were all fiegin ingfigh

you. you chose to go with adam levine from maroon 5. >> yeah. >> how will he help you in the battle round? >> we come from similar backgrounds. singer/songwriters, rock band leaders, doing the club thing, slowly working our way up. there is a shorthand there, think, that will come in handy. obviously i would have given anything to work with -- >> any of them. >> you talk about the club. you were in a club early on. the mickey mouse club. britney spears, justin timberlake. >> christina ago ago. >> it's amazing. the story has been 20 years in the making now. this would be the window of opportunity that it would actually make it to the surface. yeah. just an incredible family to call the club. how intense the relationships

were that we formed so long ago let alone the talent. it's always been crazy when another story unfolds. wow. i remember when i was in the checkout aisle and kerri russell was on entertainment weekly. 'n sync had tv guide. brittany on rolling stone and christina. i thought, wow, that would be weird if i were on a show like that. >> now you are. >> i was on that show. that's weird. >> there can be no question about your talent. how do you think "the voice" will bring you to the next level of success? >> it's definitely a stage like no other. you know, it's really a huge forum and especially playing after the super bowl. that's a once in a lifetime -- several lifetimes -- opportunity. i'm hoping this really helps push things along. >> our stage, not so big. a little taste? >> okay. >> cold vocals, early morning?

♪ how long did you say ♪ you'd love me ♪ forever takes too long ♪ if i had my best ♪ you'd be the death of me >> wow! [ applause ] >> that is very good. >> that's what i say about savannah all the time. you're going to be the death of me. tony, thank you so much. >> the blind auditions continue tonight on "the voice" at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. >> all right. we are rooting for you. keep it going. up next, love and romance for the senior set right after this. when we walk together, we are bigger than cancer.

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after 60. according to a new survey by match.com you are more likely to be happy, romantic and know what you want from a partner in your golden years. psychotherapist robbi ludwig is a "today" contributor and helen fisher is a boiological anthropologist and works with match.com. you surveyed people on match.com -- >> based on the u.s. census. we didn't poll people on the site. it was based on the u.s. census, so we got the right number of ethnic people, every ethnic group, every religious background, every age group -- gay, straight, men, women, et cetera. it's representative of the american population. >> what did you find about 60-year-olds and over? >> my favorite question was -- and i put this question in the study. would you make a long-term commitment to somebody who had everything you were looking for but you were not in love with them and another question was

would you make a long-term commitment to someone who had everything you were looking for in a person but you were not -- you did not find them sexually exciting. over 60 was the least likely to compromise. the least likely. the most -- to that group it's most important to have romance and sex. i understand that. i'm over 60. would i move to oshkosh with somebody i was not in love with? with all due respect to oshkosh. but by this age you're embedded in your social world and business world. you're not going off to china, unless you are madly in love and really sexually interested in somebody. >> interesting. >> robbi has tips for people looking for love after 60. first you say to expand your social circle. besides online dating what can older singles do? >> you need to follow your interests. if you love cooking, wine tasting, you want to learn a new language, join a class where you

can learn more and meet other people with similar interests. very often when people have similar interests they have a very strong relationship. you can also use a matchmaker or join a church. or travel. >> big travel groups. >> and cruises, too, for singles. look at the age to make sure you are not surrounded by people much younger than you, but getting yourself out there so you're not in a rut is a way to meet other people which is great. >> i think two things when you meet people, think of reasons to say yes. when you just have met somebody you have very little information. so you overweight that information. in fact, on this study of singles in america we asked the question, did you ever meet somebody that you really did not think would be right and then much later fall madly in love with them? 35% of people said yes. you have to give people a chance. >> to that point you said to think character, maybe not so much about the first chemical

attraction then. >> right. in fact, what older people are looking for is somebody who respects them, somebody they can trust, somebody who they can confide in and very different among older people than younger people, they have to have somebody who has a sense of humor. >> right. >> and somebody who's not stubborn, doesn't watch too much television and doesn't talk too much. >> that should be easy to find. >> yeah! >> speaking to that also it's the idea of companionship. that's one of your tips as well. look for a good companion and not necessarily thinking about marriage. >> right. a lot of people who are over 60, marriage is not the angle. they are not looking to have kids. they're not necessarily interested in combining their finances. in fact, many are a little bit leery about that, understandably so. so it frees up a couple to enjoy one another and have freedom in a way that maybe younger people don't have. >> right. >> younger people have to

reproduce. they have to find the person to have their baby and build a family. so they are more constrained. in fact, when we asked the question, do you want to marry? pretty clear question. 12% of men and 14% of women over 60 said yes. >> it's not important at that point. they have been there, done that. >> also, know thyself. is it okay to have deal breakers at this point? can you be picky? >> they're more picky. >> sex was top of the list. >> and romance. but it's nice to know yourself, but it's really important to like yourself. when you like yourself and when you're smiling and people are near you, they imitate your smile just naturally. trigger that brain chemistry for feelings of pleasure. if you're happy, you will make people around you happy. in fact, people want to be around happy people. >> that's a good last point. finally, happiness is the key

here really. remember that laughter is the key. important not to take yourself or others too seriously. >> you have to have a sense of humor about yourself. really, that helps a person gain objectivity in terms of how they see themselves in relation to other people. it also prevents burnout. if you're going to take everything so seriously, it really makes it hard to stay in the trenches because part of dating is frustrating. part of it is exciting. if you can just keep a fresh mind about it, that's really the best way to go. >> very interesting information. thank you so much for bringing it to us. thank you. coming up next in today's kitchen, modern mexican cuisine. first, these messages. race down that hill without a helmet. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol has stayed down.

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♪ oh, mexico >> this morning in today's kitchen, what's on the menu? an american spin on a traditional mexican soup, pozole. chef andrew caramelini is owner of the dutch and la conda verde. in your book you talk about a lot of different experiences that have colored your world.

>> i love to travel. i love to travel in america and do road trips. that's what american flavor is about. it's about, you know, eating on the road and learning what my grandmother cooked, what your grandmother cooked. that's what i think american cuisine is these days. >> we are making a mexican soup called pozole. >> i have good friends in san antonio. it's a mexican-american staple, mexican staple of hominy. same thing as grits. dried corn that's cooked a little bit. we have a chicken pozole. healthy and simple. season the chicken with ground cumin. we have chili powder. i like to season the chicken before it goes into the soup a little bit. we have a little mexican oregano and sauteed onions inside the pot. some olive oil in there. very, very simple. just chicken broth over the top. and a little tiny bit of water. you bring it up to a simmer. it cooks like 45 minutes, just

until the chicken is nice and tender, falls off the bone. that's what it looks like. you have the mexican oregano and everything inside. that gives it a brown flavor. >> that's the brian. >> -- brine. >> this is the pozole flavor. nutty, tastes like grain and i like the chopped green chilies. >> where do you get hominy. >> the store around my mom's house in cleveland has it. very easy to find. >> so now you have shredded the chicken? >> yes, the chicken comes out, shred it with your hands. put it back in the soup so you don't have to deal with the bones. cook it to get all the flavors together and then the condiments. the fun thing is the condiments. i like a simple fresh salsa with chopped tomatoes, lime juice, a lot of onion. i love red onion inside. a good handful of salt. don't be afraid of putting salt

in there. your favorite hot sauce. >> louisiana -- >> yeah, whatever you like. i like to make it the day before, let it marinate a little bit. get the flavors together. >> i can smell it. >> you get hot sauce, lime juice and all the flavors. >> let's go back here. >> pozole is super, super flavorful and super healthy. great for a sunday supper because you can put this big bowl in the middle of the table and you have all the condiments on the outside you can add to the soup. >> whatever you want. >> squeeze of lime inside, you can put chopped up radish, cilantro. i love chopped up lettuce, salsa on top. if you want, put a little bit more hot sauce on top. >> i'm good like this. >> i like a lot of hot sauce. my favorite part, put tostada on top, like a little cracker.

>> almost like saltines. and we have cornbread? >> with chipotle pepper inside and we have a gazpacho salad. healthy stuff. >> still ahead, the star of nbc's big hit "smash," cakathare mcphee. nbc's big hit "smash," cakathare mcphee. first, t never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. we can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee.

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coming up, more on the life and legacy of whitney houston with hoda and kathie lee. >> plus, we'll have the call of the wild with some valentine's day animals. >> and if you want to spice things up a little bit for your sweet heart we have sexy lingerie. >> ooh! >> after your local news and weather.

break news at 9:57. right now a multi-vehicle crash shut down part of the fairfax county parkway. we'll go right to danella for more. this was the scene just a few moments ago shot from chopper. if you are traveling on fairfax county parkway around i-66, northbound two right lanes get by, southbound still completely shut down at this time.

the accident involves a tractor-trailer. multiple vehicles are involved in the accident as well. we'll keep watching this four. traveling on i-66 you cannot get on fairfax county parkway in either direction. blue skies, sparkling sunshine. temperatures cold, right now struggling to get above freezing. 35 at reagan national. winds are only 5 to 10 miles an hour so windchills are in the 20s. later today temperatures climbing into the mid 40s with lots of sun. cloudy tomorrow. maybe a few flurries in the morning or afternoon sprinkle. sun back on wednesday. sun back on wednesday. coming up -- you may

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it's monday and usually it's fun day monday, february 13th, the day after the grammy awards. not such a fun day today, though. last night at the grammys, you probably saw an amazing tribute to an amazing musical legend. >> mm-hmm. >> whitney houston. we're all remembering her today. we all have different memories of an incredible talent. >> she was 48 years old. when you share someone's birthday, we have the same

birthday but a year apart, but when i heard the news, it was one of those things you had to, go i'm sure i heard that wrong. it was on the radio at the time or someone heard something. you saw her on the mend. like i remember seeing her on oprah, john robertson interviewing her. we'd seen her at her lowest and you thought she was mending. so sad. >> a lot of people were saying they were stunned and shocked. but then there would be an afterthought, which is not surprised. we don't know all the facts and it will be several weeks before t toxicology reports but in the last two years she was open about her addictions and tragically open about them, you know. >> right. tmz and other sites are reporting she was found in a bathtub, that there were prescription medicines like xanax and stuff there. again, toxicology reports take a long time to come back. >> yeah. >> they take several weeks.

but, you know, you hear what a lot of friends are saying. it was just so hard to hear that. funny about her voice because there are very few voices when you walk by a radio or something, you go, that's whitney. other people, you go, who is that? is that so-and-so? on shows like "american idol" or other shows they're, like, what are you doing singing whitney? >> let's take a listen to her. this is from "the bodyguard" of course. ♪ i will always love you i will always love you i will always love you ♪ >> unbelievable. >> so pure. so pure. who didn't love that movie with kevin costner there. some of the things you hear from

different people, the producer of the sound track and album i think held the record for sales until t"the titanic" soundtrack came out. but he had great memories of working with her. we haven't heard what kevin costner has had to say about whitney. he's a very private guy. maybe he's just keeping it private within the family. >> i had vh1 on. you could watch cnn or whatever. i chose to watch vh1 to see the videos. there are certain videos when you see them, it takes you back to a place -- there's one that makes me -- every time i hear it i want to dance, "i want to dance with somebody," her hair and the whole thing, from the '80s. i was watching this and i thought, come on, you cannot stay still with this song on. and look at her. ic it takes you back to that time in your life. >> so many have tried to copy. she was so young when we first met whitney, 18 years old, clive

davis found her. she came from a very, very successful musical family. we all know about her heritage. but she was the perfect combination it seemed of youthful vitality, raw, magnificent talent and incredible natural beauty. >> gorgeous. i don't think -- her smile rivals -- very rarely do you see a smile like farrah fawcett. like hers. i think our president has a smile like that where you just, whoa, golly, is every single tooth perfect in there? and she was the real deal. i first met her when she was performing for the special olympics held in minneapolis. never seen anybody work so hard. it was a huge crowd out there. but she was soaked. i mean, as if she'd been swimming when she came off stage. she gave absolutely everything. >> mm-hmm. >> you know, it just breaks your heart. i loved what barbara streisand

said. she said something like -- i'm paraphrasing and i shouldn't. i wish i had the exact worlds. but basically we wish she could have found the happiness from her beautiful gift that we found in her gift. that it just wasn't enough for her somehow. and that's just -- that must be the definition of tragedy. >> yeah. >> you know, somebody has what seems like everything. >> yeah. >> but not what they really want most of all. >> yeah. yeah. you're right. it was interesting at the gram last night. i turned them on and i wanted to know what they were going to do. i thought they did a beautiful job. ll cool j was fantastic. >> right tone. >> and it was fun, but when you listened to jennifer hudson sing that whitney song, and i couldn't -- >> it was a dolly parton song. >> right, right. written by dolly and she sang it. but it was one of those things when you watch that -- ♪ i will always love you

i will always love you ♪ >> beautiful. >> you know, a very difficult position to be put in with very little notice. she handled it with great grace. >> yeah. >> she didn't oversing it. she didn't try to -- >> and i loved watching the grammys. i love the people who stand there and sing. >> yeah. >> no fire. no dancing. >> they don't need pyrotechnics. >> adele. just stood there and sang. it was awesome. generjennifer hudson and adele. >> game over. and alicia keys and bonnie raitt. >> nothing against things on fire and flipping around, but, boy, you really see it when you see real talent like that. >> this is one of the first grammys in a long time that i enjoyed. i don't know why. >> yes. >> somebody was saying around here, i think it was keith, one

of our dressers, saying lately he feels like he's one of those muppet guys, the two old guys that sit in the balcony and go, i don't know, who's that? oh, my god i hate that. but last night there was a lot of talent on display. >> how about the beach boys? >> i did like the older performers a lot better, i got to admit. the big boys kicked it, "good vibrations." just them going bop, bop, come on, get out of here. of course it was adele's big night, lady gaga, a new verb, lady gaga got adeled. it's a verb. six times. >> yes, she did. adele just rocked it. it was a great night for her. how fun to be her on that night. >> she seemed grateful. she seemed grateful to have her voice back. the reaction of the crowd. you know what, she did seem happy to be there. >> she seemed humbled and almost embarrassed, one of my favorite

traits. >> was it three years ago she was first on our program with us. you and i went crazy for her. never met her before, never heard of her. thought she was amazing. and she was the sweetest, most down to earth and doesn't look like she's changed at all. unlike others who shall remain nameless. >> who are totally different than they used to be. >> we have a tribute to glenn campbell. suffering with alzheimer's. ♪ like a rhinestone cowboy oh, yeah ♪ ♪ like a rhinestone cowboy >> beautiful. that particularly killed me. he was a great studio musician for years before he ever became a performer himself. went through all kinds of his own demons with addiction and living in the tabloids.

and, you know, there's a happy ending. it's ultimately going to be tragic, but right now he's awesome. he got a lot of help. he just wished somebody who loved whitney could have found her -- you know, we always say this about the ones that are troubled. somebody around her and has access to her, love her enough to get her well. and her daughter is now 18. >> yeah. >> consent. even if somebody wants to help with problems in the future. when you're an adult, you make your own choices. >> they say you have to be ready for someone to help you. >> this says it all. the contrast between "the new york post" and the "daily news." >> two whitneys, both displayed on these last two covers. anyway, well, we were gone for a while. we were in the bahamas. >> yes. >> and we still feel a little bit of the afterglow of the sunshine and all that. >> not really. >> 27 degrees here. but we're not complaining. we were at the atlantis, and -- >> we want to thank everybody

for their hospitality down there. the junkanoo band called colors. this is me -- >> i'm in pink. >> whipping your -- oh, and hoda finally -- hoda ate it. >> that thing you were seeing was -- what was it called? >> aphrodisiac. called a pistol. anything that has the word pis-tol in it, run away. the main reason i wouldn't eat it was not being mean to hoda, although that was part of it, was that people were afraid it wasn't going to show up well enough on the plate. so everybody on our crew came by, picked it up and put it on a different plate. >> dark plates. >> manhandled them. i'm going, no way. >> down the hatch. right down. >> it's supposed to be an aphrodisiac. did it work? >> that's what i've heard. anyway, we also had fun with the dolphins. shoutout to sasha. >> our favorite part was swimming. we kissed a girl and we liked

it. >> she was precious. >> so sweet. we had a wonderful time. >> thank you to everybody. >> it's a big day around here because joy, as you know, reached her 25,000-pound weight loss goal. >> hey. >> now we've got the winners. right? >> we do. we had hundreds and hundreds of entries. i've got to say i'm glad i was not the one to judge because i would have said everybody. but you are going to call the first winner today. >> let me ask you -- >> hi, penny. >> penny! >> we're going to hear you. we're going to hear your story more on thursday when you're with us. how much have you lost total? >> 19 pounds. >> i bet you lose another pound before you get here. >> tuesday is play day so i'm not jinxing myself. but i lost three more pounds last tuesday. >> well, good for you. >> we cannot wait to meet you when you come to see us. >> you're going to have a great time. you're going to come with a guest of your choice. you're going to have an ambush makeover from head to toe.

>> and lunch with you. >> lunch with me. a personal one-on-one. all sorts of bells and whistles. >> we're excited. >> bye-bye. >> oh, my gosh. i'm on pins and needles. thank you so much. >> you're welcome, sweetie. you're welcome. >> thank you. >> favorite things so fast. penny, don't listen to mine. i feel bad about mine right now. so delicious. these are called cake box. cake sliders. remember push-ups when you were a kid? this is a cupcake in a push-up thingy. yeah. no, no, no. hold on. i'm going to do it right here. >> they don't come out. oh, hoda woman. jerry! >> you got the thing out. here, here. you push it. look, look, look. can you see it? >> get your face in there. they're really delicious. >> they are insane. you eat it like it's a popsicle. >> my favorite thing -- i don't know. it's on our website, all the

information. >> $21.95. get it for valentine's day if you can. >> we were down in the bahamas and a commercial kept coming on every five seconds. every five seconds. and i said to christine -- >> what was it? >> -- if frank ever, ever got me one of those i'd kill him. and guess what showed up yesterday -- or saturday? a vermont teddy bear. i thought that would get a much bigger laugh. one came for me and one came for kath. i just looked at him. after i got it, i loved it. it's really heavy and happy. he's adorable. i don't want him on the bed, but he's adorable. i'm going to send it to kathie lee's place in new york for the kids there. thank you, sweetheart. i want something else for tomorrow. >> kathie lee needs one more thing in her bed. mine is my laptop case. it's about $30. my sister bought this great

cover and everything was so expensive. i hunted and hunted and finally found this. it's like a sleek thing. it has the felt in here to clean the laptop every time you put it in. >> i like it. >> oh. >> get involved. you will love these. >> all righty. up next, everybody, a silent voice now. ♪ don't make me close one more door ♪ one of the greatest voices ever. remembering whitney houston. just kills me. ♪ stay in my arms if you dare

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why use more when you can use less? bring it with new bounty. ♪ all at once whitney houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive number-one hits on billboard's top 100. >> here with us is singer darlene love, a very close family friend to whitney. in los angeles, billboard magazine's editorial director, bill. how you doing? >> tough to say good morning. it's a tough morning, isn't it? >> yeah, but we have to stay up. we have to stay positive. because the way i heard, i was working in new jersey and a group of six of us went out to dinner. we were laughing and talking about my christmas show. i said, you know what, i'm going to call nippy this week -- her nickname for us -- and have her be in my show. let me just do something. the couple next to us were laughing and having so much fun.

finally we said, oh, yeah, jumped in our conversation, now you talking about whitney. they said, no, no, no, she just died. >> a horrible way of hearing. >> i was, like, huh? >> and you were always a very fierce defender of whitney's. there were tabloid headlines all over the place and you spent a lot of time saying -- you know, really fighting for her. >> cissy houston used to say, girl, you always got your cheeld shield up when it comes to my baby. i did. i've known her since she was 8 years old. >> when you have the personal relationship it's different than, like, bill. did you also know her? >> not personally, no, just from her enormous presence on our charts. >> do you think she'll be remembered for her triumphs or her tragedies? >> i think once the dust settles on these things and sort of all the little details get sorted out, there's no question it's going to be about the music. she just leaves behind such an amazing legacy of songs.

honestly, there's a feeling that's happening where radio everywhere is paying a ton of music and vh1 is playing whitney videos around the clock. it's a feeling process. >> it's heartbreaking, darlene. she was going to go to the grammys party, the big clive davis party, everyone wants it, the hottest ticket in town. it's hard to be one that sort of seems like the world looks at you as if your career is in the past and there's -- but she had things to look forward to even then. >> she did. even hoe the people sald her voice was not what it was, none of our voices are what they were. yes, hers had changed and she was working her way back. that's the sad part. >> give us a little window into whitney. we know her from tv. we watched videos of her and in the church and growing up. tell us something about her. >> i met her because i worked with dionne warwick for ten years, dionne, cissy, we were

background singers. whenever we would come back to new york to work, i would stay at cissy's house. where you staying? i guess i'll sleep in this room. she always called me auntie. you can sleep in my room. you can take care of my room. the wonderful thing about her, i was pregnant with my last child when i was on the road with dionne the last time. nippy would come in and say, okay, aubtie, what you want? she was like 8, 9 years old. can i get you something? during that time, i wanted any kind of fruit. i said if i could get some frult i'd love it. even though she'd gone to the store to get the fruit to bring it back to me, you know, a half hour later, she'd go, you need something else? you okay? >> quite the mentor to other young performers alleges, we hear, right, bill? >> oh, god, yeah. there's certainly not an r&b singer and probably not a pop singer that doesn't owe an

enormous debt to whitney houston. just turn on any of the tv competition shows like "idol" or whatever and on any given night you'll see a dozen people trying very hard to sound like whitney houston and ultimately probably not doing so well with it. >> yeah. yeah. >> always better to be just the best you you can be. >> that's right. >> thank you, bill. >> thanks, bill. >> thank you, darlene. very sorry for your loss. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back with more of "today." after these messages. ♪ let them lead the way allie's spelling bee is monday... sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey i've got just the whole grain fiber to help keep her full so she can stay focused. um...you rock. she'll be ready to rock. right here! [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused. now available in cinnamon roll flavor.

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now for an update on how the online community is remembering whitney, let's go over to sara. >> lcelebrities hit twitter har. christina aguilera said we have lost another legend. love and prayers to whitney's family. she will be missed. tony bennett said it's a tragedy. whitney houston was the greatest singer i've ever heard and she will be missed. >> there are a lot of young girls grew up watching pink and christina. >> every time something like this happens we always say, gee, we hope people will learn from this. but it seems like no one -- no one does. >> yeah. >> just tired of these kinds of reports of wonderful,al edmontoned people losing their battles. >> still ahead, we veal all the latest on the buzz from

hollywood. and her show is a smash. >> yes, she is. >> so is she. katherine mcphee is here. >> and animal attraction. monogamy for valentine's day. with swiffer wetjet, cleaning better, doesn't have to take longer. i'm done. i'm gonna... drink this... on the porch! ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ [ female announcer ] mops can be a hassle, but swiffer wetjet's spray cleaner and absorbent pads can clean better in half the time, so you don't miss a thing. hi mary! morning! gladys. gladys! [ female announcer ] swiffer. better clean in half the time. or your money back. [ femalhere's to my pantsfer. better not leaving marks time. on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. your mood and your makeup.

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i know. we're back on this monday with "today's buzz" filling you in on what's happening with the latest in entertainment. bobby and roseanne are with us. hello, ladies. the grammys, grammys, grammys. chris brown made quite the splash. two numbers. >> comeback for him after spending the night in jail three years ago after beating up rihanna. this is a big turn of events and won an award. >> people said his career was done, he could never be successful again. >> were you one of those people, bonnie? no. >> well, you know what, you can never say never. he has worked hard for this comeback and he apparently has

earned rihanna's forgiveness and earned the industry's forgiveness so we'll see. >> that may have helped him because she's maintained a relationship of sorts with him. >> we all knew he was talented. >> it's a matter of people liking him. >> katy perry made a splash. she did well. >> she usually has a hard time performing in public. she always looks great, doesn't sound so great. >> really. >> however, last night was something else. she got up there and it was the biggest revenge song i've ever heard. it was called "part of me." she had her blue hair. she talked about how you chewed me up and spit me up like i was poison in your mouth. these were her words. >> she made a wonderful entrance in that blue gown matching her hair. a little bit smurfish. come on. >> she was. >> she's a beautiful girl with an amazing figure. i don't know. >> you can keep your diamond

ring. so there. >> a little something for everyone at the grammys. katy perry, chris brown, and on the flip side of the coin, the beach boys. they came back. loved it. >> it was so much fun. first time they've performed together in to 20 years. >> but they say they're going to go on tour now. >> they had to bury the hatch tote do that. people don't know this about the beach boys but when they introduced them, they also took a shot at glenn campbell, who received the lifetime achievement award. he toured with the beach boys p. >> what did you think about the performance? >> really fun. it was terrific. glenn campbell was amazing. you would never have known if you didn't know. >> ll cool j. >> what a beautiful job. >> smooth. >> yeah. >> he's a sweet guy. he completely, you know, hit the right notes in the tribute to whitney. he set the tone. >> what's going on with miss gaga, do you think? >> i think she felt very outstaged. i mean, first of all, what was with that outfit, the, like,

mermaid bondage outfit? >> we're always asking that. was she outshticked by minaj? >> that's right. nicki minaj looking like a cardinal accompanied by a pope. how do you beat an egg? >> lady gaga arrives in an egg. >> on twitter that got such -- there were some -- some people were crazy about it and some couldn't stand it, thought it was sacrilegious. >> i didn't see that one. >> i couldn't stand it. not the sacrilegious part but it just sounded awful. and she's a great singer. it was awful. >> when it came down to it, it was adele's evening. >> let's look at some pictures of jay-z and beyonce's baby. how about that. something nice to end on here. nice pictures. >> these are beautiful. they came out on friday night. and i was at fashion week and it was like a hush came over the crowd because these pictures

were just put up on tumbler and people discovered that. they decided they weren't going to sell the pictures, weren't going to make any money off the baby. they just wanted to share their baby with their fans. >> we can't talk about it but we should think about that because of all the fuss that happened. >> thank you, ladies. >> thank you. >> up next the star of nbc's big hit, we love it. >> she's a smash. >> her name is katharine mcphee. over time, my lashes thinned. after 40, i didn't have enough lashes. my doctor said...latisse® is the only fda approved prescription treatment...for inadequate or not enough lashes. now with latisse®...my lashes are longer...darker, with more than double the fullness in 16 weeks. if you are using or have used, prescription products for eye pressure problems, use latisse® under close doctor care. latisse® use may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely permanent. eyelid skin darkening may occur which may be reversible. if you experience eye problems or have eye surgery,

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♪ that's former "american idol" contestant katharine mcphee. i don't want her to stop. "smash." i love this show. a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a broadway musical,

which is not easy. katharine plays karen auditions for the role of marilyn monroe. we would just like to continue to watch this. >> you have taken time out of your 16-hour days, six days a week schedule to be with us. >> happy to be here. >> save your voice. >> i will. >> this thing came out of the gate so strong. we saw all the commercials, especially people saw during the super bowl and stuff. everyone was waiting for it. it did not disappoint, did it. >> it didn't disappoint. we had really great numbers last week. but nbc has done such an amazing job. there's me and megan hilty. >> you guys are competing. >> we are. this is the first episode where we're competing. and then the sex episode is basically finding out basically who gets the part. we're on episode 13 right now. it's just been such an amazing ride. we have such amazing writers, the story line is fantastic.

>> when you came in second on "american idol," did you feel like that was your last -- that was it, you missed your great opportunity? even then did you think this is going to propel me no matter what? >> you know what, i think i was so just relieved that the show was, you know, over. it was so much stress. it was such a wonderful experience, but i was -- i had so much anxiety. i think i had the opposite feeling of just taking a deep breath and being excited that the show gave me so many opportunities. but it's been a long journey. >> wanting to act is something. when some people see you in the role as a singer -- >> right. >> -- or in a contest, now to step over into this and do the other thing you love, which is acting, and being taken seriously, too. >> right. you always want to be taken seriously, but it's just -- it's been really -- i've been just so lucky. i've been an actor lots of different parts in the last five, six years. >> came down to you and a few

other girls every time. >> yes. it's very much like this story. i never would have thought, though, that someone five years ago today -- it was when i came off "idol" and he wanted to know what my aspirations were. i never thought it would be this show where i get to be an actress. but singing and dancing. >> you sure do. honestly, i watched the pilot about six months ago. i was stunned by one a fine actress you were. >> thank you. >> i was delighted for you because you need to be the triple threat in today's world. you really do. >> did you take lessons for acting or learn by watching? >> i've always been a pretty good observer of people from a young age. in high school i got really into the theater program and i went to college for three semesters before i dropped out to come back to hollywood to become an actress. but i had wonderful teachers there. i had a nice foundation. i think the most challenging thing was i grew up dancing but never a real competitive professional. >> actress/singer who moves. >> yes.

>> never call yourself a dancer. >> i guess that's been the most challenging thing. god -- >> like "dancing with the stars." look fantastic. >> all these aches and pains. >> oh, now you're going to moan about it. >> the role of a lifetime. >> stop it. we love you. >> okay. >> good luck tonight. >> a great show, guys. it airs tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc. up next, so happy together. animals pairing up for valentine's day. ♪ there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder to help neutralize odors in multiple-cat homes. and our improved formula also helps eliminate dust. so it's easier than ever to keep your house smelling just the way you want it.

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well, katharine mcphee's song, and we were having beautiful animals so she stayed with it. >> i love it. >> seaworld and bush gardens animal ambassador always brings us great little guys. >> just in time for valentine's day. we're talking about love in the animal kingdom.

>> inspiring people about conservation usually, but today we're going to inspire people about love, right? the reason we brought the penguins is because for some reason -- >> ah! >> it's the place where our penguins fall in love. >> he's falling in love with her. he's in love with katharine. but who would snnt. >> he likes your sequins. finds it fascinating, which is not good now because she was falling in love with our male here. now katharine, you're a little bit of competition. >> they mate for life. is that part of the deal? or they lie about it? >> penguins do stay together for the entire season and often if they're successful raising chicks they will continue to have the same malt year after year. >> wow. if not, they get dumped? >> well, you know what, raising chicks is very important in the

wild. so, you know, they may have to find a new mate if that happens. >> what do they eat, julie? >> they're fish eaters. they're not going to eat what we've got for the next pair of animals. >> okay. ready for the next pair? >> let me put these guys down on the ground. just a second. be careful. he's going to be wandering around, so. >> okay. >> we'll see you later. >> okay. so watch your feet. now, i'm going to have you guys catch one of the birds that comes in. kathie lee, just hold your handle out. come on. there we go. >> wow. >> they're called military macaws. >> get involved. >> good job! >> military parrots, basically. they're really one of the two monogamous species out there. once they find a mate they're likely to stay together for life. >> that's crazy. >> very, very good role models for us, basically. >> these aren't the talking

types, right? >> they can talk but they say things when they want. they are from discovery cove and they fly across the park, meeting the guests. that's why they're very good flyers. >> they stand like that on one leg. look at that. they're beautiful. >> they are. the coloration is perfect with the nice red for valentine's day on them. >> beautiful. >> if you want to open your arms up, open your arms back up, and they will fly back to their two trainers from discovery cove. there they go. >> very nice, you guys. >> you and i could work at seaworld. >> we've got it. >> look at these guys. >> 90% of the bird world is considered monogamous. >> oh, my gosh. >> only about 3% of mammals are. >> oh, it likes you. >> so here are a pair of monogamous monkeys. >> you want me to hold this? >> they might go right up to your shoulder or want to be held. >> come here, baby. >> come here, dexter. he's a little shy.

she's watching the penguins march around. see if dexter wants that. >> oh. i'll get it. >> banana. >> amazing. >> what's really cool about the fact is not only they're monogamous but the dads actually do most of the caring for the offspring because mom is so -- they're small monkeys anyway. she needs to produce all the milk milk to take care of the offspring so dad basically takes care of everything. >> he's evolved. good for them. >> thank you, katharine. you can tell a lot by people if they like animals. as opposed to hodie. >> careful. coming up next, slip into something sexy. lingerie for her and him. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable

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according to our next guest, the hottest trend for valentine's day's this year is not chocolate or flowers but lingerie for couples. >> here with fashion looks for you and your man. >> ladies are so excited about dressing up for valentine's day. what bert way than to match. we have some fun, flirty looks for girls and a little bit of spice for the guys. >> let's bring out nina and chris. we're calling this the formal affair. come on out. >> this is our red and white formal affair. >> that's quite formal. >> camisole and shorts. >> don't wear socks with this, people. it just spoils the whole thing. >> hers is from only hearts. chris has -- we are calling the tuxedo boxer. it has the nice bow detailing. >> of course it does. >> this is for the classy couple who likes to dress it up in the bedroom. tuxedo boxers are from three

witche witches. >> thank you two. >> andrea and mack. this is a sexy look. >> this is tie a bow on it. >> i've done that before. >> oh, look what's happening over there. >> baby doll dress with tiny bows all over it. as you see, mack has a larger bow. >> yes, he sure does. >> a special valentine's day present. >> oh, my gosh. >> abc underwear. >> i wouldn't be able to stop laughing, you know? >> well, this is for the fun and flirty couple. so, you know -- >> okay. they look comfy, though. >> thanks, guys. >> nice talking to you, mack. all right. our next pair are nicole and john, and they're having a pants party, i guess. >> yes. this is for the casual couple who likes to lounge around the house. and she has on this silk pajama set from fredericks of hollywood. and he has magic silk lounge pants from amazon.

>> those look comfortable. >> so comfortable. you can be -- you can lay around the house. you can have a relaxing morning together on valentine's day. >> yeah. all right. >> okay. >> we sort of believe you, sara, but not quite. we're getting there. >> thank you, guys. thank you, john and nicole. now something more comfy, heather and lamar. this is called hearts on fire. >> this is for the passionate couple who likes to stay casual as well. she has on a black nigh ti from calvin klein and a black heart camisole that's lord & taylor intimates. about $70. he has on these great heart boxers. this is a steal. these are $12.50 from american eagle. great for valentine's day. >> let's bring out all our couples. >> thank you, everybody, and happy valentine's to all. thank you, sara. >> tomorrow we'll have delectable desserts for valentine's day. >> and hair makeover, hoda. >> valentine's day gifts that are not chocolate or flowers. >> have a great day, everybody.

whitney sh god bless. we'll see you tomorrow. ♪ but above all this i wish you love and i will always love you ♪ ♪ i will always love you i will always love you ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com