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Barry Manilow sings 'duet' with the late Whitney Houston on 'The View'

"She was standing right next to me. Really, I would sing with her and then I would go for the Kleenex," says Manilow about recording a track for "My Dream Duets" using Houston's existing vocals.

By Karen Butler
Singer Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on February 11, 2012 it was announced. She was 48 and the cause of her death was unknown. She is shown at a pre-Grammy party in file photo from 2007. The 2012 Grammy Awards are today, February 12, 2012. UPI/Jim Ruymen/Files
1 of 2 | Singer Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on February 11, 2012 it was announced. She was 48 and the cause of her death was unknown. She is shown at a pre-Grammy party in file photo from 2007. The 2012 Grammy Awards are today, February 12, 2012. UPI/Jim Ruymen/Files | License Photo

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Barry Manilow performed a virtual duet of "I Believe in You and Me" with the late Whitney Houston on Tuesday's edition of The View in New York.

Manilow sang and played the piano, while a screen showed video footage of Houston looking glamorous and performing her part of the ballad, which appears on Manilow's new album My Dream Duets.

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"They asked me to do a duets album and I thought, 'How can I make my duets album different than everybody's?' And I picked all these people that I would have loved to sing with, but they are all gone," Manilow explained before performing on the talk show. "So, I did duets on this album with John Denver, Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Louis Armstrong. It's a long list of famous, famous singers and they figured out a way of helping me to make a beautiful album of these famous people singing their songs. Andy Williams doing 'Moon River' with me! Really, it's a beautiful album."

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"Now, did they just pull the vocals and you sang with the original vocals?" View co-host Rosie O'Donnell wanted to know.

"Yeah, we got rid of all the orchestra. I re-orchestrated, re-arranged it with a brand new band and I made duets out of the vocals. It was really emotional hearing Whitney just by herself. I had to push myself away from the speakers. She was standing right next to me. Really, I would sing with her and then I would go for the Kleenex," Manilow revealed.

As he wrapped up the song, Manilow told the video screen, "Sing to us, Whitney!"

Houston accidentally drowned while she was intoxicated in a hotel bathtub in 2012. She was 48.

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