Clive Davis' 2012 pre-Grammys party: Who showed up and who stayed home to honor Whitney Houston?

By Jean Bentley

February 13, 2012 6:52 PM ET

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While Clive Davis initially canceled his annual pre-Grammys party at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Feb. 11 once news broke that Whitney Houston had died in the hotel earlier that day, the music mogul went forward with the bash once he got the go-ahead from the singer's family.

"By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing," Davis said once the party, which turned into a tribute to the late Houston, got underway. "I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform."

Davis, who discovered Houston and served as her mentor throughout her career, continued: "Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on."

But while celebs like Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian and Richard Branson (pictured above) turned out to party, people like Kelly and Sharon Osbourne, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift opted to stay in out of respect to Houston, whose body was still lying in her fourth floor room at the hotel.

So, who showed?

Performers included Alicia Keys, Wiz Khalifa and Tony Bennett.