Whitney Houston doesn't help bump 'Glee' ratings

Amber Riley may not have had much success, or any success at all, on American Idol, but that doesn’t mean she can’t pay tribute to Whitney Houston just like AI all star Jennifer Hudson. Unfortunately, it didn’t give her show much of a boost in ratings.

The Hollywood Reporter reported Glee’s Houston tribute episode Tuesday night, on Valentine’s Day, drew 6.9 million viewers.

Nielsen ratings estimated that that is only one third the number of viewers who tuned in to CBS’ NCIS during the same time.

According to the New York Daily News, ratings for the show were also down from the previous week.

But the show’s dismal numbers shouldn’t bring Riley down, as her performance of “I Will Always Love You” received rave reviews.

The timing of the episode was purely coincidental, as the producers of Glee had scheduled the tribute long before Houston’s death, and Riley actually recorded the song weeks before.

The NY Daily News even reported that some even tweeted that her performance was better than Hudson’s at Sunday night’s Grammys.

Of course, Hudson should receive some credit, given her rendition was performed live and she was holding back tears.