American Idol's Jordin Sparks to Perform at U.S. Open

Only five years ago Jordin Sparks was crowed the winner of American Idol. Since her days on the reality show she has celebrated two successful albums, including hit single "Battlefield." Recently Sparks followed in the foot steps of Jennifer Hudson, nabbing a lead role in the remake of "Sparkle" alongside the late Whitney Houston.

Though Sparks only knew Houston for a few months before her death, the pair bonded on the set of their film. The two were to walk the red carpet together at the Grammys pre-party the night of her death. When Sparks heard of her passing, she spent months in a deep depression mourning her loss.

“I ended up being secluded; I cut myself off for a couple of months. I was just crying, I was so devastated. And I’d only known her for the two months we worked together. I can’t imagine how her family and friends who had known her for a long time felt. She was very loved," she told New York Daily News.

Sparks is now working hard to promote Houston's last project and her own acting debut. Fans can expect to see Sparks performing at the opening-night festivities at the 2012 U.S. Open tennis tournament. She will not only perform the national anthem, but will also debut a song from "Sparkle."

The American Idol alumnus recently told Billboard that "Sparkle" was almost a blessing in disguise. 'Sparkle' was so exciting for me because...my label was going through a transition and I parted ways with my management and I was kind of in this limbo stage," she said. Now Sparks is working hard on her third album, but hoping the movie is a good bridge for fans as they await new music. Though she's working on her third album, she's not in a rush to complete the R&B project.