The time that Jordin Sparks had working with her musical idol Whitney Houston this year was cut tragically short, but the pop star says she still gained plenty from the experience.

Jordin and Whitney are co-starring together in the big screen remake of the 1976 musical Sparkle, which is set to hit theaters next month, and their duet song Celebrate will be the lead single for the film. Although Whitney died last February due to an accidental drowning and the effects of cocaine use, filming for the movie carried on and Jordin told VH1.com that Whitney taught her some invaluable life lessons in their relatively short time together.

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Whitney played the role of Emma in the film, the mother to the character of Sparkle played by Jordin. And it turns out that Whitney became a mother of sorts off the set too. So what was the most valuable thing the former American Idol winner learned from Whitney? "Not to be ashamed or afraid to talk about your past,” said Sparks. “She had this presence that just, she walked into a room and you knew she was there. She didn’t ask for anybody to look at her, it just happened."

And what about Whitney's alleged diva attitude? "She was so cool. She was so chill," said Jordin. "She's this huge supernova diva...and here she is with her robe on and she’s beautiful and she’s having a good time with us.” Jordin is looking primed and ready for her big-screen close up these days too after revealing a 50 pound weight loss on the August cover of Shape!

What do you think of Jordin's words on Whitney?

Photos courtesy of Fame Flynet and Justjared.com