(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Christina Aguilera took a tumble on stage at this years Grammy Awards.

The singer slipped during the 53rd annual ceremony last night, after she opened the show with a tribute to soul legend Aretha Franklin with fellow singers Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, Martina McBride, and gospel singer Yolanda Adams.

After belting out Franklins hits, including Respect, Think, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Christina, 30, lost her footing and nearly fell from the stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles but caught her balance before causing any serious damage.

British singer Florence helped the star to her feet as the crowd gave the quintet a standing ovation.

Aretha appeared via video link at the awards to thank the singers for their performance. The 68-year-old has battled with her health recently, undergoing surgery for an undisclosed condition last year.

I cant tell you how thrilled I am to be with you this evening, she said, before adding her thanks to fans. Especially all of you who took the time to send me get well cards and flowers, beautiful flowers, and most importantly, your prayers.

Christinas stage blunder comes after the blonde singer famously bungled her lines while performing at last weeks Super Bowl. The songstress was performing at Americas NFL (National Football League) final game between Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers when the slip-up occurred.

It is tradition for a well-known singer to perform a version of the US national anthem at the Super Bowl pre-game ceremony, and Christina gave a superb performance apart from her lyrical stumble. The singer should have sung: "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?" but repeated an earlier line with a minor variation. (C) Cover Media