S P E C I A L D I G I T A L I S S U E

WHITNEYHOUSTON

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DEATH OFAN ANGEL

PHOTO BY DaviD COriO/GeTTYimaGes

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When you’re introduced to someone’s music when you’re, like, 6, you’re not thinking, Wow this person is a global superstar. The only thing you’re thinking is, i love this song, or Look how beautiful she is when she’s singing it. something

captivates you about this person and they become part of the fabric of your life. They mark moments in your life until the next thing you know, it’s your graduation and you’re singing “Greatest Love of all.”

it wasn’t until i got older that i realized how big her reach was. i started traveling and seeing, “Oh, wow, they play her there, too?!” i was fortunate enough to meet her, and work with her, and have a

friendship and a sisterhood with her. and i’m really, really thankful that i did.

With fame, you’re expected to be a shadow of yourself, or a picture of yourself, the Tv version of yourself all the time. and i think people see you in a beautiful gown on a cool Tv show and think that’s all that you are. There’s a compassion that’s missing. The way Whitney has touched people’s lives—i don’t think i recog-nized that. i don’t think they did either. i don’t think the world fully comprehended the way she touched their lives until all of a sudden she was not there anymore. and there’s a hole. You can feel it. i guess we take people for granted. and it’s sad that we do.

My Friend, The QueenAliciA Keys on Whitney houston’s universAl

AppeAl And the reWArds she left behind

Whitney houston: MoMents in tiMe

A 7-year-old Whitney sings for the first time at New Hope Baptist church, an intro to “our father.” later in the year, young Whitney belts out her first full solo performance, “Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah”

1970

After being discovered on the street, she signs to Wilhelmina Models agency

1979

Starts singing backup for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls under tutelage of mom

1978

Starts gig as a featured vocalist for New York–based funk band Material; As a model, she appears on the cover of the November issue of Seventeen

1981

Whitney Elizabeth Houston is born on August 9 in Newark, N.J., to John Russell Houston, Jr., a truck driver and administrator, and Cissy Houston, a background singer for acts such as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin

1963

the GIFtand the

CURSeWe watched her rise and fall. We witnessed her inspire and endure. along her journey from new Jersey church girl to pop diva, Whitney houston captivated audiences with pipes that were broad and impressively controlled. even in death, the golden voice that held it all together, continues to uplift. VIBe celebrates the legacy and the life of a complex soul

Words: Keith Murphy, Clover Hope, Aliya S. King, Siobhan O’Connor, Steven J. Horowitz

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fINDING her

VOICeThe first time I saw Whitney was in 1982. I happened to be at a show for one of arista’s artists at The Bottom Line in New York, and her mother, Cissy Houston, was the opening act. Whitney had a step-out in the middle of the show where she sang, and she was glorious. She was the average 18-, 19-year-old. Whitney had a lot of fun, and she was always laughing and joking. i saw the ghetto in her right away because i grew up on the southside of Chicago. almost two years later, i got a call from a friend of mine, and she asked me if i knew who Whitney Houston was, and that she’s about to sign to elektra records. at that moment, i thought i blew it. i tracked her down and set up a showcase for Clive Davis. i knew Whitney was a church girl, but she was also amazingly polished. i told Clive i was going to showcase an amazing new singer for him at Top Cat studios in New York. i brought Clive in there at around 11 p.m. Clive was a little tired. But he ain’t crazy. Especially when Elektra was knocking on the door. He became convinced that Whitney was the real deal. so he signed her. Her first recorded song “You Give Good Love” was a one-take vocal. We were all in the studio in awe. No one knew she would turn out to be one of the great-est singers of all time. There’s aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and then Whitney Houston. everyone is still trying to copy those three.

Gerry Griffith, the former arista Records a&R who discovered Whitney, explains how Clive davis almost lost the greatest voice of all

ron Anderson, vocal coach for U.K. singing phenom adele, examines Whitney’s magical pipes, explaining how she always seemed to strike the right chord

pitch & toneshe did have problems in the lower voice. But she knew how to stay light and add the overtones going into the down part of the voice and bring in the beauty through the top register. You could hear her going into what’s called a head voice—that lighter sound—and it just was magnificent.

ON A HIGH NOTENo one could compare with the change of her registration. she had amazing high notes. she did it without straining most of the time. and even though at times she did strain, it was still beautiful. she had the most beautiful voice by far of anybody singing.

breAth controlThat came from the church for sure. Her understanding of how she could move her vocal range through the middle register. and then when she really wanted to go for it, all she had to do was open up the space in the throat and away she went. That’s where she got her power. “Greatest Love of All” is a very difficult song, and she handled it so perfectly. Every gamut of range was impressive and emotive.

aLL that POWeR

christina Aguilera: “she had a powerful and unique voice. Her con-trol was key. and she could hit a high note like no other. Whitney was someone i looked up to and admired. i thought her voice was beautiful. she’ll always be remembered as an icon.”

Whitney houston: MoMents in tiMe

Whitney houston, released on Valentine’s Day, becomes the biggest-selling debut album by a solo artist, featuring her first chart-topper “Saving All My Love for You” and future No. 1’s “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All”

1985

Meets New Edition’s bad boy Bobby Brown backstage at Soul Train Music Awards

1989

Lands seventh consecutive U.S. No. 1 with “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” at once breaking the record held by the Beatles and Bee Gees; Sophomore album, Whitney, is released, and makes Houston the first female artist to debut at No. 1

1987

I’m Your Baby Tonight is released and goes on to sell 8 million copies worldwide

1990

Clive Davis signs the vocal prodigy to Arista Records after seeing her perform

1983

PHOTO BY samir HusseiN/GeTTYimaGes

Bobby and Whitney went to vir-ginia around ’91, ’92. There was news that Whitney was moving there, because she was seen

around with Bobby Brown. i call my brother, and he told me that Bobby came to my virginia office four times. Bobby tells him that he wants to get me on the phone, so my brother gets us on the phone. and Bobby’s like, “Yo, i’m here with my baby.” and i’m like, “Your baby who?” and Bobby answers, “my baby Whitney… We getting married.” i couldn’t believe it. When Whitney and Bobby were recording “something in Common,” they were not bull crapping. Those two were in

love. Bobby would do some of his sessions alone, but he couldn’t even stand straight. He couldn’t even concentrate without Whitney being there. He wanted Whitney to stay on the phone while he sang a verse. When it came time to re-cord Whitney’s part, they were both in the booth together. i had a small vocal booth in the studio. and they couldn’t sing back and forth, so Whitney and Bobby had to stand behind each other when they recorded their parts. We let them do their verses together all the way through. You can hear Whitney’s laughter in the back-ground as Bobby is singing. They were inseparable in the studio. and that was one big engagement ring on Whitney’s finger. A month later, Whitney and Bobby got married in New Jersey. That was the last time we heard Black love like that on a record.

While doubt and tumult surrounded Whitney and Bobby’s union, teddy riley was a believer in their uncommon connection. here, the pro-ducer of the couple’s 1992 duet “Something in Common,” explains why he saw nothing but love between them

For The Love Of Bobby

THE BODYGUARD (1992)Box Office Stats: $410 million (Worldwide)Character Study: rachel marron, a global pop diva with a murderous stalkerGray’s Take: “i was blown away after seeing The Bodyguard. some musicians make the transition easily, and for some it takes a little extra work. she gave a great performance. That movie was extremely impressive, given that her background was primarily music. it’s one thing to play a small role, but to play the lead as a major movie star, that’s damn near impossible to pull off. and although she was playing a music diva, people have no idea what it takes to even play yourself. Because when the camera starts rolling, it does something, and you have to have a certain level of focus.

WAITING TO EXHALE (1995)Box Office Stats: $81 million (Worldwide)Character Study: savannah Jackson, a down-to-earth Tv producer dating a married manGray’s Take: “i thought she did a good job. my friends and i used to joke about how they were pretty hard on brothers [laughs]. Coming off The Bodyguard, Waiting to exhale seemed to be, not necessarily a walk in the park, but she had more support with angela Bassett and the pros, so i thought she was decent.

the preAcher’s Wife (1996)Box Office Stats: $48 million (USA)Character Study: Julia Biggs, a church choir show-stopper caught in a love triangle between her pastor hubby and a love-struck angelGray’s Take: “I remember flying to New Jersey and pulling ideas for the ‘i Believe in You and me’ mu-sic video together. she was pregnant at the time. There were all these rumors, like, ‘she’s going to be late.’ i sat down and told her, ‘We only have one day to shoot.’ she reassured me that she’d be there. We shot it in upstate New York out in the for-est. it was extremely cold, and she was a soldier. There’s this great part of the song where she hits this note and the rush of warmth would hit every-body. a person can be really attractive in person, but it doesn’t translate on camera. she was someone who was obviously beautiful in person. But she was extremely radiant on camera.”

FRaMed

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Whitney houston: MoMents in tiMe

Houston makes her big-screen debut in the bodyguard, alongside Kevin Costner. Though critics slam her acting, the film grosses $410 million worldwide at the box office; After turning down Bobby Brown’s first proposal, Houston weds the R&B crooner on July 18

1992

Adaptation of Terry McMillan’s best-selling novel Waiting to Exhale hits theaters in December. The Forest Whitaker-directed flick stars Houston alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon

1995

The odd couple’s first and only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is born on March 4; Whitney’s iconic smash “I Will Always Love You” spends 14 straight weeks atop the pop charts

1993

Plays opposite Denzel Washington in the preacher’s Wife

1996

Performs a groundbreaking rendition of “Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV

1991

While Whitney’s upcoming role in the remake of Sparkle will be her final time shining on the big screen, Filmmaker F. Gary Gray—who directed the music video for “I Believe In You and Me,” from the Preacher’s Wife soundtrack—sets his lens on Whitney’s previous hollywood roles

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Whitney houston once made the Guinness World Records as the most awarded female art-ist of all time (over 400). here, VIBe adds a few uniquely Whitney categories the acad-emy overlooked

Best Showcase Of Church Pipesa wailing Houston—alongside CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar—takes the 1996 Grammys to chuuuch. months later, Whitney released The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack, which became the best-selling gospel album of all time (more than 6 million sold).

Most Unexpected Hip-Hop Moment: “My Love Is Your Love” (Wyclef Remix)No one would ever confuse the quintessential pop diva for Lil Kim. But on the Wyclef-produced, genre-defying remix to Whitney’s reggae-inflected 1998 hit “My Love Is Your Love,” Ms. Houston takes it back to the block. With the Fugees frontman spitting quarter-water lines—“if the feds rushed the door, found guns on the floor… would you say they were yours?”—you almost wished someone penned Nippy a hot 16.

Best Girl Power Anthem: “it’s not right, but it’s okay”*if Gloria Gaynor’s classic ballad “i Will survive” represents the perfect ’70s female empower-ment anthem, Houston’s late-’90s sing-along “It’s Not right, But it’s Okay” soared as a Generation X proclamation of you-go-girl independence.

Whitney houston: MoMents in tiMe

My Love Is Your Love hits shelves, featuring the R&B-heavy singles “Heartbreak Hotel” (with Faith Evans and Kelly Price) and “it’s not right but it’s okay”

1998

Whitney appears extremely thin and frail while per-forming at Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Special on September 7, spurring rumors of drug abuse

2001

Makes news with a call in to then–New York–radio-personality Wendy Williams’ WBLS radio show, where she confronts rumors of Bobby’s infidelity and drug abuse

2003

The Greatest Hits double disc hits shelves in April

2000

Just Whitney—her first album recorded without Clive Davis—is released; infamous interview with Diane Sawyer finds the singer declaring, “Crack is wack,” but admitting to cocaine and marijuana use

2002

In the TV musical cinderella, Houston plays Fairy Godmother to Brandy’s Cinderella

1997

Greatest Live Performance: “Star Spangled Banner,” Super Bowl XXV in 1991 // By Leon-ard Marshall, Former New York Giants defensive lineman and two-time NFL champion:

i had the privilege to witness Whitney perform the National anthem up close. she was less than 12 feet from me. We were blown away. There were

players on both sides tearing up. Whitney’s vocals gave me goose bumps. We thought it was a hell of a statement, because we’re a bunch of guys who lived and played in New Jersey and we have a Jersey girl standing in front of us singing ‘star spangled Banner.’ There was talk of the super Bowl being canceled that year because of the Gulf War. i remember Whitney waving a pair of American flags, and that was ball game for the Giants. We were ready to win that game.”

*A Case For “I’m Every Woman” by Keri hilson, r&b singer:

Whitney’s remake of Chaka Khan’s ‘i’m every Woman’ did it for me as a young girl. i was probably about 9 years old. That song empowered women

to want more than just being a housewife. and that’s no diss to housewives, because that’s a very important job. But for a long time that was what a lot of women aspired to be. Whitney made it okay to be multi-dimensional. she made us feel, ‘Wow, we can be leaders.’ especially women of color. We can break boundaries like Whitney was doing at the time. We can be mothers, great wives and great home-makers, but we can also be great corporate bosses. ‘anything you want done baby, i’ll do it naturally,’ [laughs]. i love Whitney for that.”

Best TV Show Moment: The Arsenio Hall Show appearanceWhen fans booed Houston at the 1989 Soul Train awards, it was no doubt a result of her complete transition into squeaky-clean pop darling. But maybe her de-tractors should have checked out the singer’s earlier February cameo on The arsenio Hall show, when she wished the pioneering talk-show host a Happy B-day. “i don’t know why you don’t tell them the truth. Tell ’em i’m having your baby,” a sassy Houston joked as Hall blushed.

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like anybody, i’ve seen death and i know the stinging pain that losing a loved one leaves behind. The last moments flash by in bits and pieces. The last

words play on repeat, like the lyrics to a song you can’t get out of your head. and you try to hang on to those memories, each expression, every frame. You can only hope that they are ones that comfort you in some way. When i last saw Whitney it was the night of her final show, two days before she died. I had already agreed to host the event, but Whitney called me the night before to make sure i’d be there. Of course, i was going to be there. But she called anyway. At the party, I couldn’t find her all night. We were all being pulled in different directions, though we were under the same roof. That’s how life can be sometimes—whether you’re a famous singer or an anonymous person who sits at a cubicle all day. But I finally saw her, right before i took the stage. i can still see her standing there. i said, “i love you girl.” and she said, “i love you more.” it’s strange, in a way, that we had such a friendship. i fell in love with her as this incred-ible singer, the same way everyone else did.

although Whitney and i are both from Newark, N.J., we didn’t meet until i was making my debut at Clive’s annual pre-Grammy party. i’ll never forget how she walked right up to me, singing the opening chords to an interlude off my album that had just come out! i was too through. What singer wouldn’t be? it was the start of a fast friendship. and i don’t mean an industry friendship, but a family friendship, a sisterly relationship. my four children know her as auntie Whitney. They never saw her in concert or at any awards shows. They knew her from family cookouts and celebrations. They knew her speaking voice as much as her singing voice—equally beautiful to anyone who listened. That’s because she spoke from the heart and from the soul, the same way she sang. as i remember our last moments together, i’m sure many of the world is remembering their first. The first time they heard her sing, or saw such a beautiful girl with such a big voice. Now that she’s no longer here, i’m sure that those who knew her personally and those who watched her from afar feel the same way. When i think of Whitney today, i hear the last words we spoke and i want to add what the world is feeling: “We love you even more.”

Faith Evans replays her final moments with Whitney, and offers a message for anyone who has ever loved and lost

the last Words

i’d been asked by Kelly Price and Faith evans to do a Grammy party. so i started thinking, i have the opportunity to call anybody i’ve ever loved musically. What would it take to get Whitney Houston to have dinner with Faith and Kelly?

i thought it would be a great look for them to reunite and do “Heartbreak Hotel.” On February 3, i got a call from a friend: “i know you’re putting together this party. Come with me.” she takes me to this club, and there’s Whitney Houston. i didn’t even know how to react, so i thought to myself, i’m going to give Whitney a high-five. [Laughs]. and she gave me a high-five back. Whitney tells me that she was going to come to the party. she just wanted to let her hair down. We welcomed Whitney and her whole camp, but they didn’t go downstairs to the viP area like we had intended. They actually walked into the general room, where people were just stunned that Whitney Houston was standing there in the middle of the room. it still wasn’t clear Whitney was going to perform. i turn, and there’s Whitney onstage singing with Kelly Price. after the show, i took my team downstairs. These were 21-year-olds, young kids who really don’t know “Greatest Love of all.” i sat them down to let them know what had just happened. That Whitney and all the other iconic music makers really don’t go to the club and sing. What we just witnessed was amazing. everyone has asked me how Whitney was acting. The one thing that stood out in my mind was that Whitney was very beautiful. i didn’t look at her and think, Whitney the drug addict. she was engaging and very patient. i later got the call that she had died. What i’ve been shocked by is the media’s desire to have this salacious gossip or confirmation that Whitney was a drug addict. How dare anybody try to tarnish the legacy of a legendary icon who gave the world one more show.

On February 9, 2012, two days before her death, Whitney houston hopped on-stage for an impromptu song-and-two-step at Kelly Price’s pre-Grammy bash. the event’s planner Jason Lee, CeO of the Conglomerate Group, reflects on his last day with the legend

final stage

Whitney houston: MoMents in tiMe

After 15 years of highs, lows and heavy media scrutiny, Whitney and Bobby officially divorce on April 24

2007

checks herself into drug and alcohol rehab

2011

Declares herself drug free; Reunited with Clive Davis, she attempts a comeback with the release of her first album in seven years, i look to you; Opens up about her drug use and up-and-down marriage to Bobby Brown in two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey

2009

Whitney Houston dies at age 48; Her aunt discovers the singer’s body submerged in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The star is laid to rest at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J., next to her father

2012

The 11-episode reality series Being Bobby Brown premieres on Bravo, revealing a raw and uncut Whitney and her signature catchphrase “Hell-to-the-naw”

2005