Pop music sensation Whitney Houston would have turned 60-years-old on Aug. 9.
The Voice.
The Queen of the Night.
The legendary songstress Whitney Houston would have turned 60-years-old on Aug. 9 of this year.
To commemorate what would have been Houston’s 60th birthday, the estate will host a celebration entitled “Whitney Houston Legacy of Love” on Aug. 9 in Atlanta at the St. Regis Hotel.
Celebrities performing at the second annual gala include Houston’s dear friends Kim Burrell and BeBe and CeCe Winans.
Houston’s brother, and former NBA player Gary Houston, will also perform.
Her brother toured with her as a backup singer for three decades.
Special guests expected to attend the gala include legendary music executive Clive Davis who introduced Houston to the world via his Arista Records imprint, her longtime musical director Rickey Minor, Harvey Mason, Jr., who serves the Recording Academy president and Gamma founder Larry Jackson.
The gala is also a party with a purpose as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) students will receive scholarships via the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation.
Proceeds from a silent auction will go the scholarships.
Participants in the silent auction can bid on items from iconic country singer Dolly Parton, NBA and ABA champion Julius “Dr. J” Erving as well as packages from Broadway.
“We’re going to auction off a beautiful lavender dress Dolly Parton wore when she sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ at Country Music Television’s ‘100 Greatest Love Songs of Country Music’ special in 2004,” said Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law of the executor of her Estate. “This dress is particularly special because it’s lavender, and lavender is Whitney’s favorite color.”
In a written statement, Pat Houston said, “Not long after Whitney’s career started in the mid-80s, she was steadfast and focused on starting her foundation for children and young people. Especially now, during this time in history with our young people, the foundation’s work is more important than ever. She would be proud to know that we are continuing her work and extending our hand and love to today’s youth, who are dealing with a myriad of challenges.”
The Legacy Foundation, started in 2020, has a mission to serve the youth.
Additionally, Atlanta’s Living Live Foundation will award their annual “Lighting the Way Youth Mentor” grant recipient.
TheGrio reported, “The gala, presented in partnership with Houston’s estate, Primary Wave Music, and Sony Corporation of America, helps fund the Whitney Houston Foundation f0r Children. Karyn Greer, the Emmy Award-winning Atlanta broadcaster will host the gala.”
The daughter of gospel and soul singer Cissy Houston, and first cousin of pop music icon Dionne Warwick, exploded onto the music scene with her self-titled debut album in 1985.
From the beginning, hit records became the norm for the songstress from Newark, N.J.
Her debut album contained hit singles like “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” “You Give Good Love” and “Greatest Love of All.”
Fans immediately fell in love with her voice, and the hits continued well into the 1990s.
Houston had a busy year in 1992, appearing in her movie “The Bodyguard” opposite Kevin Costner.
She dropped six singles on the soundtrack to the movie, including a cover of Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Houston also married R&B star Bobby Brown that year, even appearing on his third solo album “Bobby” for the song “Something in Common.”
More hit songs and more hit movies followed throughout the 1990s including “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”
Unfortunately, during her marriage with Brown, the couple became tabloid fodder because of their battles with illegal drugs.
A starring role in the reality show “Being Bobby Brown” might have led to Houston trying to right the ship.
She divorced Brown and attempted to stay clean and reclaim her throne atop the musical kingdom.
Houston attempted a comeback with the album “I Look to You” and starred in the remake of the cult classic “Sparkle.”
However, when Houston tried to return to the concert stage, her vocal range did not measure up to her past standards.
As a result, many fans left some of her last concerts early.
And unfortunately, “Sparkle,” which also starred Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter, hit theaters after her death.
Since Houston’s death, her Estate has diligently worked to continue her legacy via feature film projects, documentaries and new music.
The soundtrack to her 2022 biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” included unheard songs such as “Don’t Cry For Me” and “Far Enough,” as did her 2023 gospel compilation, “I Go to the Rock.”
The compilation also included past gospel performances by Houston from the “Sparkle” soundtrack like “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” “The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack such as “Hold On, Help is on the Way” and “The Bodyguard” soundtrack like “Jesus Loves Me.”
Unreleased tracks from the early 1980s like “Testimony” and “He Can Use Me” appeared on the compilation gospel album.
Houston got her start singing in her New Jersey church under the tutelage of her mother who once sang in the family gospel group, The Drinkard Singers.
Other famous family members to perform with The Drinkard Singers include Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick.
Pat Houston said, “When I turned 50, Whitney gave me two celebrations—one in Ireland and one in London. I always tell everyone now that one of them was for her. This year is Whitney at 60—and we’re looking forward to being a part of the power of love in that room.”
