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"Reluctant Star Whitney Houston Grapples with 'Madness' of Her Celebrity Life..." The Record December 28, 1995

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"Reluctant Star Whitney Houston Grapples with 'Madness' of Her Celebrity Life in a Fishbowl"​

The Record December 28, 1995
by Cindy Pearlman

Whitney Houston may never have laughed so hard. Twenty minutes into an interview in Houston's hotel suite with 10 reporters, a 40ish woman asks for some background information. What's the singer's favorite song? Favorite color? "Are you married?"

Houston can't check a whoop of laughter. "Yeah, I'm married. Haven't you heard?"

After several months in tabloid hell, Houston needs a good laugh. Her husband, singer Bobby Brown, began the summer with a bar brawl. In the fall, he was involved in a shooting incident. Most recently, Brown entered rehab and the couple separated.

"I am still married," she says in a steely voice, emphasizing every word. "I am still married."

Amid the personal trauma, Houston's career is soaring. This month marks the releases of both her long-awaited greatest-hits album and the film Waiting to Exhale, based on Terry McMillan's best-seller.

The movie (due onscreen Friday in Kitchener) is Houston's second, following The Bodyguard (1993), which earned a blockbusting $400 million. There has been understandable pressure to live up to the expectations created by that smash hit, but early word on the film is positive. Already, its soundtrack -- featuring Houston, naturally -- is topping the pop charts. The movie opened in major cities as the No. 1 choice at the box office during Christmas weekend.

Nevertheless, Houston portrays herself as a reluctant movie star.

"I don't want it all," she says. "I don't want to be a movie star." This, despite her upcoming role opposite Denzel Washington in The Bishop's Wife. Houston has also optioned the rights to The Dorothy Dandridge Story.

"I swear I tell my agent, 'I do not want to be a movie star,"' she insists. "I got enough problems with this madness. Then my agent will say, 'OK, Whitney, we're just going to go see this one director. Read one script. You might like it."'

It isn't easy being Whitney Houston. According to her co-star and new best friend Angela Bassett, "She lives in a fishbowl. On the set of Exhale, photographers were paying homeowners near our set $5,000 so they could use their living-room windows to get a picture of Whitney. Yet Whitney doesn't get crazy and paranoid about it."


"People won't let me be a regular person," Houston says. "I see this person made up in the media that they try to sell people. So now I go to the park and the other mothers just stare at me. It's like, 'Is she really this diva?' People watch me. 'What is she gonna do next?' They watch me drink my tea.

"I go into a restaurant and I think people expect me to do handstands or something. I'm really just a normal, boring person."

Normal she may be, but ever since 12-year-old Whitney Houston stood up in a Newark, N.J., church with her knees knocking to sing her first song in public -- Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah -- she's been anything but boring.

Her track record of hits is amazing, adding up to more than $80 million worth of records sold.

Her debut album, Whitney Houston, sold over 13 million copies, and spawned the single Saving All My Love for You, which won her a Grammy for Best Pop Female Vocalist. Her second album produced four consecutive number-one singles.


The Bodyguard soundtrack alone sold more than 27 million copies, so that when Houston's third album sold only seven million copies, what for most other singers would be a career-maker seemed mildly disappointing for Houston.

Of all her achievements, Houston is proudest of her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

"This child is so special to both of us," Houston says. "I can only speak for myself, but I've changed. You start living for your child and you stop living for yourself.

"I look at her and she moves me. She motivates me. She makes me say,

'Ahhh, forget all that stuff.' Bobbi makes me get up and take her to school. It's 'C'mon, mom, let's go.' 'OK, I'm coming.'

"Jesus is the greatest love of all. She's next," Houston says.


"Giving birth was the toughest choice I've ever made," she says. "I got to the labor room and said, 'Why? Why did I do this? I must be crazy. This is a person in my body moving.' It was the most incredible thing I've ever done.

"I was so horrible in the delivery room," she says with a giggle. "I'm screaming, 'Wait! I want to change my mind! Excuse me. Give me drugs! Give me all of it!' "

Childhood

Houston's own childhood was anything but ordinary. She grew up in New Jersey as the daughter of Cissy Houston, who sang lead vocals for a group called Sweet Inspiration and did backup vocals for Aretha Franklin.

"My mom didn't have enough white fans," says Houston, who has plenty. "She never crossed over. She should have been the big star in the family."

With a famous mother and an aunt named Dionne Warwick, Houston was an easy mark in town.

"I had to fight girls all my life who would chase me down the street yelling, 'You think you're cute. I'm gonna kick your butt.'

"I didn't like to fight. I'd always try to talk. I would yell, 'You don't want to fight me. Look at me! I'm a nice girl.' Then they would wind up chasing me all the way home with umbrellas."


One day, Houston recalls, eight umbrella-wielding girls tormented her all the way home.

"My mother met me at the front door and told me, 'Stop running. Turn around. Turn around!'

"She had a belt in her hand. She yelled to the other girls, 'I want the baddest one of you. I want the one who wants her so bad to step out now 'cause she's gonna fight you today and this will be over.'

"To the other girls, she yelled, 'If any one of you think you can jump in I'm gonna spank you. I'm gonna beat you with my belt like your mother should have.' "

The girls retreated with a timid "Never mind."

"Now I see these same girls when I go back to my old neighborhood," Houston says with a smile. "Those girls tell me, 'We love your records.' Mm-hmm. Right, girlfriend."

Singing

Other things may be complicated, but for Houston singing is simple. Sometimes she even amazes herself.


"Sometimes I will be on stage and I'll hit some note and I stop myself," she says. "Sometimes I just go, 'Ohhhh, sing, girl -- right on!' "

Despite her new album of greatest hits, Houston doesn't have an answer when asked about her greatest hit.

"I don't know, man," she says. "I was having this same discussion with my dear friend Clive Davis, and we were talking about my greatest-hits album. We were going through all my songs and looking at the whole list of things I've done.

"He said, 'Whitney, what do you think is your greatest song?'

"I said, 'I have no idea.'

"Clive said, 'That's good. Don't think you've had your greatest song yet. Don't think you've done your greatest work. Because when you do that's when you stop. That's when the juices stop flowing and the creativity leaves you.' "
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@NoLies @The Standard @Jane Williams @Nippian @REDM1217 @Butterflyj82 @Witty_Houston @Liz Moisoigne @CriDionne @Lilac89 @NieceySaidIt @sade @Kahota @SaintTitus @mizzsparks @Mac10
 

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@Legendary I love this article!! I love when she talks about being in the delivery room!! And those girls from her neighborhood should have been ashamed of themselves and then when Whitney went back home they were trying to be nice
 

Legendary

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@Legendary I love this article!! I love when she talks about being in the delivery room!! And those girls from her neighborhood should have been ashamed of themselves and then when Whitney went back home they were trying to be nice
That didn't even happen to me but I'm traumatized for her...esp the umbrella incident! She went from being a bullied kid to a Superstar that was eventually picked apart [unnecessary for the most part]. She didn't harm anyone she was just existing BUT her manner, beauty and gifts sadly made [and still make some] feel a way.
 

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"Sometimes I will be on stage and I'll hit some note and I stop myself," she says. "Sometimes I just go, 'Ohhhh, sing, girl -- right on

RIGHT ON Nip!!!
She knew she had a very special gift.

"I had to fight girls all my life who would chase me down the street yelling, 'You think you're cute. I'm gonna kick your butt”

Whitney had jealous haters her whole life. Smh!

"Jesus is the greatest love of all. She's next," Houston says
This hits different.

On an interesting note this era, would’ve been a perfect time to leave Bobby for good!
 
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Legendary

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@Miss_Single just started something LOL so today it would be about $8.7k....that is a good chunk of change! The Papps would have to PERSONALLY tell me that they were JUST interested in the film tho before I let them in. However, deep down BOTH parties would know why they were there [to spy WH] and so I couldn't live with selling her out like that LMAO! Too bad most people didn't feel that way so I can't exactly fault you Miss Single for being a bystander in this situation lol!

@Nippian @The Standard @Butterflyj82 @REDM1217 Ya'll letting the people IN or nah?
 

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"Sometimes I will be on stage and I'll hit some note and I stop myself," she says. "Sometimes I just go, 'Ohhhh, sing, girl -- right on

RIGHT ON Nip!!!
She knew she had a very special gift.

"I had to fight girls all my life who would chase me down the street yelling, 'You think you're cute. I'm gonna kick your butt”

Whitney had jealous haters her whole life. Smh!


"Jesus is the greatest love of all. She's next," Houston says
This hits different.

On an interesting note this era, would’ve been a perfect time to leave Bobby for good!
Let me tell you something IF I could sing uggggh! I'd be live sangin' and getting my life. I would use my voice until I couldn't anymore. There's nothing more thrilling than an artist truly baring their soul in front of you. None of that fake singing sh!t or all the distractions onstage either.

BTW, yes you are right haters all her life and like Babyface said he didn't understand it because she was just doing her normal 'Whitney' thing. Some people just stand out and it's not their faults!
 

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5K to stand in my livingroom....sorry but I’d let them.
Lmao! You cold as hell but if it was any other celebrity( I’m not selling Whitney out), hell yea they can come right on in....

@Legendary
"I didn't like to fight. I'd always try to talk. I would yell, 'You don't want to fight me. Look at me! I'm a nice girl.' Then they would wind up chasing me all the way home with umbrellas.”

Her mom said Whitney hated confrontations even when she got older. Poor Whitney. She put up with too much sh!t!
 

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Lmao! You cold as hell but if it was any other celebrity( I’m not selling Whitney out), hell yea they can come right on in....

@Legendary
"I didn't like to fight. I'd always try to talk. I would yell, 'You don't want to fight me. Look at me! I'm a nice girl.' Then they would wind up chasing me all the way home with umbrellas.”

Her mom said Whitney hated confrontations even when she got older. Poor Whitney. She put up with too much sh!t!
So that's techincally a NO but for ANY OTHER celeb ...
Butler-Rolling-Out-Red-Carpet.jpg


@The Standard in this situation you are my kinda spirit lmao!
 

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@Miss_Single just started something LOL so today it would be about $8.7k....that is a good chunk of change! The Papps would have to PERSONALLY tell me that they were JUST interested in the film tho before I let them in. However, deep down BOTH parties would know why they were there [to spy WH] and so I couldn't live with selling her out like that LMAO! Too bad most people didn't feel that way so I can't exactly fault you Miss Single for being a bystander in this situation lol!

@Nippian @The Standard @Butterflyj82 @REDM1217 Ya'll letting the people IN or nah?
@Legendary for that amount I would let them in lol

ETA: No I wouldn't but I would be peeping trying to get a look lol
 
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Legendary

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@Legendary I re-read it I change my vote!! No I wouldn't let them in but I would be peeping out my window to get a look lol
So even if it were today at 8.7k you'd STILL turn it down correct lol?
tenor.gif


Either way I love how most of Whitney's fans here wouldn't do it.
 

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I bet @Nippian wouldn’t for any celebrity! Such a kind soul!
@REDM most definitely would for anyone except Whitney, be honest! Lol

Thank you. I honestly have no idea what I would do.

If they were willing to pay $5000 to be close to the set, so maybe they will be able to take a good picture and sell it later, I wonder how much a good picture of a superstar could be worth.

One person's job vs another person's right for privacy. In my opinion taking a picture of a celebrity at a movie set is harmless, stalking celebrities and their kids at home, at school, 100 cars waiting for a celebrity to follow and then 100 people taking pictures of you from like 10 inches is not.
 

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Nah, would not let any snoopers in under any circumstances, especially not if Whitney was around.
I agree, great article. Particularly the envisioning Whitney in the delivery room. If she was screaming, I'm sure she blew out every eardrum in the room.
 

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@The Standard I also think people don't give enough credit to the times being an influence on how Whitney decided to model her music career. Then add to the fact that all she had to do was look at the women singers in her family.

"My mom didn't have enough white fans," says Houston, who has plenty. "She never crossed over...."
With a famous mother and an aunt named Dionne Warwick
giphy.gif


No shade but I think the direction & influence would've been clear to MOST when thinking of how they would go into the business!
 

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Thank you. I honestly have no idea what I would do.

If they were willing to pay $5000 to be close to the set, so maybe they will be able to take a good picture and sell it later, I wonder how much a good picture of a superstar could be worth.

One person's job vs another person's right for privacy. In my opinion taking a picture of a celebrity at a movie set is harmless, stalking celebrities and their kids at home, at school, 100 cars waiting for a celebrity to follow and then 100 people taking pictures of you from like 10 inches is not.
Sounds like @The Standard doesn't know you as good as she thought lol. However, I did notice you taking a compassionate look at it from a 'jobs' perspective.
 

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Nah, would not let any snoopers in under any circumstances, especially not if Whitney was around.
I agree, great article. Particularly the envisioning Whitney in the delivery room. If she was screaming, I'm sure she blew out every eardrum in the room.
Wow, I never thought of that! She had to be screaming, praying and crying...I bet it was harmonious tho lmao. She was a real one about Epidurals until that baby said 'ok, I'm on my way' LOL! Also I agree with you about NOT helping out nosey people.
CluelessAncientAmericanwigeon-small.gif

So now we're at 3/1 with 2 possibles lol!
 

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Thank you. I honestly have no idea what I would do.

If they were willing to pay $5000 to be close to the set, so maybe they will be able to take a good picture and sell it later, I wonder how much a good picture of a superstar could be worth.

One person's job vs another person's right for privacy. In my opinion taking a picture of a celebrity at a movie set is harmless, stalking celebrities and their kids at home, at school, 100 cars waiting for a celebrity to follow and then 100 people taking pictures of you from like 10 inches is not.
Now this is what you call....
1*JQlLujyMF5PlF1amlNk8qQ.gif


Now Nippian got me changing my mind @Legendary
I’ll let‘em in for 10k!
 

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Now this is what you call....

Now Nippian got me changing my mind @Legendary
I’ll let‘em in for 10k!
c105b5b7be8f7baf97cc6877596ee175.gif


Umm hmm ain't it funny how they change???! Sooooo @Mac10 BASICALLY it's just you & me, you see we can't trust the others...
giphy.gif


...and we better not hear them crying about folk selling her out EVER again lol! Right?!
 

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She yelled to the other girls, 'I want the baddest one of you. I want the one who wants her so bad to step out now 'cause she's gonna fight you today and this will be over. (Ms.Cissy at time would threaten people behind lol)

'We love your records.' Mm-hmm. Right, girlfriend." (Nip keep it moving)

"I was so horrible in the delivery room," she says with a giggle. "I'm screaming, 'Wait! I want to change my mind! Excuse me. Give me drugs! Give me all of it!' "
(Saint Barnabas Livingston hot mess lol)


this>>>>Clive D: "He said, 'Whitney, what do you think is your greatest song?'

"I said, 'I have no idea.'

"Clive said, 'That's good. Don't think you've had your greatest song yet. Don't think you've done your greatest work. Because when you do that's when you stop. That's when the juices stop flowing and the creativity leaves you.' " (Nip still had so much more to share and give as TGOAT)




 

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2 people I will never share nor sell out no matter the price and Nip is the high priority, can't mentioned the other person. Now if you need to spy on BHBrown or stalk this pendejo and you need a place to hide at, than I got the place for free of charge, free meal, snack, sh!t I probably drive you around the hood just for the fun of it all lol.
 

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if they paid me first I would turn coat on the photographers. I would let them in and go bat shid crazy in my apartment with hella distractions. I would let the dogs loose and and trip their stands or equipment ..I might go as far as pull the fire alarm.
 

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2 people I will never share nor sell out no matter the price and Nip is the high priority, can't mentioned the other person. Now if you need to spy on BHBrown or stalk this pendejo and you need a place to hide at, than I got the place for free of charge, free meal, snack, sh!t I probably drive you around the hood just for the fun of it all lol.
tumblr_m59yb26iPi1qccodx.gif


I I know that's right LMAO!!!! @REDM1217 @Mac10 and our lowkey stunt queen/king @curiousfind we have our 4th member! We dont decode or debrief....no snitching party! They can't sit wit us lol.
526e7cbf6586d8592c36dc8c056eb9f3.gif
 
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Y'all hilarious! This was a good article, never read this one. She was so unproblematic and was always getting messed with. Them heifas had some nerve to be all in her face once she got famous and I hope she paid them dust. Makes me think about that Mike Jones song "Back Then They Didn't Want me, Now I'm Hot They All on me".
 

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Y'all hilarious! This was a good article, never read this one. She was so unproblematic and was always getting messed with. Them heifas had some nerve to be all in her face once she got famous and I hope she paid them dust. Makes me think about that Mike Jones song "Back Then They Didn't Want me, Now I'm Hot They All on me".
Right!!! I remember that song lol. Heck I'll even take it back to when Whitney was building her legend....


...I bet this was one of her favorite songs lmao!!! However, for Whitney she STILL looked out for more people than she should've. What a weird position for her to be in tho. She went from bullied kid to America's Sweetheart.
 

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