Whitney Houston News
The biggest ongoing drama in the Whitney Houston death seems to be whether Bobby Brown is invited to the funeral of his ex-wife or if he is banned. It does not matter because Bobby has decided to skip Whitney's funeral and go play with New Edition instead. If he was not banned from the funeral then this seems pretty insensitive to his daughter who might need the support of her father. Plus, Bobby should really be there for Bobbi Kristina now so she will be there with her checkbook for later.
Kevin Costner is supposed to speak at the funeral that will be streamed live on the internet. I'm not sure why he is speaking. Yes, they were in one movie together which was a big hit, but do you think they have spoken much since that day? Really? It just seems like an odd choice to have some guy talk about someone he probably has spoken to a handful of times in 20 years.
She looks so much like Dionne Warwick in that photo.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Is the funeral going to be pay-per-view?
ReplyDeleteThis is getting pretty tacky, IMO.
Maybe Bobby doesn't want to have to deal with Whitney's overly-dramatic family. Maybe he doesn't want to be the cause of any drama at the funeral. Maybe he just doesn't want to be there when it is clear that her family doesn't want him there. And when all is said and done, after all of her relatives get their "share" how much will be left for Bobbi K? Ticks and Leeches, I tell ya--ticks and leeches. NJ is lowering flags to half-mast for an entertainer? WTF? I love you, Enty, but sometimes your comments really piss me off. Hate on Bobby all you want, but it takes two, Enty, it takes two.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I'm just not willing to deify another dead junkie, in spite of her talent and beauty.
ReplyDeleteKevin Costner needs publicity. He hasn't been on the radar in years.
ReplyDeleteI had always heard that Kevin and Whitney didn't get along on that movie. I guess they're just trying to get the biggest names possible and, given the status of his career, he could probably use the gig.
ReplyDeleteThe funeral will be on CNN. Seems a better option to allow it to be private but allow people to be part of it.
ReplyDeleteBobby staying away is the best option. The family doesn't need that aggravation, and Bobbi Kristina will have her extended family nearby. I wish he would stay nearby to be with her in the coming weeks, but I suspect they are not that close.
I don't get the Kevin Costner thing, but I don't know what the depth of their friendship was. I have to assume that Whitney's family knows better on this. Maybe he helped her when she was down? Maybe they stayed friends all these years
...the funeral that will be streamed live on the internet.
ReplyDeleteIt's not as if Whitney is a head of state. I know her family is grief stricken, but what are they thinking?
Not sure how much money Whitney really has. On NPR this morning, they said that every time "I will always love you" plays on the radio, 8 cents goes to...Dolly Parton. Not Whitney. Dolly wrote the song.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Megley. Brown is her EX-husband. Her family, who are revealing themselves to be greedy hangers-on and enablers, hates him and would definitely cause a scene if he were to attend. None of that would be helpful for Bobbi Kristina. Plus, do we even know what their father-daughter relationship is like? Maybe she asked him to stay away. Who knows? I also don't get the lowering of the flag to half-mast. Houston was an out of control drunk and addict who took a wonderful talent and threw it away. Why on earth honor that? Seriously? I also don't understand the Costner thing other than the fact that her family probably contacted every famous person even remotely connected to Whitney just to raise the "eventness" of her funeral. He's probably doing for the press. I bet he can't wait to hit some of the morning talk shows to tell them all about it. (And his close, close relationship to his dear, dear friend, Whitney.)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, no one "chooses" to be an addict. It is a disease the addict cannot control. Everyone around the addict gets pissed with them b/c of all the drama and misery they get dragged thru, and I dont blame them a bit. Like most people I hv addicts in family- its very time sucking. Anyway, I heard her family wS trying really hard to keep service small and classy. The costner thing? Who knows, mb he helped her alot with acting, mb they were friends. I read the family asked him. Still, it is a bit odd, kind of like when Brooke Shields spoke at Michael Jacksons funeral.
ReplyDeleteIn lieu of a public funeral the live streaming is a great idea, I will be watching it.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that just a few days ago Bobby Brown was persona non grata and now he's been invited but not going to the funeral... Something is off here.
Personally I don't care if he goes or not, the only persons opinion that should matter here is BK's, if she wants her dad there than who are we to criticize?
The Houston family should do what's best for her.
Whitney's estate isn't going to see the money that Michael Jackson's did at his death. MJ had writing credits, publishing rights, production claims--all of those generate income. Plus, he still had some ownership in the Beatles catalog and had several iconic items--Thriller jacket and the sequined glove, for example--that can be produced and sold to fans. MJ's estate will make money for years to come.
ReplyDeleteWhitney didn't write any songs, so there's no publishing rights. She was an executive producer on only a couple of her albums. So what her family will get is likely the standard performance royalty--which is very small.
Anyone in Whitney's family who thinks they're going to rake in millions is setting themselves up for disappointment.
Good Lord, there's a whole lot of assumptions being made here about every aspect of this drama. There is much we do not know.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing has just been so bizarre to me. Sensationalism at its finest. Hope this circus ends soon and may she rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Whitney Houston never tagged a few words on to her songs for writing credits. Bewolf's father made sure she did got writing creds wherever he could put them. I always wondered why her mangagement did not pushing her more into writing, since that is where the money is at in music. I'm surprised she had any money left.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Kevin is a bigot...I know he hates Jews so I'm guessing Blacks can't be too far behind on the list...
ReplyDeleteBobbi Kristina and money, Whitney owes the record label so much money who know when or how much Bobbi Kristina will ever get...Whitney sang, beautifully yes but the real money is in the song writing...I hope all these "friends" help her out with her career, I read she wants to sing..
Hope she got Whitney's voice, sadly she looks like Bobby.
It is strange. I don't know if Whitney never thought about writing credits, or was she encouraged not to pursue them. With her mother's career and her father running things really well for her at the beginning, you'd think one of them would have negotiated for that, similar to what Madonna and Sade did years ago.
ReplyDeleteMadonna used to get 22% royalties from her albums and Sade can afford to release only one album a decade, because she writes and composes her music and kept all rights to her work.
Don't know why Whitney didn't do the same thing.
If it were me,I would pick someone who had a public connection to the deceased, but not a very personal one. A super personal connection is likely to have alot of crying and "I'm gonna miss her so much........" collapse on stage drama. This way, they have a public face to speak for the family in a calm and loving manner without the drama. A less personal connection is also less likely to refer to the personal battles she fought throughout her career. Let's face it, he probably isn't going to go up there and refer to her drug use and how it effected him. She has a very dramatic family and I doubt any of them could hold it together for the public service they are having. They may not be holding a big event, but they are broadcasting it, so it is a public event.
ReplyDeleteI was watching CNN the other night, and the anchor said the family let it be known that they never said Bobby wasn't invited. They made clear that he was invited, and that he was planning to attend. And yes, he is scheduled to perform later that night.
ReplyDeleteSomething to remember - they were divorced, as in he was her EX-husband, so I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.
Kevin, you are starting to look like a hearse chaser.
ReplyDeleteWhen Princess Diana died he came out and said how he was in talks with her to star in Bodyguard 2. Really?!
Now, he will speak at the funeral of the original BG star. *eyeroll*
And Madonna does not write her own stuff. She forces some minor change on someone else's work so she can get credit and royalty.
The family wants everyone to remember the successful/beautiful/marketable "Bodyguard" Whitney, not the trashy/difficult/addict "Bobby Brown" Whitney. Keep Bobby away and get that bodyguard here-Pronto!
ReplyDeleteOh, I know Madonna doesn't write her own songs. Neither does Beyonce. But they figured out a way to work the system, because they're so popular. Whitney could have done the same thing, especially in the 1980s and early 1990s, the height of her career.
ReplyDeleteyou nail @Unknown
ReplyDelete@figgy - Dolly Parton is known for her refusal to ever give up her publishing. Elvis wanted to sing one of her songs, but his people wanted him to have the credit for it as well, and she said no. He did not record the song. She turned down ELVIS! And I bet she is laughing ALL the way to the bank. (This is one of many reasons why I love Dolly Parton!)
ReplyDeleteDolly Parton is one extremely intelligent business woman.
ReplyDeleteWhitney had no money. She was living off money loaned to her by the record company.
A local radio station here did an interview with a popular reporter for Parade Magazine this morning and she point blank stated, the reason there isn't going to be a public funeral is because there isn't enough money to pay for it.
Its a terrible shame that someone as big as she was back in the day made no plan for her future or her child's future. All that money squandered away and for what? A high?
Terrible Waste. Terrible.
He hated working with her on Bodyguard. So much so he was talking about how much he loathed working with her 4 years later. This makes no sense. If I'm not mistaken they haven't even spoken since the film came out.
ReplyDeleteSadie, I heard something similar. LA was willing to chip in for MJ's funeral because they knew they would make their money back. And even with his financial issues, MJ has something left in the bank. Newark may can cover expenses, but they'll never recoup the money.
ReplyDeleteThing is, Clive Davis probably would have covered it. But since Whitney's family is throwing him shade over his not canceling his Grammy party, I don't think he's in the mood to help.
@Ida the funeral won't be
ReplyDeletepay-per-view (but it is a funny thought)
AP is going to live steam it and make their stream available to other media outlets ex. TMZ.
This is the link:
http://www.livestream.com/aplive
I've always wanted Whitney and Kevin to be a real couple. I wanted them to settle down, and raise a kid like Fletcher ;).
ReplyDeleteOn GMA this morning (I think it was GMA), they said that the family plans to have a speaker for each aspect of her life's work - her pop career, her gospel career and her acting career. Kevin represents her acting (and really, who else makes you think of her movie career than him?) In that context, this makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that they couldn't get anyone else is crap. You really think that no one is available amongst the tons of singers who were inspired by her?!
I don't really see that her family is some big leach. Her relatives include people who are practically as famous as Whitney. Apparently none of them are smart enough to demand writing credits. But they don't seem like leaches - more like a family where singing runs in the genes and they try to stick together. I'm sure they went through hell with Whitney's drug addiction. But it seems like they always stood by her.
Now the Jacksons - *that* was a family that sucked the lifeblood out of their most famous spawn. And FWIW, I'd rather watch Whitney's funeral than some child molesting pervert who should have known better.
@Maja - wow! Thanks for that info. Dolly does seem pretty amazing. I grew up about 2 hour away from the Grand Ole Opry so I've always been fascinated by her.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Whitney story goes, I think the whole thing has turned into a circus.
Seachica- who else do you think of? How about Forest Whitaker or Angela Bassett or hell the caterers that were on set for the filming of Waiting to Exhale? At the very least, when you pick someone to speak at a funeral you generally pick someone that actually likes that person, nit a person that hated every moment they spent together.
ReplyDeleteI heard that Costner and Whitney didn't get along during filming. I heard he was mean to her, because he was angry they cast a non-actress for the role and he was frustrated that she couldn't act and they had to keep redoing scenes.
ReplyDeleteKevin not Clive.
ReplyDeleteThat really says it all, doesn't it?
Maybe the family indirectly blames Clive for the drug use? The Hollywood enablers that she met while touring at a young age...That is where the abuse began..If I am not mistaken...
ReplyDeleteThey did blame Clive. They blamed him for having the party go on the same day Whitney died. They felt it was disrespectful. I think Enty just posted an article about that a few days ago, where the family almost didn't even invite Clive the funeral.
ReplyDeleteKevin Costner hates Jews?
ReplyDeleteRegarding money - I would point out that MJ also left hundreds of recorded but unreleased songs. It may well be that he shelved many because he wasn't happy with them but still, with hundreds to choose from, there will be future albums. With WH, she apparently has struggled for years to get a new album for release. I'm sure they'll try to salvage something but, given her vocals at her most recent appearances, it is doubtful if the value would be great. Also her borrowings from the record company must now be repaid with interest and in after-tax dollars (I'm sure Obama considers her a 1 percenter).
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw those 2 pictures I thought "What connection did Whitney have with Bruce Willis?"
ReplyDeleteMan, those 2 look alike
I'm sure Bobby will be there, he has two reasons to attend. His daughter being the first, and really to spite his ex in-Laws. He's still standing, and no matter what condition it's in, living is still winning. Plus, he loved Whitney, I don't think either of them understood what Love meant. At some point, Whitney became responsible for Whitney. Bobby became not a reason, but an excuse. He needs to prove to his daughter and himself, he is a M-A-N. Not a needy man, but a M-A-N.
ReplyDeletewell make up your mind: Should Bobby Brown be at the funeral or not? The other day it was not, but now that he's apparently decided not to attend he's a horrible cad for not attending.
ReplyDeleteLong story short: he's a horrible cad. Save everyone time working through the reasoning process about someone no one really cares about anyway.
I liked this funeral better when it was a private, dignified affair that was not streaming live to the public and featuring movie stars.
ReplyDeleteFamily sold out.
I posted this on an older post, but wanted to share it here since I think nobody is looking at the older post anymore. I have Whitney's "Greatest Hits" DVD from 2000, and it contains an interview of Clive Davis that made me sick. The way he spoke about Whitney as a "product" (he LITERALLY used the the p-word many, many times) revealed the ugly truth. With a person like that as one of her closest mentors, she didn't have a chance. I think she needed someone as a mentor who would care about her as an individual rather than a commodity…she was at a vulnerable point in her life and needed guidance.
ReplyDeleteThis sweet video of Paul Shaffer and Whitney shows how different her persona was in her early career - she seemed so sweet and low-key. I know appearances are deceiving, but still, I think if she'd had strong role models and mentors who influenced her rather than enabling her, things could have been different. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOz2kwi_CA
...and while I'm sharing my favorite more obscure Whitney moments....here's another one which was a gospel performance with her mother and brother at the 1988 AMA's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_EsWkcs5w
I had also heard they didn't get along during that movie. I'm baffled why he'd come. I hate to sound rude, but just for publicity?
ReplyDeleteJennifer Holliday has come out, on camera and said- POINT BLANK tht Whitney was doing drugs before Bobby Brown. There have been others that have said it and I believe them- Bobby went along for the ride.
ReplyDeleteDenzel, Mariah, Oprah- they'll be plenty of star power there.
When a bodyguard employed by Whitney came forward- and Newsweek quotes him on camera saying he wouldn't let Whitney go to the bathroom ALONE, you know things are horrible. They wouldn't let the woman take a bath! 48 yrs old and unalbe to take a bth due to her tendancies....Chaka Kahn quoted saying she is mad at the people who flew Whitney out and didn't get her a "handler" to watch out fro the riffraff that would give Whitney drugs- DAMN GIRL!
RIP Whitney- thankful you had some good times and that your daughter gave you some hope. I am so sorry that your demons got the best of you and I hope we all see the irony of your voice giving such joy to many, while you tried your damndest to kill it. I am sorry that you weren't given the tools to harness your "life"....I am so sorry.
auntliddy when you say "First of all, no one "chooses" to be an addict. It is a disease the addict cannot control" with all due respect, you are full of shit. One chooses to be an addict when they continue to put drugs/alcohol into their bodies. No one forces you to take drugs or drink. I have addicts in my world too so I know what I'm talking about. This "disease" talk is just another way of enabling them. You cannot CATCH addiction.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to take some effort to make money off her estate. She was deep in debt, took advances off her albums.
ReplyDeleteHere's a good article from CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57378141/whitney-houstons-financial-worth-after-death/
Here's a good article on how her NJ mansion featured in Being Bobby Brown collected weeds as did her career: http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-in-las-vegas/whitney-s-new-jersey-mansion-neglected-like-houston-s-life
I listened to Wendy Williams interview Whitney back when she had a radio show (don't even ask where I find this sh*t on the interwebs). Whitney said that Costner was the one who asked her to be in the film & she put him off for 2 years b/c she was scared to transition into film, esp. when her role would have somewhat parodied her life. She said he convinced her & he helped her. Who knows if she was speaking truthfully... But maybe they were friends? The interview was HILARIOUS b/c apparently Whitney had it out for Wendy beforehand b/c she kept bringing up her personal issues on her show. Whitney was in high defense mode.
ReplyDeletePS A public funeral is tacky....why not have something small/intimate for CLOSE friends & family & have Clive plan a public memorial once she's buried?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I'm starting to have second thoughts about Whitney's family and their desire to have a "private" funeral - it seems like they invited all these famous people - Kevin Costner - really? They were in a movie more than 20 years ago! TMZ is reporting that her family invited Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson!
ReplyDeleteFirst her family said they wanted her funeral to be dignified; then it was announced it would be live-streamed. Then last night, CNN said they would be airing it. If you want a private funeral, then you have a private funeral.
Not sure why Costner agreed to do an eulogy, except maybe Cissy called and how can you say no. They keep showing clips from
ReplyDeleteThe Bodyguard so his absence would be noticable, but you would think Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Denzel would make more sense. Princess Diana died in 1997, so I don't think you can call him a habitual hearse -chaser.
I've heard Bobby is attending, then singing with New Edition in Connecticut that night.
I've also heard Clive Davis is doing a eulogy, so maybe he's pitching in as well. People like to say he thought of Whitney as a daughter, but on Piers Morgan after she talked about the demonic music industry, Chaka Khan had to fight not to roll her eyes when Piers mentioned Clive.
Whenever I think of Brooke Shields and Michael Jackson I think of that old joke about where they found his other glove.