Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped

by Cissy Houston

Overview

Contemplative and private, Cissy Houston has said little publicly about her daughter Whitney′s tragically early death. She hasn't spoken to the press about the funny, warm memories from her daughter's childhood or the lovely, quiet moments the two shared as Whitney became a woman-much less the trying and troubling times when Cissy and her family tried to save the superstar′s life while it careened out of control.

Now, for the first time, Cissy will tell the unabridged and unbelievable story of her daughter's life as well as her own, addressing Whitney′s brightest and darkest moments while helping fans around the world understand the complexities of this extraordinary star who died much too young. A legendary gospel singer in her own right, Cissy shows how the lessons from her musical journey helped to shape Whitney′s career-from teaching Whitney to use her voice, to witnessing Whitney′s first experiences in the music business, to keeping her daughter level-headed throughout her meteoric rise to fame.

However, Cissy does not shy away from the difficult realities of her daughter's life.

Offering an insider's perspective unlike any other, she sets the record straight about Whitney, exploring both her turbulent marriage and her misunderstood struggles with drug abuse with a candor, honesty, and respect that have long been missing accounts of Whitney′s life. Ultimately, Cissy goes behind the tabloid headlines to show the true, human side of this strong, successful, yet flawed musical icon, capturing the dramatic depths and soaring range of an extraordinary woman, along with the pain and heartbreak of a grieving mother as she struggles with an impossible loss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062239495
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/29/2013
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	342
Sales rank:	1,056,083
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Cissy Houston is a Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel singer and the mother of the late superstar Whitney Houston.

Lisa Dickey has been a freelance ghostwriter and book doctor since 1997. She has helped write and edit fourteen nonfiction books, including seven New York Times bestsellers.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Part 1

Chapter 1 The Night the Music Stopped 3

Chapter 2 A Child of Newark 10

Chapter 3 The Gospel Truth 31

Chapter 4 Sweet Inspirations 51

Chapter 5 Life on Dodd Street 73

Chapter 6 Training the Voice 96

Chapter 7 Separation 110

Part 2

Chapter 8 Enter Clive Davis 127

Chapter 9 Fame 142

Chapter 10 Welcome Home Heroes 161

Chapter 11 The Bodyguard … and Bobby Brown 180

Chapter 12 "I Never Asked for this Madness" 195

Chapter 13 "I Know Him So Well" 213

Chapter 14 A Very Bad Year 232

Part 3

Chapter 15 Atlanta 253

Chapter 16 The Intervention 266

Chapter 17 The Comeback 279

Chapter 18 "I Look to You" 294

Chapter 19 Bringing My Daughter Home 308

Epilogue 318

Acknowledgments 325

Selected Cissy Houston Discography 335

Selected Whitney Houston Discography 340

Editorial Reviews

Disarming… In the emotionally tangled “Remembering Whitney,” the elder Houston - still clearly working out her grief - is a fiercely protective mama bear to the memory of her damaged cub, but she also refuses to lionize her. She paints a picture of her daughter’s life… that is both triumphant and anguished. — Boston Globe

From the Publisher

Disarming… In the emotionally tangled "Remembering Whitney," the elder Houston - still clearly working out her grief - is a fiercely protective mama bear to the memory of her damaged cub, but she also refuses to lionize her. She paints a picture of her daughter’s life… that is both triumphant and anguished.

Boston Globe

Whitney Houston may have belonged to the world, but “Nippy” belonged to her mother. Grammy Award?winning gospel singer Houston, with coauthor Dickey (Happy Accidents), writes of the joy of discovering and nurturing her daughter’s talents and the sorrow and anger accompanying her premature death. Starting with her own fascinating career, Houston discusses how she revolutionized the background singing industry working with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and others. Her life changed with Nippy’s birth, and when 12-year-old Whitney decided she wants to sing professionally, Houston helped guide her daughter’s career, which included modeling and acting. Houston talks about her efforts to warn her daughter of the dangers of the music industry and to keep her grounded, especially in faith, but this fiercely protective mother could only do so much. Whitney’s career is celebrated, and her close relationship with her family is on display, both in text and in accompanying photos.

Verdict Whitney Houston was a megastar and fans will appreciate this honest, dignified, yet emotional account of her life from her mother. Those looking for lurid details, especially about Whitney’s relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown, will be disappointed by her mother’s high-road approach. With photos, an index, and a discography for mother and daughter, this book is highly recommended.—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal

A talented, flawed artist, seen through the eyes of a loving, forgiving mother. Considering what her daughter put her through, most readers will be impressed by Cissy's patience and unconditional loyalty. Cissy, a well-respected yet underappreciated vocalist herself, relates Whitney's highest highs and lowest lows with honesty, but not much in the way of introspection or insight. The narrative proceeds in a this-happened-then-this-happened-then-this-happened fashion, readable and breezy but lacking depth. Cissy all but glosses over her own impressive career, which is unfortunate, since she recorded as a background vocalist for Wilson Pickett, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Diana Ross and many others. Still, there is plenty of material that Houston devotee's will find fascinating: Young Whitney's (aka Nippy) childhood thrall with music and her speedy ascension up the music-industry ladder; the insider view of the behind-the-scenes machinations that helped Whitney get to and remain at the top of the charts; and Whitney's true feelings about fame. Many readers will pick up the book hoping to learn the real deal about her tumultuous, toxic relationship with fellow singer Bobby Brown and her descent into substance-abuse–based madness. While Cissy details how she bent over backward to save her daughter, she offers precious little information about what happened in the Houston/Brown household. However, that sort of salacious material would be out of place in this mostly affectionate remembrance of an iconic singer whose whole story will likely never be told. Fans of the Houston ladies will laugh, cry and beg for more. The rest of us will shrug and move on.

Kirkus Reviews