Behind The Scenes: Whitney Houston

A Day With Whitney Houston: Behind The Fame

5 May 1993

Mendham, NJ -- At 29, she had put seven consecutive hits at no.1, topping the Beatles. Her three albums have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and her newest, The Bodyguard soundtrack on which Houston features six times is a continuous growing success. Although her last tour was reported to be disappointing, she has won 2 Grammy's, 11 American Music Awards, 3 People's Choice citations and loads of other kudos. There seems to be no stopping this superstar.

Whitney Houston sits down, her feet flat on the floor and her fingers intertwined resting on her lap. She is gorgeous even in a denim dungary and simplistic make-up. She looks serene, regardless of the rumours of a lesbian relationship with best friend and personal assistant, Robyn Crawford, which have plagued her career since the late 80's, and torrid affairs with many other celebrities that Houston insists, "are just friends!". But what of love for this megawatt talent who seems to have it all. "When I first started out, I didn't have time for dating. I toured, and sang. That was it. I just didn't have time for any of that other stuff, but I'm lucky, I found a man who has his own career and understands the pressure and responsibilities that comes with it, so we're there for each other". Whitney, who comes from an extremely musical family says that nobody could have prepared her for the madness that comes along with fame. "I remember, I would often cry" says Whitney showing off her brilliant smile in self-mock "I just didn't understand what was happening to me. And all my family members would go: 'so you wanted to sing, huh?' but I didn't expect any of this other stuff, I just wanted to sing". With hits spanning as early as 1985, Whitney has given the world music that makes the body move and the soul leap for joy. She is, the resounding voice of the 80's and yet the media has never been very kind. "You read all of this stuff and kind of go, 'when did this happen to me?' sometimes it's a really out of body experience, this media thing, you know? I sometimes wish my life was as exciting as they make it seem." says Houston with a boisterous laugh. Last year there had been whispers that whilst on set her first film feature, The Bodyguard, Whitney had suffered a miscarriage and it had never been cleared up. She shifts in her seat, crosses her legs and shakes her head. "I don't want to talk about that." it's left there, she doesn't want to talk about it. Houston is currently preparing for a tour that will take her around the globe yet again to promote the soundtrack of the aforementioned movie. "It's crazy! I never imagined it would take off like this. We were talking one night and he goes, 'I've got a script, do it with me?'" says Whitney with a girlish smile, "I've been in a few series, done a few cameos here and there, and making a movie seemed like a natural progression in terms of my career, but I thought I would begin small, well, how wrong I was." she says adding a short laugh and shifting in her seat. "I got to watch him too, you know? See him work. I admire him so much, if not more, making a movie is extremely tedious and requires a certain amount of patience. I don't know how he does it" she laughs, "but my baby does it and he does it well". He of course is none other than Kevin Costner, box office king and Whitney Houston's husband. The two stars had met in 1989, not through mutual friend or foe but by fate on a beach at sunset. The pair was said to be immediate friends and it wouldn't be long after that Hollywood would gain a power couple in the joining of two of the world's most loved stars when they married last year at Whitney's childhood church New Hope Baptist in Newark, New Jersey. "The first time we met I stuttered like a kid!" she recalls fondly "he just gave off this vibe that was exciting and radiant, you know? And we just clicked, I remember those first few days after we first met, we'd blow each other's phone's up! It was a crazy time! From the very beginning we couldn't stand being apart".

What about their interracial love story? What about it. It doesn't seem to matter to either of them and interested Whitney would like to know why it should matter, she exhales, you can tell she's irritated but far too polite to pounce. "Love is love. It's the 90's, you would think that stuff like that wouldn't even be brought up anymore. I love my husband, and he loves me, and for now" she leans forward "that's enough". She gives an affirmative nod and sits back in her seat, crossing her legs. There is a fire within this woman that can attract and repel. She is like a lioness, protective and always alert- nothing gets past her.

Whitney sits at her vanity table, her hairstylist doing her hair. "See, now this is what I'm talking about. There's always got be a new Whitney Houston, a new Mariah Carey, a new this or a new that. Why can't a singer just be known for their work?" asks Whitney referring to a magazine article. She has a point. There is a lot one can say about how much the music industry has changed and how it has simply been swept along as media and the rest of world evolved. "Where's Whitney?". He enters the room and immediately it's known why he was on the World's Hottest Male Celebrity list for three years. He enters the room and fills it, but doesn't suck all the oxygen from it - there is an earthy humbleness to this man. Whitney sure can choose em'. He's tall and his body implies athletic. His hair has grown back to its usual length and he's sporting a stubble beard, that on him, looks particularly sexy. He sits his round framed spectacles atop his head and walks toward us, kissing Whitney on her forehead leaning up against the vanity table. "Don't let her intimidate you, she's this serious with everyone." jokes Kevin and gets a jab from Whitney. Theirs is a story almost straight out of a movie and yet so unique it is unfathomable by human minds. If they're acting, they deserve Oscars. Kevin's adoration of Whitney is only matched by her own seemingly unadulterated adoration of him. Sitting down with the gorgeous couple, yours truly - a romantic at heart - had to ask whether Kevin was her bodyguard. Whitney seemed more relaxed, more comfortable. She laughed that contagious laugh of hers, and replied, "he likes to think so, yes. We were out the other night and photographers had crowded the door to the restaurant. They're snapping away and Kevin's in front of me all bodyguard-like trying to push a way through for us." laughter interrupts her story, "he's like, 'move, move' all broad chested and heroic. He's cute like that though". She concludes with an adoring smile. I ask whether they want children and they each become animated at the thought, but end in agreement that the timing could not be worse to bring a child into the world as Whitney prepares to go on tour and Kevin for his next movie.

It's getting late. There are no more hairstylists or makeup artists, no more photographers or personal assistants. There's just Whitney, Kevin and the perfect picture they're living. How long it'll last? "Forever and a lifetime, right baby?" asks Whitney patting his knee, and like that passionate ending on the tarmac of her debut film, Whitney kisses her prince charming. On the way over I was asked by an air hostess why Kevin Costner, timid and often described as reclusive on sets would want to marry a woman who is in the public eye, just as much if not more than him. I assume everyone expected the man to marry a Jane Doe. Kevin shifts, smiles at the question."Uhm, I guess the simple answer would be, because I love her." he beams and goes on to say, "people see her outward beauty, and we all know she's beautiful, it's common knowledge that Whitney's beautiful but that's not where it stops. There's an abundance of talent within her, and like I said before, it's God's gift to her." He turns to face her and raises her chin to his before concluding, more to Whitney than myself, "and she's God's gift to me". And with that, you just know that whatever problems Whitney will face in the future, she'll always have Kevin to weather them with her.

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