www.classicwhitney.com - Archive Newsfile: September 2009

'I Look To You' Video Exclusive...

Candid...

CNN: Whitney Houston candid on 'Oprah'
September 10, 2009 -- Updated 2115 GMT (0515 HKT)
By Lisa Respers France

(CNN) -- In an emotional interview, Whitney Houston opened up to talk-show host Oprah Winfrey about a pivotal role her mother played in getting the singer back on track.

The sit-down interview, set to air when "The Oprah Winfrey Show" returns for its 24th season Monday, offers a rare glimpse into the life of Houston who is in the midst of a much anticipated return to the spotlight.

In the interview appearing over two days, Houston shared with Winfrey how her mother, singer Cissy Houston, arrived at her daughter's house one day with sheriff's officers and a court order in hand to issue an ultimatum.

"Now looking at it, I see the love and passion that my mother had for me and she has for me," Houston told Winfrey. "She says, 'I have a court [injunction] here. Either you do it my way, or we're just not going to do this at all. We are both going to go on TV, and you're going to retire.'"
Her mother would broach no interference from Houston's now ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown, the star said, and went so far as to warn him, " 'If you move, Bobby, they're gonna take you down. Don't you make one move.' "

Houston said her mother implored her to come with her, saying, "' It's not worth it.' "

" 'I'm not losing you to the world,' " Houston said her mother told her. " 'I'm not losing you to Satan. I'm not doing this. I want my daughter. I want you back. I want to see that glow in your eyes. That light in your eye.' "

Cissy Houston, a Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist, is a former member of the Sweet Inspirations, a group that scored a few hits and sang backup for musical legends such as Aretha Franklin.

Whitney Houston's new album, "I Look to You," is her first in seven years and comes after the ending of a troubled marriage and reports of erratic behavior and allegations of drug abuse.

Houston and Brown, who has had multiple brushes with the law, appeared together with their daughter, Bobbi Christina, four years ago on the reality show "Being Bobby Brown."

Rehab Drama...

Extra TV: Whitney Houston's Rehab Drama
Posted on September 10, 2009 9:47 AM

Songstress Whitney Houston laid out the whole sordid tale of her recovery in the upcoming sit-down with Oprah, where the diva opened up about the day her mother forced her into rehab... and saved her life.

The singer described how her mother, singer Cissy Houston, presented her daughter with an ultimatum to get clean. "One day, my mother came to my house, she walks in with these sheriffs," Houston tells Winfrey. "She says, 'I have a court injunction here. You're either gonna do it my way or not gonna do it at all. We're both gonna go on TV and you're gonna retire. This is not worth it.'"

Whitney revealed that Cissy's intervention also scared her ex, Bobby Brown, into submission. "Cissy said, 'If you move Bobby, they're gonna take you down. Don't make one move!' He stood there like he was scared. She said, 'Let's go. Let's do this.'"

Oprah tells "Extra" that Whitney's candid revelations shocked her -- especially since Houston was not as forthcoming in a prior interview. "The last interview she'd done was with Diane Sawyer seven years ago. She was clearly not ready to tell us anything, and was just sort of playing around with her denial, I guess."

The talk queen added, "It's really rare to get anybody who's that famous to be as honest as she was." Houston's longtime mentor Clive Davis agrees, telling "Extra," "I've known Whitney since she was 18 years old. I learned about Whitney... things that I had never known. She knew she had to speak from the heart."

Oprah Revelation...

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Oprah drops Houston interview bombshell
September 10, 2009, by Richard Eldredge

In a preview of next week’s interview, Oprah Winfrey revealed Thursday morning on “Good Morning America” that it was Cissy Houston, the woman who brought daughter Whitney Houston into the music business who threatened to take her out of the industry at the height of her battle with drugs.

During a live interview from the Chicago set of her talk show, Winfrey told Diane Sawyer that it was Cissy Houston who turned up at the house her daughter shared with now ex-husband Bobby Brown with a court injunction and sheriffs in tow.

In a clip from the two-part interview that will air on “Oprah” next Monday and Tuesday, Houston recalled the incident saying, “My mother had the court paper in her hand and said ‘You do this my way or not at all. We’ll go on TV and you’ll retire.’ ”

Houston also recalled what her mother told a nervous looking Bobby Brown as the sheriffs gathered around them.

According to Whitney Houston her mother told Brown: “If you move Bobby, they’re going to take you down.”

The move by Cissy Houston, who first hired her daughter to sing back up for her in the early 1980s and was there the night music mogul Clive Davis first heard her daughter sing, was a last ditch attempt to get Whitney into drug rehab.

The family intervention worked and the troubled singer tells Winfrey she went to rehab. It was unclear during the “GMA” segment when the intervention took place and if it was while the couple resided in Country Club of the South here.

According to the singer, Cissy Houston told her: “I’m not going to lose you to the world. I’m not going to lose you to Satan. I want my daughter back. I want to see that glow in your eye again.”

Last week, Cissy Houston was seated in the front row at Whitney’s “GMA” comeback concert.

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 19 September 2009:

I LOOK TO YOU:
The Billboard 200 - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Billboard Comprehensive Albums - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Top Digital Albums - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Top Internet Albums - New Entry at No.2 - 1 week on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Tastemakers - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart.

WHITNEY: THE GREATEST HITS:
Billboard Comprehensive Albums - Re-Entry at No.157 - 2 weeks on chart;
Top Pop Catalog - Re-Entry at No.31 - 31 weeks on chart;
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums - Re-Entry at No.15 - 28 weeks on chart.

I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH:
Hot Dance Club Play - Up to No.32 (from No.44) with Bullet - 2 weeks on chart.

MILLION DOLLAR BILL:
Hot 100 - New Entry at No.100 - 1 week on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Remains at No.56 (3rd week) - 5 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Remains at No.56 (3rd week) - 5 weeks on chart.

I LOOK TO YOU:
Hot 100 - Up to No.70 (from No.98) - 4 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Up to No.24 (from No.27) - 7 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Up to No.24 (from No.27) - 7 weeks on chart;
Hot Adult R&B Airplay - Up to No.4 (from No.6) - 7 weeks on chart;
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks - Remains at No.24 (2nd week) - 5 weeks on chart;
Hot Gospel Songs - Up to No.26 (from No.30) - 2 weeks on chart.

Additional Charts reported in Billboard:

Top Canadian Albums: 'I Look To You' - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
European Top 100 Albums: 'I Look To You' - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
France Albums - New Entry at No.3 - 1 week on chart;
German Albums - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Italy Album - New Entry at No.1 - 1 week on chart;
Canadian Hot 100: 'Million Dollar Bill' - Up to No.62 (from No.78) - 2 weeks on chart;
Canadian Hot 100 Airplay: 'Million Dollar Bill' - New Entry at No.63 - 1 week on chart;
Japan Hot 100 Singles: 'Million Dollar Bill' - New Entry at No.22 - 1 week on chart.

Chart Beat...

Billboard: Chart Beat Thursday: Whitney Houston
by Gary Trust | September 10, 2009 3:58 EDT

SHE'S GOT THE 'LOOK': How long had it been since Whitney Houston presided over the Billboard 200? Until this week, the superstar last led when the soundtrack to the "The Bodyguard," credited as a Houston album in Billboard's archives, spent its 20th and final week at No. 1 on the chart dated May 29, 1993. That week, a band called Radiohead made its first career appearance on the Billboard 200 with "Pablo Honey," Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)" was the Hot 100's Hot Shot Debut and Toby Keith notched his first of 33 career top fives on Country Songs.

This week, Houston returns to the Billboard 200 throne, as "I Look to You" roars in at No. 1. ( Click here for Billboard.com's analysis of Houston's hefty sales haul that produced the bow).

"I Look to You" becomes Houston's fourth No. 1 album. Her fab four are:

"Whitney Houston," 1986 (14 weeks at No. 1)
"Whitney," 1987 (11 weeks at No. 1)
"The Bodyguard" 1992-93 (20 weeks at No. 1)
"I Look to You" 2009 (1 week to date at No. 1)

"I Look to You" is Houston's first No. 1-debuting album since "Whitney" 22 years ago. The latter title was also the first album by a woman to begin at No. 1, arriving atop the Billboard 200 dated June 27, 1987.

Despite her lengthy hiatus from the penthouse, Houston's standing on the chart stretching to her juggernaut of a debut album remains sterling. Since her first week atop the tally on March 8, 1986, here is a look at the artists to spend the most weeks at No. 1:

51, Garth Brooks
46, Whitney Houston
30, Mariah Carey
22, Eminem
21, M.C. Hammer
21, U2
17, Billy Ray Cyrus
17, Jay-Z
16, Bruce Springsteen
16, Vanilla Ice

On R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, "I Look to You" becomes Houston's fifth No. 1. She previously reigned with "Whitney Houston" (1985), "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (1990-91), "The Bodyguard" (1992-93) and her soundtrack to "The Preacher's Wife" (1997).

While Houston starts atop the Billboard 200, she posts a new entry on the Billboard Hot 100 at the anchor spot, as "Million Dollar Bill" cashes in at No. 100. The song is her 39th career Hot 100 entry. The new album's title cut concurrently jumps from No. 98 to No. 70, granting Houston her highest Hot 100 ranking since "Could I Have This Kiss Forever," with Enrique Iglesias, peaked at No. 52 in 2000.

Euro Chart...

Billboard: Whitney Houston Debuts Atop Euro Chart

Whitney Houston mirrors her Billboard 200 success with a No. 1 debut on European Top 100 Albums with her comeback set "I Look To You" (Arista/RCA/Sony Music Entertainment). There's also a new champion on European Hot 100 Singles, where David Guetta scores his second No. 1 in less than two months with "Sexy Chick" (Gum/Positiva/Virgin/EMI), featuring Akon.

Houston was last on the pan-European survey at the end of 2007 with Arista's "Ultimate Collection," which reached No. 10. The 2002 ballads retrospective "Love, Whitney" reached only No. 44, while 2000's "The Greatest Hits" made No.2. Houston's last studio album, 1998's "My Love Is Your Love," reached No. 1 during an epic 67-week run on the European survey, and was certified for shipments of three million units across the region. "I Look To You" posts best-selling starts in Germany and Italy, other arrivals including No. 2 in Sweden and No. 3 in France. The set is out in the U.K. on Oct. 19.

NEWSFILE: 10 SEPTEMBER 2009

Oprah Teaser...

New York Daily News: Oprah Winfrey calls Whitney Houston interview her best ever; diva dishes on marriage, drugs
By Richard Huff
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Updated Tuesday, September 8th 2009, 4:43 PM

Oprah Winfrey says her blockbuster sit-down with Whitney Houston is "the best interview I've ever done."

However, Winfrey isn't telling folks exactly what Houston says — yet.

Houston does talk about her marriage to Brown, drugs, rehab and how her family saved her, according to the show.

"My approach to this interview was to not be judgmental in any way, and not to go in trying to get her to say things to make a 'moment,'" Winfrey says in a statement released by the show.

"I just wanted to be able to have an honest conversation with her," Winfrey continued. "One woman to another woman. And the day of the interview I literally prayed about that all day long. I just wanted a connection between the two of us. And that is what happened. And that is why I believe it's one of the most, if not the most, powerful interviews I've ever done."

Houston taped the interview with Winfrey earlier this month. It will air Sept. 14 and be seen locally on WABC/Ch. 7 at 4 p.m.

Winfrey admits she should leave it for others to say how well she she did in the interview. But she apparently couldn't help but gush.

"I can't think of a moment, ever, when I had a stronger connection to the person I was interviewing," Winfrey says.

She should know. She's grilled countless guests since her daytime talk show launched in 1986.

Houston agreed to the chat as part of her comeback tour, which started in late August with the release of her new album. Indeed, Houston cited her talk with Winfrey during a recent concert taping for "Good Morning America," in which her voice cracked in each song.

Houston's last interview was seven years ago, when she and then husband Bobby Brown talked to ABC's Diane Sawyer during a period of allegations of drug use and other troubles.

"I think whether you liked or loved Whitney Houston before you will certainly have a deeper appreciation for what she has been through as a human being," Winfrey says. "And I mean, the fans are just going to love her even more."

Sales Speculation...

Entertainment Weekly: Whitney Houston: Will her sales disappoint?
by Simon Vozick-Levinson
Categories: Charts, Whitney Houston

Last Monday was a big day for Whitney Houston, whose first all-new album in seven years finally arrived in stores. An even more important day might be tomorrow, when first-week sales results will be announced, providing one answer to the question of just how much the public has missed her.

Right now, trade gossip site HitsDailyDouble.com — whose estimates are usually pretty reliable — is projecting that Houston’s I Look to You will top the albums chart with sales of about 301,000. That’s not too shabby. It’s considerably more than the underwhelming 205,000 that her last album managed in its first week. Then again, it’s no blockbuster, either.

By way of comparison, Maxwell performed similarly this July, selling 316,000 copies of BLACKsummers’night in its first week. Now, Maxwell, like Whitney, is an R&B/pop singer who hadn’t put out a new album in many years (eight, in his case). But Maxwell was never a megastar on Whitney’s level. Not even close. Maxwell never had a record certified 17 times platinum. If Houston can’t even beat his sales today, what does that say about her relevance?

Check back on the Music Mix tomorrow morning to find out the final sales results for last week. ‘Til then, what do you think of these predictions? Is 301,000 a number to be proud of for Whitney Houston? Do you even care how many copies she sells in week 1?

Vote Whitney...

VH1: Vote On Your All-Time Favorite Divas Moment For Our Divas Vault Countdown!

Mariah Carey turning “Heartbreaker” into “Love Hangover.” Whitney Houston singing “I Was Made To Love Her” right alongside its legendary writer, Stevie Wonder. Céline Dion, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain and Carole King sharing the stage for a rendition of Carole’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” Cyndi Lauper and Patti LaBelle performing a stripped-down version of Cyndi’s “Time After Time.” Destiny’s Child doing Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.” Jill Scott trying her hand at the contemporary classic “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman.” These are one-of-a-kind performances you’d only hear at VH1 Divas, and there are tons of them available for your fawning in our Divas Vault.

We have plenty more to look foward to when this year’s VH1 Divas premieres (live Thursday, Sept. 17 at 9/8c), but for now, we’d like to find out which past Divas performances are the fan-favorites. And so, we’re taking a poll via Twitter to determine the Top 10 Divas performances of all time. Check out the Vault and vote for whatever your diva-loving heart desires. (Please limit your votes to only the performances that can be found at the Vault.) We’ll tally the votes and post the Top 10 videos that scored the highest here at the VH1 Blog on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
You can vote in two ways: in the comments section of this post or by hitting us @ our Twitter (http://twitter.com/vh1) with the name of the performer(s) and song title (if you tweet, include the hashtag #vh1divas). Feel free to vote as many times as you’d like (although if you vote for something, like, 1,000 times, we’ll probably notice and stop counting your votes — just be prudent, K?), and then check back Wednesday to see how your favorite diva fared!

Remember: Voting ends Wednesday, Sept. 16 so hurry up and tell us which diva performance is the best!

The eligible Whitney Houston performances are:

"It's Not Right, But It's Okay"

"I Was Made To Love Her"

NEWSFILE: 8 SEPTEMBER 2009

Oprah...

Whitney Houston today recorded a performance for her Oprah interview at the Harpo studio in Chicago. Word is Whitney performed 'I Didn't Know My Own Strength' and 'I Love The Lord'. This photograph was taken Monday evening when the two sat down to record the interview.

Videos...

The Grape Juice: Exclusive: Whitney's Music Video Premiere Dates

That Grape Juice can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that Whitney Houston will be premiering not one, but TWO new videos in the coming weeks.

The video for 'I Look To You' is set to debut September 10th. While the clip for 'Million Dollar Bill' will be unveiled on September 16th.

In other Whitney news, we have received confirmed word that she will be performing 'I Didn't Know My Own Strength' on The Oprah Winfrey Show - at the personal request of Oprah herself.

Also, a televised special is being considered by Whitney's team for later this year.

Remember where you heard it first!!!

Tyler Perry...

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Tyler Perry requests prayers for Whitney Houston
9:26 am September 3, 2009, by Richard Eldredge

Our brand-new Facebook “friend” Atlanta director Tyler Perry has sent a message to fans asking them to pray for Whitney Houston as she re-emerges on the pop scene.

Writes Perry: “Whitney Houston and I are friends. Over the last few years, I’ve gotten to know her pretty well, and with that, I’ve had the opportunity to witness a miracle up close and personal. I’ve watched her regain her strength, her fight and her faith. You have no idea how much this woman

has been through in her life and, as much as she’s shared with me, I’m sure half of it has not been told. What I know for sure is; she is a living miracle. Pretty soon you will hear her tell these stories in her own words and then I think you’ll understand.”

Perry is also a fan of Houston’s much-touted comeback album, “I Look to You.”

“It’s truly amazing,” write Perry. “When you buy it online or in the stores, whisper a prayer for her. She is truly looking to you and to God for all her strength. And do me this favor, if you will, add her to your prayer list. Pray for her as she steps back into the spotlight, as she takes back all that belongs to her. Just because she’s Whitney Houston doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need prayer, we all do.”

In another piece of news to fans, the seemingly indefatigable Perry also announced he’s contemplating a gig as a weekly talk show host.

Perry has shot a test episode set to air September 9 on TBS at 11 p.m., following his sitcom lineup on the Atlanta-based network.

Perhaps not coincidentally, all of his scheduled guests, Pastor Marvin Winans, Gladys Knight, Adam Rodriguez and Taraji P. Henson with a video by Mary J. Blige appear in his upcoming Madea comedy “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself” set to hit theaters on Sept. 11.

Our take? It sounds less like a talk show and more like an unnecessary infomercial for a movie that’s already expected to take in wheelbarrow loads of money at the box office.

Still, we admire Perry’s bravery. He’s requesting that his fiercely honest fans take to the message boards on his Website to send him feedback following the airing of his talk show hosting debut

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 12 September 2009:

I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH:
Hot Dance Club Play - New Entry at No.44 - 1 week on chart.

MILLION DOLLAR BILL:
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Remains at No.56 (2nd week) - 4 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Remains at No.56 (2nd week) - 4 weeks on chart.

I LOOK TO YOU:
Hot 100 - Up to No.98 (from No.99) - 3 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Down to No. 27 (from No.26) - 6 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay - Down to No. 26 (from No.26) - 6 weeks on chart;
Hot Adult R&B Airplay - Remains at No.6 (2nd week) - 6 weeks on chart;
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop - Down to No.36 (from No.35) - 4 weeks on chart;
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks - Down to No.24 (from No.23) - 4 weeks on chart;
Hot Gospel Songs - Hot Shot Debut at No.30 - 1 week on chart.

Canadian HMV...

Whitney Houston tops the Canadian HMV Top 10 according to The Canadian Press:

HMV Canada: "I Look To You" by Whitney Houston tops CD sales list

TORONTO — The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending Sept. 4.

CDs

1 I Look To You - Whitney Houston
2 Only By the Night - Kings of Leon
3 The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
4 Rebelution - Pitbull
5 One Love - David Guetta
6 Artwork - Used
7 Fame - Lady GaGa
8 Billy Talent III - Billy Talent
9 Humbug - Arctic Monkeys
10 Relapse - Eminem

NEWSFILE: 3 SEPTEMBER 2009

Good Morning America...

Whitney Houston's GMA performance televised in the US with mixed reviews - Whitney explained her voice was hampered due to extended conversations with Oprah Winfrey the night before when recording that already-historic interview. Whitney's fans gave great support to Whitney at the GMA recording.

You can click the image of Whitney (left) to go to a gallery of pictures from the concert.

Below are links to some of the reports from the GMA mini-concert:

ABC News: Whitney Houston 'Good Morning America' Concert: 'Dream Come True' for Fans
New York Daily News: Whitney Houston loses voice, cracks through Central Park 'GMA' concert
Rolling Stone: Whitney Houston Sings on “Good Morning America”: “I Never Left”
EURWeb: WHITNEY CREDITS COMEBACK TO MOM AND FANS ON GMA: Houston returns with high spirits and low notes
Access Hollywood: Whitney Houston Rocks ‘Good Morning America’
MTV: Whitney Houston Is Fierce, Flaky On 'Good Morning America'

On Track for No.1...

Billboard: Whitney Houston's Comeback Headed To Top Billboard 200 Chart
September 02, 2009
Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.

Whitney Houston struggled with her voice during her much-hyped comeback performance on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday (Sept. 1). But, industry prognosticators are suggesting the soul music diva won't trip up on the charts next week.

Released on Aug. 31st, "I Look To You" -- Houston's first album in seven years -- is expected to sell upward of 200,000 copies, which should easily enable it to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. If this is the case, Miley Cyrus' "The Time of Our Lives" exclusive Wal-Mart EP, which entered at No. 3 with 62,000 copies sold this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan, will drop down a few slots below Houston's "You."

"Lives," which was originally due on August 31st like Houston's album, was pushed up three days last minute for an early release.

With return sales and chart entry like that, Houston won't need to apologize to her fans, although she did find herself asking for forgiveness from the 5,000 concert-goers at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield on Tuesday for overusing her famous pipes. "I'm sorry. I did 'Oprah.' I've been talking so long... I talked so much, my voice," she attempted to explain. "I shouldn't be talking, I should be singing," she said before breaking into "I'm Every Woman," the last of her three-song set.

Other tracks performed included "Million Dollar Bill" and the album's title track, during which Houston choked up.

Since the official announcement of the new album on June 4th, internet buzz on Houston, who'd made headlines the past few years for the lapse in her career, marriage to ex-husband Bobby Brown and alleged history of drug abuse, among other negative things, has increased. On July 3rd, when the track "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" leaked, chatter on Houston went up; on July 15th, when she held her first listening event in London, web chatter rose again; on July 24th, when the R. Kelly-penned title track was released, buzz jumped further; and then on July 29, when it was announced her album would arrive early, buzz on Houston improved yet again.

Houston isn't the only artist with an album that bowed on Aug. 31: this week also greeted new sets from the Used, Trey Songz, Pitbull, Chevelle and John Fogerty.

NEWSFILE: 2 SEPTEMBER 2009