It’s hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since the world lost legendary singer and actress Whitney Houston . The eight-time Grammy-winning artist’s life was recently the subject of a biographical treatment in Kasi Lemmons I want to dance with someone , drawing attention to the singer’s life and struggles. Houston producer Clive Davis (who discovered Houston at 19) said in a recent interview that he didn’t see the star’s battle with addiction at first.
Prolific music producer (and, at one point, Whitney Houston’s manager), Clive Davis recently met Cnn to discuss the Houston race and the new movie release about the singer he produced. Davis said he saw the “ups” and “downs” of Houston’s career, but admitted he realized the artist’s struggles later than some because his loyalty and dedication blinded him. He explained:
[I realized it] later than some, because she was loyal, devoted, always on fire when she was with me. So, I confess I haven’t seen the signs from the start.
The music mogul said Houston was always ready, so she didn’t realize the depth of her addiction. However, the singer’s performance at Michael Jackson’s 30th birthday party at Madison Square Garden in 2001 made it clear to everyone that something was wrong with him. The bodyguard Star. Davis continued:
For me it was always prepared. But, of course, unequivocally the lowest would have been the Michael Jackson concert at Madison Square Garden. She takes the stage and I can’t believe my eyes. She is a skeleton.
Admittedly, the two-decade performance is still hard to watch, perhaps even more so given what we know about what happened in Houston. The singer took to the Madison Square stage looking skinny as death. Davis said his gaunt appearance terrified him so much that he took it upon himself to write her a letter. He said:
I’ve never seen her like this. I was scared to death. I wrote him a letter.
Houston’s longtime manager said he wrote the singer a heartfelt letter telling her she had a problem and if she didn’t keep it under control it would wear her out. She pressed her about the seriousness of her life-and-death situation, but unfortunately the singer didn’t pay attention to her words. David said:
I told him, “You have a serious problem and you need to take care of it.” And it’s a matter of life and death. Either he didn’t listen or he never responded to the letter.
In the documentary about his life and musical career, Clive Davis: The soundtrack to our lives (which you can see with a Netflix subscription ), Davis’ relationship with Houston takes up 25 minutes of the two-hour ride and goes into much more detail than the heartbreaking letter Whitney Houston never replied to.
Clive Davis clearly cared deeply for the late singer and continues to stand by her legacy. According to young actress Naomi Ackie, she interactions with people close to Houston, like Davis, they were vital to her as she prepared for the role of Houston in I want to dance with someone. The actress said talking to key players in Houston’s life helped her understand the human behind the legendary star.
Fans can see for themselves if Davis and Ackie are doing Whitney Houston’s legacy justice by checking out I want to dance with someone at your local cinema. Our readers might also be interested in seeing the notables biographies of iconic black musicians or maybe you would like to see some of Houston’s movies .
Source: Cinemablend
