Didn’t We Almost Have It All? : Remembering the Late Whitney Houston as Daughter Bobbi on Life Support

“Didn't we almost have it all / The night we held on till the morning / You know you'll never love that way again / Didn't we almost have it all”

The wistful lyrics of Whitney Houston’s 1987 billboard song strike a new chord in view of current events. Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is indeed trying to hold on until the morning.

Authorities found Brown face-down in a bathtub on January 31. Since then, Brown has remained on life support, unconscious through the third anniversary of her mother’s death on February 11 in sadly similar circumstances. As Houston famously once sang, things have gotten “so emotional,” and rightly so.

With so much uncertainty, one may find comfort in the beauty of the past. Celebrate Houston’s life—and Brown’s fight—and read about what friends, family, and key writers in the pop-culture industry have to say about Houston’s legacy:

Whitney Houston! : The Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall of the Woman Whose Voice Inspired a Generation by Mark Bego

Whitney Houston : The Voice, the Music, the Inspiration by Narada Michael Walden

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

The Whitney I Knew by BeBe Winans

The Wendy Williams Experience by Wendy Williams
While primarily covering other pop culture topics, this book includes an interview session with Houston.

Houston glammed the big screen as well, not limiting her talents to the music industry. Here are some films to remind you why you will always love her:

Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Houston plays the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man, in this film about four African American women struggling with relationships.

The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Houston stars as a gospel-singing wife of a pastor in this holiday comedy.

Sparkle (2012)
The executive producer, Houston also stands as the resistant mother in this film about a 1960s female singing group.

Miss seeing Houston onstage? Check out these DVDs that feature Houston’s key performances and insightful interviews:

We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston

Whitney: The Greatest Hits

Of course, the Central Library has many of Houston’s albums for check out. Freegal Music, BPL’s downloadable music service, offers the soundtrack Just Whitney. This track is of special note because it includes “My Love,” a song featuring daughter Brown.

Perhaps more precious is “The Little Drummer Boy” on One Wish: The Holiday Album. This single track acts as a time capsule, capturing the musical interplay between loving mother and baby girl. A much younger Brown opens the track with the light, airy voice of youth. Then Houston’s voice swings in with gentle encouragement with “Sing baby,” and later “That’s my baby.” They sing together in harmony, and it is this intimate moment we may hold close, hoping.

Bethany Mitchell
Arts/Literature/Sports
Central