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• Fact-Checking the New Whitney Houston Biopic <i>I Wanna Dance With Somebody</i>

Fact-Checking the New Whitney Houston Biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody

I n the years since her death in 2012 , the life and legacy of Whitney Houston have invoked an almost obsessive curiosity about the real person behind the larger-than-life persona of one of the world’s most talented musical artists. Her undeniable gift and glittering career catapulted her to fame, but it’s been the details of her personal life—her complicated relationship with her parents, her sexuality, her forays into marriage and parenthood, her struggles with substance abuse—that have been the focus of the many narratives, documentaries, and series about the six-time Grammy winner.

Both Houston’s outsized career and her complex interior life take center stage in Kasi Lemmons ’ I Wanna Dance With Somebody , a biopic about the singer which releases on Dec. 23. While other projects about Houston have had a morbid , sometimes exploitative fascination with the struggles and tragedy of her life, the film takes care with the story of Whitney (Naomi Ackie), imbuing her life both on and off the stage with nuance in an effort to offer an authentic re-telling. This may be due in part to the involvement of Clive Davis, the record producer and Whitney’s mentor, who served as an executive producer on the film, with the blessing of Pat Houston, her sister-in-law and the administrator of her estate. That’s not to say that the film doesn’t take some creative liberties, however. Below, we’ve done a fact check of some of the major points of I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Was Houston discovered by Clive Davis while singing back-up for her mother in a club?

Early in the film, Houston is discovered by Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci), who, at the urging of A&R Gerry Griffith, watches her perform at the Manhattan nightclub Sweetwater’s, where she’s singing backup for her mother, Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie). Upon seeing Davis in the audience, the elder Houston feigns throat trouble and urges her daughter to sing lead, including the song, “The Greatest Love of All,” impressing Davis so much that he later offers her a record deal.

This scenario aligns mostly with reality; in an interview for Conversations With Whitney Houston and Clive Davis , Davis divulged that the first time he saw Houston sing was at Sweetwater’s, where she was singing backup for her mother, but performed two solo songs, one of which was “The Greatest Love of All.”

“It was sung with such verve, such natural vocal gifts, with such passion that I was stunned,” he said. “I knew right then and there that this was a very special talent.” Davis signed a 19-year-old Houston to a record deal in 1983, beginning a musical partnership what would last 29 years, until her death in 2012.

Read more: ‘Anything Good in This Country Has Had to Be Wrestled Free.’ What Whitney Houston’s Rendition of the National Anthem Taught Me About America

What was Houston’s relationship to Robyn Crawford?

In the film, one of Houston’s most important relationships begins when she meets Robyn Crawford (played by Nafessa Williams) at a community center as a high school student. The two develop a deep friendship, which takes a romantic turn and leads to them moving in together. While the love between Crawford and Houston is real, disapproval from Whitney’s family, particularly her father, takes a toll on their relationship. Likewise, as Houston’s singing career begins to gain momentum, pressure begins to mount to keep their relationship secret to protect Houston’s public image as a pop princess.

After Houston has a brief fling with Jermaine Jackson, she insinuates to Crawford that because she wants a family in the future, she will ultimately end up in a straight relationship. While their romantic interlude ends early on in Houston’s career, Crawford becomes her assistant and creative director. Later, when Houston pursues a relationship with Bobby Brown, in a seeming effort to quell rumors about her sexuality, as well as critiques of her not being “Black enough,” it strains her friendship with Crawford, who has ongoing tensions with Brown. Things finally come to a head when Crawford unsuccessfully tries to have an intervention for Houston’s substance abuse issue, leading her to break ties with the singer.

In real life, Crawford and Houston really did meet at a community center in East Orange, N.J. in 1980 when the singer was in high school and Crawford, a basketball player, was home from college. They became fast friends, striking up a deep connection that would last two decades. While there was always speculation about the nature of their relationship, it wasn’t confirmed by Crawford until she wrote her 2019 memoir, A Song For You: My Life With Whitney Houston ; in the book, Crawford details how they shared their first kiss weeks after meeting and soon became physically intimate, although it was their immediate emotional connection that she remembered most about that time:

You could tell Whitney and I were tight. It wasn’t all about our sleeping together. We could be naked. We could be bare and didn’t have to hide. We could trust each other with our secrets, our feelings, and who we were. We were friends. We were lovers. We were everything to each other. We weren’t falling in love. We just were. We had each other. We were one: That’s how it felt…We never talked labels, like lesbian or gay. We just lived our lives, and I hoped it could go on that way forever.

According to Crawford, her and Houston’s romantic relationship was discouraged by Houston’s parents and disparaged by Houston herself; Brown alleged in his 2016 memoir, Every Little Step , that both the Houston family and Clive Davis disapproved of even the suggestion of a relationship between Houston and Crawford: “They couldn’t let Whitney live the life she wanted to live; they insisted that she be perfect, that she be someone she wasn’t,” he wrote. “That’s why they wanted Robyn out.”

It was a sentiment that he echoed in an interview from the same year with Us Weekly, noting that the pressure on Houston to appear a certain way played a role in her decline: “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” he said. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”

As in the film, Crawford and Houston lived together, but in real life, during this time, they were just roommates, sharing space platonically in Woodbridge, N.J. In addition to being her closest friend, Crawford was also her assistant, before becoming her creative director. However, as Houston began dating high-profile men like Jermaine Jackson, Eddie Murphy, and eventually her future husband Brown, Crawford shared that it was hard to reckon with the changing nature of their relationship.

“The physical part of our friendship was no longer, but the intimacy…our friendship was intimate on all levels, that’s how deep it was,” she wrote . “I wanted her to call me and say, ‘Guess what, this is happening [with Jermaine].’ And she wasn’t doing that, and that hurt more than anything. It didn’t feel like she was cheating on me—it felt more like she was leaving me out.”

In a 2019 Essence interview, Crawford addressed the rumored tensions between her and Brown, admitting that she was often annoyed by him and his antics, as well as his jealousy of her close relationship with Houston; after Brown and Houston married, her relationship with the singer deteriorated due to Houston’s tumultuous marriage and drug use. By 2000, eight years after Houston got married, Crawford had reached her breaking point professionally with the singer, resigning as her creative director. The end of their professional relationship also led to distance in their friendship, with no real reunion between the two before Houston’s death.

Did she push back at the suggestion she wasn’t “Black enough” in a radio interview?

A particularly loaded moment in the film takes place when a radio host asks Houston how she would respond to critiques that she didn’t act or sing “Black enough” as the reigning pop star of her generation. In response, Houston shuts down her naysayers: “That’s just bull,” she says in the movie. “And it makes me angry, actually. It’s hateful and uninformed. My whole life, ‘She ain’t Black enough, she ain’t white enough.’ Music is not a color to me. It has no boundaries. I sing what I want to sing, be how I want to be, and reach as big an audience I can.”

While this specific situation does not appear to have happened in real life, many scenarios like it happened to Houston early on in her career, especially because her music had a distinctly pop sound that differed from the soul and R&B sound that many people associated with Black artists, including her mother and her first cousin, Dionne Warwick. While Houston was one of the first Black female artists to successfully conquer the white mainstream market, appealing to a broader audience came at a cost. Houston’s racial identity and how she performed it was under constant scrutiny, from both Black and non-Black music fans, with some Black critics questioning whether she was “Black enough.” The Rev. Al Sharpton notoriously dubbed her “Whiteny Houston,” while some Black radio stations and DJs refused to play her pop-infused records. As depicted in the movie, one of the most noteworthy example of the immense pressure that she faced in real life was the 1988 and 1989 Soul Train Awards, where she was booed by the audience .

Houston addressed the jeers in a 1991 interview with Ebony : “[Some people in the audience] had just gotten sick of me and just didn’t want me to win another award,” she said. “No, it does not make you feel good. I don’t like it and I don’t appreciate it, but I just kind of write it off as ignorance.” She elaborated on her feelings about the critiques of her musical style and its place in the cultural landscape in a 1996 interview with Katie Couric : “You’re not Black enough for them,” she explained to Katie Couric in a 1996 interview. “You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Was it really Kevin Costner who suggested she sing “I Will Always Love You” for The Bodyguard ?

In I Wanna Dance With Somebody , Davis appears on the set of The Bodyguard with a Walkman loaded with Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for Houston to consider for the film’s soundtrack, citing that her co-star Kevin Costner suggested it. In real life, Costner really was the driving force behind Houston covering “I Will Always Love You.”

While she was originally set to record a cover of Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” for the soundtrack’s lead single, after discovering that the song would be featured prominently in Fried Green Tomatoes , Houston went on a search for a new song. During an interview in 2011 for CMT’s 40 Greatest Love Songs , Parton, who originally wrote the song in 1973 after dissolving her professional partnership with her mentor Porter Wagoner, said that Costner and his secretary were fans of the song and were the ones who reached out to her about using it.

“Kevin Costner and his secretary are the ones that loved the song,” Parton said. “They had another song that was going to go in that place, and someone had recorded the song they were going to use. They were just in a panic at the last minute. And so they asked me about the song. I sent it. I didn’t hear anything more.”

In the movie, Houston immediately takes to the song. In real life, Costner had to work hard to persuade Houston and Davis that covering “I Will Always Love You” was a good idea. In a 2008 interview with CMT.com , Costner revealed that it was a tough sell to Davis and other Arista executives.

“When I said to Whitney, ‘You’re gonna sing “I Will Always Love You,”’ the ground shook,” Costner said. “Clive Davis and those guys were going, ‘What?!’ I said, ‘This is a very important song in this movie.’ I didn’t care if it was ever on the radio. I didn’t care.” While the original country version by Parton didn’t compel Whitney to think the song could be a hit, another listen with a 1975 cover by Linda Ronstadt convinced her.

Costner was also responsible for one of the most memorable stylings of Houston’s soulful 1992 arrangement of the song: the a capella intro.

“I said, ‘We’re also going to do this a cappella at the beginning,” Costner told CMT.com . “I need it to be a cappella because it shows a measure of how much she digs this guy—that she sings without music.'”

The Bodyguard soundtrack still holds the record for being the no. 1 best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, making it into the Guinness Book of World Records and selling 45 million copies around the world. The track later went on to become diamond certified and has become one of the most popular and beloved songs in Houston’s discography.

Read more: 4 Things We Learned From the New Documentary About Whitney Houston

What was the significance of Houston’s concerts in South Africa?

In a scene from the film, Houston performs in front of an adoring audience in Johannesburg, South Africa to celebrate the election of Nelson Mandela; the reception is a marked contrast to the attitudes toward her in the U.S., where a few years earlier, she was critiqued by music fans as pandering to white audiences.

While it’s hard to say if the reality of the audience reception was as stark a contrast as the film depicts, her 1994 performance was a momentous one. She was the first international star to perform in post-apartheid South Africa, after the presidential election of Mandela, which she commemorated with a three-night concert series in honor of the president; all proceeds from the concerts went to South African charities, including children’s museums, the President’s Trust Fund, the Kagiso Foundation, and various orphanages.

Did Whitney’s father mismanage her finances, leading to estrangement?

In one of the most sobering moments in I Wanna Dance With Somebody , Houston discovers that her father, John, has been mismanaging her funds, leading to her breaking ties with him both professionally and personally, while he’s sick in the hospital. While there’s no way of confirming that her father, a talent manager who managed the career of her mother, Cissy, before managing her own career, was mismanaging her earnings, Houston’s company was sued by her father’s company, John Houston Entertainment, in 2002 for $100 million for breach of contract . The suit, which sought compensation for helping to get a 2000 marijuana charge against her dismissed and for securing her a new record contract, was thrown out by a N.J. judge in 2004 , but resulted in public tension between father and daughter that continued until John’s death in 2003.

Their conflict came to a head after Houston’s infamous 2002 Primetime interview with Diane Sawyer when she shared that she was deeply hurt by her father’s suit against her and claimed that she had never hired them.

“It hurts. They’ll never get $100 million out of me. I know that,” she said, adding later: “The bad part about it is that it’s about money, and that really sucks. That hurts more than anything.”

A day after the Primetime interview aired, John responded with an on-air interview of his own on the syndicated TV show, Celebrity Justice , where he demanded that Houston “pay me the money that you owe me,” from a hospital bed.

“You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me,” he said. “If you do that, you haven’t got a lawsuit…At my age, I haven’t got that long. Now if you think I got that long, you think about it. You step into my shoes. I would like to spend the last years of my life on a boat some place.”

When John died in 2003, it was reported that Houston did not attend the funeral (as in the movie), but she addressed the rumors during a 2009 interview with Oprah, stating that she had a private memorial the day before so she could grieve privately. (The film, on the other hand, depicts her as too strung out to attend.) During the interview, she also shared that she had forgiven him for the lawsuit and their differences.

“I love my dad, and I knew he was sickly. People were trying to get money from him. Distract me from him,” she said. “There were years we didn’t speak at all, but when he got sickly, I went to the hospital and I said, ‘let’s end this right now.’”

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‘This film is a corrective’: Whitney Houston biopic aims to change the narrative

The much-anticipted new film about the life and loves of the singer might be approved by the estate but the makers aren’t looking to ‘flatter anybody’

I n the 10 years since Whitney Houston lost her life, four movies have tried to tell her story. In quick succession, we got an unauthorized documentary, an endorsed one, a Lifetime TV depiction, plus a film that focused squarely on her relationship with her daughter, Bobbi Kristina. According to Anthony McCarten, who has written the first big-budget Hollywood biopic of the star, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, those films all had one thing in common. “They’re obsessed with her mistakes,” he said to the Guardian. “They were all sensationalist.”

At the same time, he believes they accurately mirrored the jaundiced view many have long held of the star. “When people hear the name ‘Whitney Houston’, they inevitably say the word ‘tragic’,” McCarten said. “It’s a universal perception. In some respects, this film is a corrective to that.”

It’s one many may approach with a bit of skepticism. I Wanna Dance with Somebody is the brainchild of Houston’s estate, which includes her sister-in-law and executor Pat Houston, as well as the company that controls key parts of her musical rights, Primary Wave, and the man who signed, and some say, shaped her, Clive Davis. Though they have all endorsed the final product, McCarten strongly contests the assumption that it resulted in any softening or censoring of his work. “I said to them ‘you will not have authorial control over this,’” he said. “I’m not doing this to flatter anybody. The public can smell a rat if it’s a puff piece.”

In fact, the movie’s director, Kasi Lemmons, said there were scenes in the film that definitely made the estate uncomfortable. “One of the things that was most challenging about this was dealing with real people, with real emotions and memories and points of view,” she said. “They had approved the script but seeing it as a movie was a different thing.”

While the film’s final cut includes some of the grimier, or more controversial, details of Houston’s story – in fact certain things are made more explicit than before – the film-makers admit that their primary goal was to make the film a celebration. “I wanted to focus on her vast achievements,” McCarten said.

Towards that end, a great deal of the film centers on the creation and performance of her music. At the same time, that music sounds dramatically different from the way it did on the studio recordings, in live concerts or in TV performances. Everything has been buffed and amplified to take advantage of a modern movie theater’s Dolby 5.1 sound system. The result thunders right through you. All the vocals come from Houston, but the breaths of the actor who plays her, the British star Naomi Ackie, have been deftly incorporated to make the physicality of the performance palpable. “It’s got to sound, and feel, like she’s singing live,” Lemmons said. “And Naomi knew every breath of the songs.”

The depth of those breaths, and the dexterity with which Houston deployed them, are two elements that McCarten considers key to her brilliance. “Any musician who ever stood behind her during her performances would often note that this small frame of hers could magically expand,” he said “She would take in a breath with her whole rib cage. They say whales can do this when they sink miles beneath the ocean. They expand their ribs to hold enormous amounts of air. The way Whitney could hold that ballast of air, combined with the force with which she could sustain the high notes and add vibrato, was majestic.”

Of course, the high-wire drama of her music found a mirror in the constant tug between the triumphs and tribulations in her life. One controversial aspect that’s presented with more frankness and specificity than in any previous depiction is her relationship with her friend and business associate Robyn Crawford, who had no involvement in the film. While earlier works strongly implied a lesbian relationship, the new film makes it physically explicit. According to Lemmons, part of that has to do with details offered in Crawford’s memoir, published in 2019. McCarten said the public’s changing attitudes towards sexuality also played a part. “We live in a much more tolerant time,” he said. By contrast, “being open in the 80s was very, very difficult”, he said.

The pain of that judgment is driven home in the film by the strongly disapproving attitude towards the relationship displayed by Whitney’s father as well as her mother, Cissy Houston. Both Lemmons and McCarten believe that if Houston had come up in today’s age of non-binary pop stars like Janelle Monáe and Demi Lovato, she could be fully out about her relationship with Crawford. As to how Houston viewed her own sexuality, Lemmons believes she was “fluid”, while McCarten opts for the description “bi-curious – at least in her younger days”.

The futility of placing a single label on Houston’s sexuality was something she shared with Davis. One scene in the film shows him revealing a male lover to her. While Davis didn’t talk about such things in public then, he wrote about it in his 2013 memoir. “It was important to Clive to put that in the film,” said Lemmons. “He and Whitney had that in common.”

One sexual aspect that’s notably absent from the film is an assertion made in the 2018 documentary by Kevin Macdonald that the singer had been molested by a female friend of the family when she was young. Though the estate had authorized that film, McCarten said “They were very unhappy” with the result. “They felt that Kevin had overrun the boundaries of the deal that they had,” he said. “The accusation at the center of it was unsupported by anything that [Whitney] had told anyone else. For Kevin to have based a documentary on it seemed fragile. I would have needed a substantial amount of supporting evidence to include that.”

The new film is more direct in dealing with the issues in Houston’s life surrounding race. It recreates the infamous scene at the Soul Train awards where she was booed and features a scene during a radio interview at a Black station in which the DJ echoes a common complaint of the day: that her music was “too white”. McCarten’s script has Houston calling out the inherent racism in that view with righteous clarity. At the same time, such accusations wounded her deeply. “To have your own people calling you an ‘Oreo’, is extraordinarily painful,” Lemmons said. “I would certainly hope that the conversation would be different now.”

The lack of nuance in Houston’s day underscores the pain she experienced for falling on a fault line of assumptions about both race and sexuality. Worse, she had battles within her own family, most notably with her father, who served as her manager. Shortly before his death he sued her for $100m. In the film, he’s depicted as treating her more like a financial asset than a human being. “I had a personal experience with John that shook me up,” Lemmons said. “He was the one who spoke to me about ‘the brand’. That was very chilling. That was his daughter that he was talking about!”

McCarten has a different view. He called John Houston “a villain with a very small ‘v’. Even at the end, when he was suing Whitney, he had in his mind a justification for that,” he said. “He put this record deal together for her and he thought that the money was being wasted by Whitney and Bobby. He did a lot for his daughter.”

Regardless, the singer never made peace with her father and didn’t attend his funeral.

The depiction of Bobby Brown, while, at times, rough, lifts the blame some people have put on him for Houston’s physical decline. In one scene, Whitney tells him directly that she was into drugs before she met him. Like Crawford, Brown had no involvement in the film.

Despite the many sad moments in the film, it makes good on its goal to showcase Houston’s brilliance above all, aided by the fact that its creators had access to far more of her music than earlier film-makers did. The movie finds its peaks in the recreations of epochal performances, like her triumphalist rendering of The Star-Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl. “She was the architect of that performance,” McCarten said. “She slowed the whole thing down to give herself room to do her thing. And she sure did.”

Another stand-up-and-cheer moment arrives in a scene depicting the Concert for the New South Africa, which was the first show held in that country after apartheid. “Whitney knew how to make a performance speak to a moment,” Lemmons said. Added McCarten, “When she sang I Will Always Love You at that show, she extrapolated it from a love story to another person into a love story for freedom.”

Eclipsing all that is a performance from the 1994 American Music Awards where she combined three daunting songs to create a suite the film-makers have called “The Impossible Medley”. It includes I Loves You, Porgy (from Porgy and Bess), And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going (from Dreamgirls) and her own hit I Have Nothing. Houston compares singing them together to “climbing Mount Everest without oxygen”. “She’ll be singing full out and you think, ‘this is as good as it gets,’” Lemmons said. “And then she goes higher.”

Given the power of such performances, as well as the love Houston managed to experience in her life, McCarten refuses to view her as a tragic figure. “If you view a life as flowers, at one end of the scale, and a pile of shit, on the other, which is there more weight to?” he said. “Whitney’s life had vastly, vastly more flowers.”

I Wanna Dance With Somebody is out in the US on 23 December and in the UK and Australia on 26 December

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Fact checking 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody,' the new Whitney Houston movie: How accurate is it?

Spoiler alert! The following discusses plot points from the new biopic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and the real life of Whitney Houston . Stop reading if you haven't seen it yet and don't want to know.

The scope of Whitney Houston’s life is so immense, it’s no wonder that many moments in "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"  are depicted in rapid succession.

The film ( streaming now on Netflix ) was made with the cooperation of Houston’s estate, as well as her mentor, music mogul Clive Davis, imprinting it with a stamp of authenticity (and a bounty of her gorgeous pop songs ).

Still, creative license abounds in the most hallowed of biopics, so we sought clarity on several moments that made us say “hmm.” We enlisted an expert to assist: the film's director, Kasi Lemmons, who spent 17 months immersed  in the making of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

Here’s what Lemmons had to say.

We rank Whitney Houston's 10 best songs: Plus, the inside story from her mentor Clive Davis

Did Whitney Houston have an affair with Jermaine Jackson?

Rumors swirled in the mid-'80s when Houston and Jackson recorded the duet “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful” for Jackson’s 1986 album   "Precious Moments.” In the film, Houston and Jackson are seen batting eyes at each other in the recording booth, followed by Houston telling her jealous girlfriend, Robyn Crawford, that she had been intimate with Jackson.

Lemmons confirmed that “there were strong emotions” when the pair recorded together, which eventually led to an affair (Jackson was married at the time). Jackson’s sister, LaToya, also said  in a 2012 interview on “The Talk” that her brother had acknowledged the relationship.

Did Whitney’s father, John Houston, tell her she had to date men in public?

Houston’s sexuality is addressed early in the film as she and Crawford become fast friends and low-key romantic partners. But Houston’s father, John, had definitive views about his daughter’s image, especially as her music career ignited.

“We talked to everybody around Whitney, and (her father) John was very focused on the brand,” Lemmons says. “We heard from many sources that he was extremely unhappy when news started to break (about Whitney’s sexuality) and that he had threatened Robyn.” 

Concerns about Houston's sexuality seemed "archaic even then," Lemmons says. "But (John) was very serious about her image. He wanted Whitney to be Barbie."

Did Whitney miss her father’s funeral because she was strung out on drugs?

In the film, scenes of John Houston’s funeral are intercut with shots of Houston slumped in a chair at home, high on drugs.

While Houston did indeed skip her father’s funeral, Lemmons says, it wasn’t necessarily because she was too drugged to attend.

More likely, Houston was still upset about her father suing her for breach of contract  some months earlier, even though she forgave him on his deathbed.

But John died in 2003 and Whitney entered rehab in 2004. So her substance abuse struggles were "all around the same time,” Lemmons adds.

Review: Whitney Houston biopic 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' sings frustratingly familiar tune

Did Clive Davis have an intervention for Whitney at his house?

It is well-documented that Houston’s mentor made many attempts to steer her toward sobriety, and Davis did bring Houston to his house at some point to administer tough love. “He could tell us, ‘We were sitting over there,’ ” Lemmons recalls.

Did Whitney receive drugs from dealers who hid it in pens and pretended to be fans asking for her autograph?

The film depicts Houston devising a sly manner to procure drugs: by swapping pens with a dealer posing as a fan wanting an autograph. (The drugs were stashed inside the pen.) While Lemmons assumes more than one dealer engaged in such transactions with Houston, she says screenwriter Anthony McCarten has footage of the “fan” speaking about the setup.

“People take credit for the weirdest things,” Lemmons says. “After Whitney died, several people came out and claimed they were her dealer.”

Read about the transformation: How Naomi Ackie approached playing Whitney Houston

Did Whitney have a drug transaction in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton the day she died?

Houston, 48,  died of an accidental drowning in 2012 in her hotel bathtub hours before Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party at the hotel. Her autopsy  found cocaine, Xanax, marijuana and other substances in her system. 

The movie shows Houston walking through the hotel lobby the afternoon of her death and encountering the same long-haired autograph-seeker with whom she had swapped pens earlier in the film.

Lemmons says she “has on good authority” that Houston indeed procured drugs the day of her death, but likely didn’t do it herself. (Cameras in the hotel lobby surely would have captured Houston.)

“Famous people have people to help you with those transactions,” she says.

Did Whitney have a conversation with a hotel bartender hours before her death?

If it seems unlikely that a Houston-sized superstar would be hanging out in a hotel bar during the day and engage in a conversation with a bartender, well, that interaction, sweet as it is, never took place.

In a moving monologue, the bartender reminds Houston of her greatness, recalling her epic 1994 American Music Awards performance (a medley of “I Loves  You Porgy,” “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Have Nothing” ) that is faithfully re-created at the end the film.

But, alas, “that was just a lovely piece of writing,” Lemmons says. “We wanted her to connect with a fan who would have really strong feelings about her. I’m sure she had many of those kinds of encounters.”

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‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ Review: Her Lonely Heart Calls

This film from Kasi Lemmons is a jukebox retelling of Whitney Houston’s parabola from sweatshirts to sequins.

By Amy Nicholson

No one could sing like Whitney Houston, and Kasi Lemmons, the director of the biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” only rarely asks her lead, Naomi Ackie, to try. This is a jukebox retelling of Houston’s parabola from sweatshirts to sequins, from church choir girl to tabloid fixture, from her teenage romance with Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams), the woman who would continue on as her creative director, to her volatile marriage to Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders), who slithers into the movie licking his lips like he’s hungry to eat her alive.

Those beats are here. But it’s the melodies that matter, those moments when Ackie opens her mouth to channel Houston’s previously recorded songs. We’ve heard Houston’s rendition of “I Will Always Love You” countless times, and Lemmons bets, correctly, that the beloved hit will still seize us by the heart during the rather forthright montage she pairs with it, images of Houston marrying Brown, birthing her daughter Bobbi Kristina and honoring Nelson Mandela underneath a sky filled with fireworks.

Ackie doesn’t much resemble the superstar, although her carriage is correct: eyes closed, head flung back, arms pushing away the air as if to make room for that mezzo-soprano. That the film sticks to Houston’s surfaces is half excusable. The screenwriter Anthony McCarten seems to find that the woman underneath the pop star shell was still struggling to define herself at the time of her death at the age of 48. We see her raised to be the mini-me of her mother, the singer Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie), complete with matching haircut, and then handed over to a recording label to be transformed into America’s Princess, a crown she wore with hesitance, and, later, resentment. (Stanley Tucci plays her friendly, Fagin-with-a-combover Clive Davis of Arista Records, who also produced this film.) At Houston’s final “Oprah” performance, recreated here, she belts an earnest ballad called, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.”

Houston didn’t write her own material; she just sang like she did, courtesy of Cissy’s fastidious coaching. “God gives you a gift, you got to use it right,” Cissy lectures. Yet, Houston as seen here can only say yes or no to other people’s ideas of what she should sing, wear and do. (A camera pan suggests, unconvincingly, that Houston thought of the film’s title track as a love song to Crawford.) Increasingly, she chooses opposition. Her successes are shared — and her money swallowed up by her father (Clarke Peters), who was also her manager — but her mistakes are all hers. (Even though Lemmons takes care to include a scene in which Houston absolves Brown of her crack addiction.)

Houston’s defiance is the movie’s attempt to answer the great mystery of her career: why she deliberately damaged her voice through smoking and hard drugs. “It’s like leaving a Stradivarius in the rain!” Davis yelps. The trouble with a gift, the film decides, is it went undervalued by Houston herself, who assumes she’ll be able to hit bombastic high notes every night of her poorly reviewed final world tour. In this doomed stretch, the camera creeps so close to Ackie that you can count the beads of sweat on her nose. The smothering is heavy-handed, yet apropos for an artist who never had the space, or creative motivation, to fully express herself.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody Rated PG-13 for drugs, cigarettes and swearing. Running time: 2 hours 26 minutes. In theaters.

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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

2022, Biography/Drama, 2h 26m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Another wiki-biopic for posterity's sake, the relatively watchable I Wanna Dance with Somebody leaves you feeling like you were on stage with Whitney Houston, but didn't really get to dance with her. Read critic reviews

Audience Says

Naomi Ackie does an outstanding job as Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody , and even longtime fans might learn a few things about the singer's life. Read audience reviews

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Whitney houston: i wanna dance with somebody videos, whitney houston: i wanna dance with somebody   photos.

Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises to fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.

Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Smoking|Strong Drug Content|Suggestive References)

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Original Language: English

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Producer: Anthony McCarten , Patricia Houston , Clive Davis , Larry Mestel , Denis O'Sullivan , Jeff Kalligheri , Matt Jackson , Molly Smith , Trent Luckinbill , Thad Luckinbill , Matthew Salloway , Christina Papagjika

Writer: Anthony McCarten

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2022  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Feb 28, 2023

Box Office (Gross USA): $23.4M

Runtime: 2h 26m

Distributor: TriStar Pictures

Production Co: West Madison Entertainment , Primary Wave Entertainment, Compelling Pictures, Muse of Fire, Black Label Media, TriStar Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Naomi Ackie

Whitney Houston

Stanley Tucci

Clive Davis

Nafessa Williams

Robyn Crawford

Tamara Tunie

Cissy Houston

Clarke Peters

John Houston

Ashton Sanders

Bobby Brown

Bria Danielle Singleton

Bobbi Kristina

Tanner Beard

Daniel Washington

Gary Houston

Alana Monteiro

Kasi Lemmons

Anthony McCarten

Screenwriter

Patricia Houston

Larry Mestel

Denis O'Sullivan

Jeff Kalligheri

Matt Jackson

Molly Smith

Trent Luckinbill

Thad Luckinbill

Matthew Salloway

Christina Papagjika

Executive Producer

Marina Cappi

Erika Hampson

Rachel Smith

Seth Spector

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Lifetime's biopic of Whitney Houston is actually a movie about Bobby Brown

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Whitney Houston is one of the greatest recording artists who ever lived. Her golden vocals made her one of the most popular vocalists ever. Over the course of her career she sold 200 million albums. And her songs were technically demanding, flying all over her impressive range.

But all of that success, talent, and work is glossed over in the new biopic of the star that premieres Saturday, January 17, on Lifetime . Instead, the movie glosses over her legacy and her talent by focusing the 90-minute running time almost entirely on her relationship with R&B singer Bobby Brown.

To be clear, that could have made for a soapy, fun drama, even based on the real life story of Houston. It just would have to actually be about the woman in its title.

A scene from the Lifetime movie where Whitney Houston is in the studio (Lifetime)

Whitney focuses on love over work

The opening scene of Whitney shows the singer (played here by America's Next Top Model vet Yaya DaCosta) entering the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. She takes her seat, hugs a few friends, and meets a new face — Bobby Brown, a young R&B singer. When Brown takes the stage, Houston is mesmerized. He's sexy, he's talented, and he's a little bit of a bad boy. She's drawn to him, and she agrees to go on a date with him.

Immediately, the film makes clear that this is not a story with Whitney Houston at its heart; it's a film that romanticizes Bobby Brown. There is no mention of chart-topping albums or the Grammy nominations Houston had before she met Brown. In fact, the only sign that Whitney Houston was successful in any form before she met Brown is that briefly, in one scene at her birthday party, she and Brown walk by a case full of trophies and awards.

"People tired of seeing me getting prizes," Houston says when she first meets Brown. "I don't blame 'em. Sometimes I get tired of hearing about myself." It's a statement that the movie itself seems to believe. The plot of the story, because it picks up with Brown, assumes that the viewer already knows about Houston's success, already knows her best hits, already knows that she is a bigger, better, more memorable star than Bobby Brown could ever be. And then it treats her as a secondary character in a movie about her life.

Whitney doesn't sound like Whitney

Whitney Houston, in the movie, is only two things: a companion to Bobby Brown and a performer. None of Houston's three performances in the movie do the real star justice. DaCosta does a decent job with mastering Houston's mannerisms and spirit. But since the producers could not secure the rights to either Houston or Brown's vocals, they were forced to use imitators as backing vocals for the actors to lip-sync to. Thus, Whitney doesn't sound like Whitney. But the larger problem is that every single one of the artist's performances in the biopic is mired in Brown's reaction to it.

In her first, he falls for her. Her second — a performance built to look like an edited video of several nights of performances meshed together, not unlike what Beyoncé (a performer who has said Houston was an inspiration to her) did with her performances at Roseland — concludes with Bobby Brown joining her on stage. The third, is supposed to be a heart-wrenching rendition of "I Will Always Love You." It is sung to Bobby Brown, who stands off stage.

The problem, though, for anyone who knows anything about Houston is that she didn't always love Brown. The two got divorced in 2006.

A snapshot from the movie during the Soul Train Awards (Lifetime)

The movie romanticizes a deeply messy relationship

That's the second problem with Whitney . Placing Houston's relationship with Brown at the center of the film could have worked, but the movie refuses to engage with the truth of that relationship. Houston's mother spoke out against the movie in November telling Entertainment Tonight that "Lifetime has chosen to go ahead with the movie about Whitney in spite of my family's objections. No one connected with this movie knew Whitney or anything about her relationship with Bobby." It's obvious, watching the movie, that she was 100 percent right.

Were this a movie that took a deep dive into the very messy relationship that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown actually had, it would have been more interesting. Bobby Brown did meet Houston at the Soul Train Awards. Just as the movie shows, the pair did date, get engaged, survive a miscarriage, get married, and have a daughter together. But the film paints Houston as a passive, perfect figure, refusing to engage with the complicated realities of her marriage.

She is the victim to whom things happen, without agency or a voice in her relationship .

In the movie, Houston and Bobby have several conversations about what will happen once their baby is born- — in that they agree that neither of them will tour so that they can spend time together as a normal couple. That transitions, as Houston's fame grows, to both of them going on her tour, but when Brown decides that he isn't getting enough attention, he leaves. But Houston isn't shown as angry or frustrated or even disappointed. Instead she weeps. She cries about how lonely she will be. She positions herself under Bobby so he can hold her. In the movie, she is the victim to whom things happen, without agency or a voice in her relationship.

That's not,however, how the pair's real relationship was. "There was infidelity in the marriage, yes, on both parts," Bobby Brown told Access Hollywood 's Shawn Robinson about their real relationship. "Both of us cheated on each other, period. So that's hard to swallow for both of us. I just think when two people that love each other as much as we loved each other, when they start drifting apart, different people come into the situation, into the scenario, and we make mistakes.

Brown and Houston were married for 15 years in a union that graced the cover of tabloids over and over and over again. "He was my drug," Houston told Oprah Winfrey in a widely publicized 2009 interview . "I didn’t do anything without him. I wasn’t getting high by myself. It was me and him together, and we were partners, and that’s what my high was — him. He and I being together, and whatever we did, we did it together. No matter what, we did it together."

Notably, the two did crack together Despite Houston's famous 2000 interview with Diane Sawyer where she dramatically declares that "We don’t do crack. We don’t do that. Crack is wack ." That she lied was obvious by the mid-2000s, when she was in and out of rehab for addiction to the drug.

No one can know everything that happened in Houston and Brown's relationship, save Brown himself, but we do know that they fought, that they did drugs together, and that in 2003 police responded to a domestic-violence 911 call at their Georgia home and found Houston with a bruised cheek and a cut lip. Brown turned himself in and was charged with a misdemeanor for battery.

It certainly wasn't the beautiful love story, scarred only by a single time that Bobby Brown cheated, that the movie makes it out to be.

The film ends as it began, with Bobby.

Whitney ends with Whitney's performance of "I Will Always Love You," as the camera flashes to shots of Bobby Brown's face. The story spans just five years of Houston's life, which means it is conveniently cut to make the most of her relationship with Bobby.

"As a public, we know how it ultimately ends," director Angela Bassett told The Washington Post . "But we only follow a five-year period of [Whitney and Bobby's] life together, and that’s the sweet spot of their youth and their success."

How "it ultimately ends" would have really thrown a wrench into the love story Lifetime and Bassett wanted to tell. Whitney Houston was found dead in a hotel bathroom the night before the Grammys with cocaine in her bloodstream. Her marriage with Bobby Brown was over. She was 48.

That isn't the love story Lifetime wants. Instead, the movie trails off right as the couple's relationship is starting to get ugly.

Lifetime bills itself as television for women, but the channel frequently does disservice to actual, complicated women who lived and did great things and sometimes had huge failings. By reducing Houston's life to a romanticized love story, Whitney is just the latest film to play into this unintentional agenda.

After the movie ends on Saturday, the network will air Bobby Brown: Remembering Whitney , an interview between Brown and Access Hollywood correspondent Shaun Robinson, making it all the more clear whose story this movie is really trying to tell. Hint: his name isn't in the title.

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Whitney Houston Biopic Will 'Answer All the Questions' About Late Singer, Clive Davis Says

Clive Davis tells PEOPLE he wanted to "celebrate the music" while showcasing the icon's personal side in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Clive Davis believes Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is the definitive Whitney Houston movie.

The famed music executive, now 90, is a producer behind Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody , a new movie that features the late singer's vocals and stars British actress Naomi Ackie in the lead .

Davis — who collaborated with Houston on her biggest hits and shared a close friendship with her prior to her sudden death in February 2012 at age 48 — tells PEOPLE the new movie addresses any and all questions fans may have about the icon.

"Knowing all the questions people wanted to know about Whitney, I decided it's only right to do a film and answer all the questions, whether it's about her sexuality, her marriage, her dependence on drugs at a certain part of her career, how she and I worked together," says Davis, who's portrayed by an "uncanny" Stanley Tucci in the movie. "Then — big time — the music. How do you celebrate the music? All those great copyrights. We clearly decided it would have to be Whitney's voice."

For more on Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody , listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

"Naomi's audition tape was truly spectacular," he adds. "It was all the research she had put into it. ... Within a few minutes you do feel she's Whitney. She delivers in that manner in the film."

I Wanna Dance With Somebody tracks Houston's life from her time singing in the choir as a teen, getting discovered by Davis, her rise to superstardom and the pressures that accompanied that. Her marriage with Bobby Brown , her drug addiction and her early romance with best friend Robyn Crawford are also included in the movie.

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In 2019, seven years after Houston's death, Crawford broke her silence about their love story in a memoir titled Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston . Actress Nafessa Williams plays Crawford in the movie, which portrays Houston ending their romance by citing religious beliefs amid increased scrutiny on her private life.

Davis, who came out publicly as bisexual in 2013 , says he "never knew" about Houston's "teenage affair" with Crawford that's shown onscreen, and he "only saw the heterosexual side of Whitney." However, he points out that he and Houston "probably never discussed" their sexuality, though he "never hid" his partners.

"We didn't have a specific discussion about it, but I think the film is authentic in what it does portray," he says.

The film's director Kasi Lemmons tells PEOPLE the Whitney-Robyn storyline was "very important to me" since she remembers "this was a relationship that, as a young person who was in the acting and dancer scene at the time she came up, we experienced her with Robyn."

"We knew about Robyn. Everybody knew about it. We talked about it very kind of openly. We weren't in the room with them, so a lot of it was speculation, but at the same time it was a known thing that she and Robyn were very close and they were always together."

Lemmons continues, "In reading everybody's book and watching the documentaries and really taking a deep dive into the research, it was clear that this was an important relationship and that everybody felt that it was important — one that might've rubbed them the wrong way, certain people, but that it was significant.

"It made it very interesting, and I definitely wanted to explore it," the director adds. "And I wouldn't have taken the movie if it didn't include that relationship."

Star Ackie, 31, says there were "so many things I learned" about Houston while researching for the part, including her private and personal personas: "It's like Whitney Houston is public-facing; Nippy is for her family and her friends. We know Whitney Houston, but there's only a select amount of people who know Nippy."

Davis — who launched the careers of countless stars — shared a "wonderful" and unique bond with Houston. He remembers her as "a once-in-a-lifetime vocalist, a music genius that I had the privilege of collaborating with, to enrich my life both personally and professionally."

At the end of the day, Lemmons hopes I Wanna Dance With Somebody captures Houston's humanity amid a spectacular life.

"Whitney as an icon was so important to me and so important to all of us," says Lemmons. "I watched her come up and break, and it was incredible. ... We felt like we knew her. But when I met her, which was years later at the height of her career, I saw somebody who was under a lot of pressure, somebody who perhaps was struggling with some aspects of celebrity and somebody who was tired, actually."

"It's a big window in and you're like, 'Oh, I get it. You're human and this is hard. This isn't easy and you're under a lot of pressure,' " she recalls. "I felt moved by that experience, and I did want to try and capture that as well."

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is in theaters everywhere Thursday.

PEOPLE' s special edition all about the life an unrivaled career of Whitney Houston is available now .

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress whose first four albums, released between 1985 and 1992, amassed global sales in excess of 86 million copies.

Early Years

Albums and songs, daughter bobbi kristina, documentary, posthumous music, projects, and honors, who was whitney houston.

Whitney Houston released her debut album at age 22 and scored three No. 1 singles. Whitney (1987) delivered four more No. 1s and earned Houston a Grammy, with later albums including I'm Your Baby Tonigh t (1990) and My Love Is Your Love (1998) as well as soundtracks to The Bodyguard (1992) and Waiting to Exhale (1995). With her marriage to singer Bobby Brown in 1992 and ensuing drug use, Houston's career got off track. She eventually made a comeback with 2009's I Look to You and also co-starred in the musical film Sparkle . Houston died from accidental drowning in a hotel on February 11, 2012.

Born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, Houston almost seemed destined from birth to become a singer. Her mother and cousin were both legendary figures in American gospel, soul and pop music. Cissy Houston was the choir minister at New Hope Baptist Church, and it was there that a young Houston got her start. Even as a child, Houston was able to wow audiences; she later told Diane Sawyer that a rapturous response from the congregation at New Hope had a powerful effect upon her: "I think I knew then that [my singing ability] was an infectious thing that God had given me."

By the time she turned 15, Houston was performing often with her mother and trying to get a record deal of her own. Around the same time, she was discovered by a photographer who was awed by her natural beauty. She soon became an extremely sought-after teen model, one of the first African American women to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine. But music remained her true love.

When she was 19, Houston was discovered in a nightclub by Arista Records' Clive Davis, who signed her immediately and took the helm of her career as she navigated from gospel to pop stardom. In 1983, Houston made her debut on national television, appearing on The Merv Griffin Show to sing "Home" from the musical The Wiz . She and Davis spent the next two years working on her debut album, finding the best producers and songwriters available to showcase her amazing vocal talent.

Whitney Houston Album: “Saving All My Love for You” and “How Will I Know”

In 1985, the artist released her debut album, Whitney Houston , and almost immediately became a smash pop sensation. Over the next year, her hit singles "Saving All My Love for You" and "How Will I Know" helped the album reach the top of the charts, where it stayed for 14 non-consecutive weeks. Houston won a Grammy in 1986 for "Saving All My Love for You"; the award was presented to the singer by her cousin Dionne Warwick .

Whitney Album: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

Houston followed the monumental success of her first album with a second release, Whitney , in 1987. That record, too, went platinum many times over and won a Grammy for the single "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," with a successful world tour following. During this time, the singer also appeared at a concert for Nelson Mandela's birthday and founded the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, a nonprofit organization that funds projects to help needy children over the world.

By 1992, Houston was on top of the world, but her life was about to get very complicated very quickly. That year she married the R&B singer Bobby Brown , formerly of New Edition, after a three-year engagement. At first, the marriage was passionate and loving, but things turned sour as the decade progressed. Both Brown and Houston battled substance abuse and increasingly erratic behavior, with Houston later alluding to emotional abuse from Brown and domestic violence.

The Bodyguard Album: “I Will Always Love You”

In spite of these growing personal troubles, Houston continued to progress in her career, crossing over successfully into acting in 1992 by starring opposite Kevin Costner in the wildly popular movie The Bodyguard . With this project, she set a trend for her films to follow: For each movie she also released hit singles, creating sensational record sales for the soundtracks. Her smash single from The Bodyguard , a cover of Dolly Parton 's "I Will Always Love You" from 1974, proved to be Houston's biggest hit ever, spending a record-breaking 14 weeks atop the U.S. charts. The soundtrack album went on to win Houston three Grammys, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Later in the 1990s, Houston also starred in Wait ing to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife , both accompanied by hit soundtracks as well.

My Love Is Your Love Album: “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”

In 1998, Houston released My Love Is Your Love , her first non-soundtrack studio album in many years, and it earned her another Grammy for the single "It's Not Right But It's Okay," The album was not as successful as her previous full-length releases, though her collaboration with Mariah Carey in the animated film The Prince of Egypt produced a hit single, "When You Believe," which won an Academy Award.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Houston's increasingly rocky marriage, struggles with drugs and health problems threatened to derail her career. Several concert cancellations and a notorious TV interview with Sawyer in 2002, in which Houston appeared far too thin and in poor health, led many to speculate that she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Just Whitney Album

In 2004, when production began on the TV reality series Being Bobby Brown , Houston received substantial airtime. The show aired during the worst years of the couple's crumbling marriage; drug use, lifestyle excess and bad behavior were all caught on tape and Houston's reputation sunk to new lows. Houston tried to ignore the controversy, charging ahead with her music by releasing Just Whitney… to combat her detractors, but it did not match the success of her earlier works. In spite of her troubled relationship, Houston was still celebrated as a singer, being named the most-awarded female artist of all time by Guinness World Records in 2006.

Over the next few years, Houston attempted to repair her marriage and to break her drug habit, but after several relapses, Cissy had to step in. As Houston explained to Oprah Winfrey in 2009: "[My mother] walks in with the sheriff and she says: 'I have a court injunction here. You do it my way or we're not going to do this at all. You're going to go on TV, and you're going to retire. And say you're going to give this up because it's not worth it.'" Houston took a break from her career, divorced Brown in 2007 and won sole custody of Bobbi Kristina.

I Look to You Album

After almost a decade of struggling with her personal life, Houston seemed to be pulling herself together. She released a new album, I Look To You , in 2009. "The songs themselves will speak to you and you'll understand where I am and some of the changes I've gone through for the better," Houston told Entertainment Tonight . The recording received a warm welcome from music fans, making it to the top of album charts. Her live shows, however, garnered mixed reviews, with some complaining about the quality of her voice.

In early 2012, Houston was rumored to be experiencing financial trouble, but she denied this claim. Indeed, the artist seemed poised for a career upswing: Houston worked on the musical film Sparkle with Jordin Sparks, a remake of the 1976 movie about an all-girl musical group similar to The Supremes, and also reportedly had been approached to join the singing competition series The X Factor as a judge. Unfortunately, Houston did not live long enough to see the latest comeback reach fruition.

Houston died at the age of 48 on February 11, 2012, in Los Angeles at a Beverly Hilton hotel where a Grammy party was being held by Davis. Houston had been seen out in the days before her death, including at one of the pre-Grammy parties. According to a report released by the Los Angeles County coroner's office on March 22, 2012, the official cause of her death was an accidental drowning. The effects of heart disease and cocaine found in her system were contributing factors as well.

With her passing, the music world lost one of its most legendary stars. Davis once said that Houston "is in the great tradition of great, great singers, whether it's Lena Horne or Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan or Gladys Knight ."

Daughter Bobbi Kristina dealt with much tumult after the death of her mother. She was hospitalized immediately after the passing of Houston due to emotional trauma but later spoke with Winfrey about returning to her mother's home and feeling her mother's presence. Houston left everything to her daughter, but eventually the singer's sister-in-law Pat Houston became the executor of the estate.

Bobbi Kristina had public conflicts with her grandmother, Cissy, over the publishing of the Houston biography Remembering Whitney . In early 2014, she was reported to have been married to Nick Gordon, who had been taken in by Houston during his childhood and raised with Bobbi Kristina, yet later reports stated that they weren't legally wed. In another confrontation, she made disparaging comments via Twitter about Angela Bassett after the actress/director opted to cast a trained actress in the lead role of a Houston biopic instead of Bobbi Kristina.

On January 31, 2015, nearly three years to the date of her mother's death, Bobbi Kristina was discovered face down in a bathtub in her Roswell, Georgia, home by associate Max Lomas. After being admitted to North Fulton Hospital, she was eventually taken to Emory University Hospital, having been placed into a medically-induced coma.

Her father and grandmother visited her bedside amid calls for public support and prayer, with a candlelight vigil held on February 10 in suburban Atlanta. Bobbi Kristina Brown died on July 26, 2015, at Peachtree Christian Hospice in Duluth, Georgia. She was 22 years old.

Backed by the Houston estate, the documentary Whitney was released in July 2018, with Houston's sister-in-law, Pat, serving as executive producer.

“Everyone that has a life has a story. It’s her story and it’s played out in the documentary," Pat Houston told Good Morning America a few weeks before the film's release. "She narrated a lot of it herself. It’s just her life and her story as the family would see it, and the friends, who dealt with it every single day.”

The documentary premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. In the doc, it is revealed that her cousin, Dee Dee Warwick, sister of Dionne Warwick, allegedly sexually abused the singer. Houston’s brother told filmmakers he was abused by Dee Dee and believed his sister was too. The documentary also provided insight into Houston's relationship with drugs — her brother Michael admitted that he gave her marijuana and cocaine as a gift for her 16th birthday — as well as her kinship with fellow pop superstar Michael Jackson .

The following year brought more revelations about the singer's private life with the publication of A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston , by Robyn Crawford . A longtime friend and assistant, Crawford confirmed that the two also had a romantic relationship before Houston became a global superstar.

Memories and Higher Love

In 2016, fans were treated to the release of a new Houston single, "Memories," with Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza sharing credit on the track. Houston's vocals had been recorded nearly 35 years earlier. In 2019, another new Houston single surfaced, this one a cover of Steve Winwood's 1986 hit "Higher Love." Houston had recorded a version that was originally meant for her 1990 album I'm Your Baby Tonight , before it was remixed for a posthumous release by Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo.

Hologram Tour

In 2019, it was announced that Houston's hologram would be going on tour the following year. The production was being developed by BASE Holograms, which had already debuted shows featuring the likenesses of Greek opera diva Maria Callas and American rock 'n' roll great Roy Orbison .

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

On January 15, 2020, it was announced that Houston had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Watch Whitney on Lifetime Movie Club

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Whitney Houston
• Birth date: August 9, 1963
• Birth State: New Jersey
• Birth City: Newark
• Astrological Sign: Leo
• Death date: February 11, 2012
• Death State: California
• Death City: Beverly Hills

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

• From the beginning, the camera and I were great friends. I know the eye of the camera is on me—eye to eye. It loves me, and I love it.
• Well, I've gone from singing too white to R&B diva, and now I'm hip-hop. I guess it's flattering to know that I can sing it all.
• I know what my color is. I was raised in a Black community with Black people, so that has never been a thing with me. Yet I've gotten flack about being a pop success but that doesn't mean I'm white ... pop music has never been all white.
• Nobody makes me do anything I don't want to do. It's my decision. So the biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy. And that's how I have to deal with it.
• Cracking gum or sitting with your legs open were considered unacceptable ... and I'd better not come back from the yard with scratched knees."[On mother Cissy Houston's parenting.]
• I wanted to be a teacher. I love children, so I wanted to deal with children. Then I wanted to be a veterinarian. But by the age of 10 or 11, when I opened my mouth and said, 'Oh God, what's this?' I kind of knew teaching and being a veterinarian were going to have to wait. What's in your soul is in your soul.
• They're devils to me ... and they're out to eat my flesh."[On the media.]
• Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. OK? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack.
• I can tell you that I am not self-destructive. I'm not a person who wants to die. I'm a person who has life, who wants to live. And I always have. And I wouldn't mistake it for anything else other than that.

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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Whitney Houston

• Born August 9 , 1963 · Newark, New Jersey, USA
• Died February 11 , 2012 · Beverly Hills, California, USA (accidental drowning)
• Birth name Whitney Elizabeth Houston
• The Prom Queen of Soul
• The Princess of Pop
• Height 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
• Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston (née Emily Lee Drinkard) and John Russell Houston, Jr., and cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick . She began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan 's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'. She went on to provide backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and worked briefly as a model, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981. She began working as a featured vocalist for the New York-based funk band Material and it was the quality of her vocal work with them that attracted the attention of the major record labels, including Arista with whom she signed in 1983 and where she stayed for the rest of her career. Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies. The 1987 follow-up album, 'Whitney', which included the hits 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', built on her success but it was the 1992 film The Bodyguard (1992) that sealed her place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. While the movie itself and her performance in it were not highly praised, the soundtrack album and her cover of the Dolly Parton song 'I Will Always Love You' topped the singles and albums charts for months and sold 44 million copies around the world. That same year she married ex-New Edition singer Bobby Brown with whom she had her only child, their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in March 1993. It was about this time that her much documented drug use began and by 1996 she was a daily user. Her 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love' was well reviewed but the drug abuse began to affect her reputation and press reports at the time said that she was becoming difficult to work with, if she turned up at all. She was dropped from a performance at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) because she was "out of it" at rehearsals. Her weight fluctuated wildly - she was so thin at a 'Michael Jackson' tribute in 2001 that rumors circulated the next day that she had died - and her voice began to fail her. She was twice admitted to rehab and declared herself drug-free in 2010 but returned to rehab in May 2011. Her 2009 comeback album 'I Look To You' was positively received and sold well, but promotional performances were still marred by her weakened voice. Her final acting performance was in Sparkle (2012) (a remake of the 1976 movie, Sparkle (1976) ), released after her death. She was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on 11 February 2012. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
• Spouse Bobby Brown (July 18, 1992 - April 24, 2007) (divorced, 1 child)
• Children Bobbi Kristina Brown
• Parents Cissy Houston John Russell Houston Jr.
• Relatives Michael Houston (Sibling) Gary Houston (Half Sibling) Dionne Warwick (Cousin) Dee Dee Warwick (Cousin) Rayah Houston (Niece or Nephew) David Elliott (Cousin) Damon Elliott (Cousin) John Houston III (Half Sibling) Gary Houston (Sibling)
• Powerful mezzo-soprano vocals
• Her beautiful smile
• Because she passed away the night before the 54th Grammy Awards (2012), the host for the evening, LL Cool J , opened the show with a tribute and a prayer in her honor.
• Her mother was at one time a background singer for Elvis Presley .
• One of the last times Whitney Houston was seen on camera was at a rehearsal for Monica and Brandy's performance at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. At the time, Brandy did not know that Houston had planned a surprise birthday party for her on the night she passed away.
• Her powerful rendition of "I Will Always Love You", from The Bodyguard (1992) , was ranked #65 on the American Film Institute's list of "The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs".
• Once "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" hit #1 in April 1988, she was honored as the first artist in history to ever have seven consecutive Billboard number one singles. An accomplishment that she still holds to this day.
• I almost wish I could be more exciting, that I could match what is happening out there to me.
• I've got a good man. He takes care of me. I don't have to be scared of anything because I know he will kick every ass... disrespect him and you've got a problem.
• God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?
• I was aware of people staring at me. No one moved. They seemed almost in trance. I just stared at the clock in the center of the church. When I finished, everyone clapped and started crying.
• I know that I could really kill for my daughter. I know because I'm living for her, so I'm fierce when it comes down to it. And I feel the same about my husband and my family. I'm just fiercely protective. It's like, that's my lair and nobody messes with my lair.
• The Preacher's Wife (1996) - $10,000,000

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Whitney Houston: A Timeline of Her Life and Legacy

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One of the most iconic performers of the 20th century, Whitney Houston’s legacy will remain as long as music can be played. With the release of the new biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody , fans new and old are getting a closer look at the life, career and struggles of a generational talent gone too soon.

From her early days singing in church, to her star-making Super Bowl rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," to major movie roles and even more successful soundtracks, Whitney was a superstar in every sense of the word. However, her personal life was plagued by complicated relationships and substance abuse, the latter of which lead to her death in 2012 at just 48 years old.

Naomi Ackie stars as Whitney in the Houston family-approved biopic, and she told ET that having the support of Whitney's family and friends was instrumental in doing justice to the singer's story.

"Reading what Clive [Davis] had written, what Pat [Houston] had written, it was so heartwarming," she added. "And to get to see them in so many different parts of the process, they were always so supportive. Always willing to share anything to help me tell the story properly. I'm eternally grateful for them, and really quite touched by their involvement and how much they wanted this part of her story to be told."

Read on for a look at the life and legacy of one of the greatest performers of all time.

The Early Years

Whitney was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, to John Russell Houston Jr. and Emily "Cissy" Houston (née Drinkard). She was surrounded by music from an early age -- Cissy was a gospel singer who later joined a popular session vocal group called the The Sweet Inspirations, who performed on songs with stars like Elvis Presley , Dusty Springfield, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison and more. Darlene Love was Whitney’s godmother, Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick were first cousins, and Aretha Franklin was considered an honorary aunt.

Whitney started out singing in church at the age of five, and also learned to play the piano. She was a soloist by age 11, and by 14, had started singing backup for her mother at cabaret clubs in New York City. She also started modeling, becoming one of the first women of color to cover a fashion magazine when she appeared on the cover of Seventeen . 

She continued performing and recording throughout high school -- with Cissy insisting she turn down offers from record labels until her education was complete -- but her big moment came when Arista Records head Clive Davis came to see her perform and was instantly impressed, signing her to a worldwide deal on April 10, 1983.

Making It Big

Whitney’s first major hit was a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, “Hold Me,” which became a Top 5 R&B hit prior to the release of her self-titled debut album. Whitney Houston , released on Feb. 14, 1985, went platinum 13 times over and included mega hits like “Saving All My Love for You,” “Greatest Love of All” and “How Will I Know.”

She followed it up with 1987’s Whitney , which was certified Diamond and made Whitney the first female act to achieve four No. 1 hits from one album: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”

The success of her first two albums established Whitney as a global superstar -- with seven consecutive Billboard No. 1 hits breaking a record previously shared by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. Then, she stepped onto one of the biggest stages of her career in January 1991, when she performed a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Super Bowl XXV amid the Persian Gulf War. Whitney’s recording of the national anthem peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100 and became the most successful recording of the song.

Over the course of her career, Whitney released five more albums -- I'm Your Baby Tonight, My Love Is Your Love, Just Whitney, One Wish: The Holiday Album, and I Look to You -- and two soundtrack albums, all of which were certified diamond, multi-platinum or platinum. She was the top-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century, and has sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history.

She also garnered dozens of awards during her career, including two Emmy Awards, eight GRAMMYs (including two GRAMMY Hall of Fame honors), 14 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards.

The Silver Screen

In addition to her music career, Whitney also found success in the movies. Her first film role came in 1992’s The Bodyguard. The romantic drama -- in which Houston played a famous singer with a stalker who falls in love with her bodyguard, played by Kevin Costner -- received mixed reviews, but it was massively successful at the box office, earning $410 million worldwide.

Even more successful was The Bodyguard soundtrack, on which Whitney co-executive produced and recorded six new songs. Her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” remains one of the best-selling physical singles of all time -- going platinum 18 times over -- and won the performer the GRAMMY Awards for Album of the Year and Record of the Year in 1994. The album would go on to be named the top-selling Soundtrack Album of the Century by the RIAA.

Whitney also performed on the soundtracks for her next two films, 1995’s Waiting to Exhale and 1996’s The Preacher’s Wife. In 1997, she co-executive produced and starred in a television adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella , playing the Fairy Godmother to Brandy’s titular princess. The special was ABC’s highest-rated in 16 years, racking up over 60 million viewers, and remains a fan favorite to this day.

Later in her career, Whitney teamed up with other music stars on several movie projects, recording the duet “When You Believe” with Mariah Carey for the 1998 animated film The Prince of Egypt , and singing with Jordin Sparks in the 2011 remake of Sparkle , which ended up being her final film and music release.

Love and Troubles

After being linked to stars like Jermaine Jackson, Randall Cunningham and Eddie Murphy in the early years of her career, Whitney met Bobby Brown in 1989 and the pair were married on July 18, 1992. The relationship was a roller coaster from the start with Brown facing numerous legal troubles for drunk driving, drug possession and battery, and Houston suffering miscarriages before and after the couple welcomed their only child, daughter Bobbi Kristina, on March 4, 1993.

The later years of Whitney's marriage to Bobby also brought increased speculation about the couple’s drug use and erratic behavior. In early 2000, she had marijuana found in her bags at a Hawaiian airport, no-showed for the ceremony celebrating Clive Davis’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was fired from performing at the Academy Awards after appearing “distracted and jittery” during rehearsals.

Then, there was Whitney’s relationship with Robyn Crawford . The pair met as teens, when they were counselors at a summer camp in East Orange, Jersey, and remained inseparable for many years. Speculation about the nature of their relationship was always dispelled during Whitney’s life, however, in Robyn’s 2019 memoir , she claimed that the pair had a sexual relationship in their early years, but stopped being physical at the start of Whitney’s musical career.

However, Robyn remained close for many years, serving as Whitney’s personal assistant and working with her management company until 2000, when she quit. In her book, Robyn says that she left because of Whitney’s refusal to seek help for her drug use.

Early on, Whitney denied rumors of drug use, however, in her infamous “crack is whack” interview with Diane Sawyer in 2002, she admitted to using cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and pills, and added that her highly-speculated weight loss was in fact due to drug use. 

In 2003, Bobby was charged with battery after an incident in which he assaulted Whitney, and in 2004, the couple starred in one season of his ill-fated reality show, Being Bobby Brown . The series was an unflattering look at the couple’s home life and led to further speculation about their substance use and domestic turmoil.

In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Whitney admitted that her drug use increased following the birth of her daughter and the success of The Bodyguard. She also opened up about more domestic disputes with Bobby and revealed that she had attended a 30-day rehab program. In 2011, Whitney returned to rehab, with a rep saying at the time that the outpatient treatment was a part of Houston's ongoing recovery process.  

Gone Too Soon

Whitney was found dead in her hotel room at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on Feb. 11, 2012. It was GRAMMY Awards weekend, and the performer was scheduled to attend the annual pre-GRAMMYs bash held by her longtime friend and producer Clive Davis that night. She was discovered in the bathtub -- the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later determined that her death was caused by drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.”

The singer was mourned in a private funeral, with performances by Stevie Wonder, CeCe Winans, Alicia Keys, Kim Burrell, and R. Kelly and remarks by Clive Davis, Kevin Costner, Dionne Warwick, music director Rickey Minor, and Ray Watson, Whitney’s security guard for the previous 11 years. 

Sadly, tragedy followed Whitney in death, as her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, died just three years later, after also being found unresponsive in a bathtub. She was just 22.

It’s been over 10 years since Whitney’s death, but there’s no denying that her legacy continues to remain strong. In the weeks following her death, the singer became the first and only female act to ever place three albums in the Top 10 of the US Billboard 200 Album Chart all at the same time, with Whitney: The Greatest Hits at No. 2, The Bodyguard at No. 6 and Whitney Houston at No. 9.

To this day, she remains the first and only Black artist to have three Diamond-certified albums. The Bodyguard soundtrack remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, and The Preacher's Wife soundtrack is the best-selling gospel album of all time.

On January 15, 2020, Whitney was announced as an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2020 class, and in March 2020, the Library of Congress announced that Houston’s rendition of "I Will Always Love You" had been added to its National Recording Registry, a list of "aural treasures worthy of preservation" due to their "cultural, historical and aesthetic importance" in the American soundscape. 

And in October 2020, the music video for "I Will Always Love You" surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, making Houston the first solo 20th-century artist to have a video reach that milestone --  and proving that she’s just as relevant as ever.

Now, with the release of  Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody,  fans new and old can get more perspective on one of the greatest musical talents of her generation.

Ackie told ET that she spent months researching the superstar, "studying the songs and her history and what she was like as a child and all this beautiful, imaginary work that me, as an actor, I just like live for... It really pushed me to my outer limits and I'm so happy that I got to do it."

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• Whitney Houston
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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• October 26, 2023

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody Movie – Your Ultimate Cinema Guide

Unveiling the magic: “whitney houston: i wanna dance with somebody movie”.

Let’s draw back the curtain on a spectacle in the world of bio-pics: “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. From the title, it’s clear we are stepping into a biography that promises an immersive exploration of Whitney Houston’s life and glittering career. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody Movie  are eagerly awaited as fans yearn to revisit the icon’s heyday.

The film, a well-crafted portrait of the late pop diva, hit the cinemas amidst fanfare and anticipation. Set amidst the time frame of the mid-80s to early 90s, it channels the beat and spirit of Whitney’s prime time.

Whitney begins her tale anew through this film, touching upon her rise to fame, her struggles, and her transcendence in the music industry. The film’s title, borrowed from her global hit, stylistically represents the euphoria and passion that Houston embodied in her music.

The synopsis of “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” serves a grandeur display of her life in a play of two acts. The first act trails her unprecedented rise in the music scene while the second act is a chronicle of her struggles with addiction, her tumultuous marriage, and the toll stardom took on her.

The Journey to the Big Screen: Making of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

The making of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” mirrors the legwork and dedication that Whitney put into her music. The production journey, spearheaded by director Kasi Lemmons, was both challenging and rewarding, akin to a fantastic behind-the-scenes extra on your favorite DVD. Co-starring Stanley Tucci as the hard-driving manager and father-figure and Nafessa Williams as Whitney’s best friend, the casting choices evoke the same vibrance as the ‘ Mindy Project cast ‘.

On the off-beat, Naomi Ackie took the challenge of being the voice and face of Whitney. Despite not singing in the film, her exceptional portrayal of Whitney’s staggering stage presence was enough to carry the energy across. Known for her talent and versatility, it’s safe to say that Ackie’s performance was as captivating as Jean Smart in her prime roles.

Meanwhile, Ashton Sanders stepped into the boots of Bobby Brown, showcasing an intriguing depiction of Houston’s former spouse. Sanders, much like Devon Sawa in his notable roles, delivered a performance that genuinely reflected the complexities of the character.

Whitney Houston’s Vibrant Legacy Through “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

The film aims to express the essence and charm of Houston’s persona. Similarly to Xolo maridueña ‘s representation in his roles, Ackie’s portrayal was a riveting emulation of the late singer’s notable attributes.

Whitney’s music was more than just catchy pop tunes – it was a treasure of personal anecdotes with her heartfelt lyrical content. The film pays tribute to her music by strategically infusing her hits in context with the narrative, leading to a melodious blend of cinematic storytelling with a pop-style soundscape.

Houston’s spirit looms large in the film. Like a radiant lighthouse guiding the narrative, it’s the key driving force behind each pivotal plot point, painting a compelling picture of her life for the viewer.

Elucidating “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody Showtimes”

The release timeline of the film was a strategic piecing together of dates to maximize its reach and impact. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody showtimes were meticulously planned to coincide with major event dates and holidays, echoing the well-documented marketing strategies of Mike Shanahan .

The benefits of the strategic release planning were multi-fold. It not only ensured higher box office sales but also heightened biopic’s reach among fans and critics alike. The showtime patterns were designed with enough showtimes for everyone, no matter one’s routine or timezone.

Revisiting Outstanding Cinema Moments from “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

Several scenes and performances boosted the captivating appeal of the film. Ackie’s non-singing yet potent performance, reminiscent of the golden jubilance of Houston herself, was deeply moving. Tucci’s intensely layered portrayal of Houston’s complex relationship with her father offered a profound depth to the narrative.

The stylish artistic influences and cinematic flair that the film imbibes, bring out a rich and fresh perspective on bio-pics. Along with this, the unique marketing initiatives surrounding the film helped it reach a broader audience base, guiding fans and cinemagoers to tune in during Whitney Houston : I Wanna Dance With Somebody showtimes .

The Critics Speak: Reception of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

The film has opened to largely positive reviews from critics. Admirers of Houston and casual viewers alike were smitten by the tasteful portrayal of the late singer’s life. The audience reaction, on the other hand, was a beautiful blend of nostalgia and admiration for the film’s soulful narrative.

The film has clinched a slew of nominations and is in the running for several awards, owing to the excellent direction, stirring performances, and its overall cinematic brilliance.

The “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Phenomenon: Impact and Legacy

The film has had an undoubted influence on pop culture, bringing Whitney’s magic and music back to the forefront. It has also set a high bar for future biopics, proving that an artist’s renditions need not just be a celebration of their work, but a thoughtful and heartfelt reflection of their life.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” has certainly made its mark in cinematic history and is well on its way to achieving a long-lasting impact in the industry.

Reflecting on the “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Experience

The journey of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” from production to Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody showtimes , has been one backed by reverence for Houston and a clear vision for her legacy.

As the film continues to thrive post-release, it’s expected to inspire more biopics that marry music, life, and storytelling in such an immersive manner. Wrapping up, it’s clear that films like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” hold a paramount space in cinema history, both for their tribute to cultural icons and for their narrative innovation.

Is Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody in theaters?

Oh, for sure! Whitney Houston’s film, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, is currently lighting up the big screen. Cinemas nationwide are showcasing the music icon’s extraordinary life and career, so you’ll definitely wanna catch this flick in theaters.

Where can I see I want to dance with somebody?

Wondering where to catch “I Wanna Dance With Somebody?” Look no further, y’know! Sure as the pope is catholic, you can see the movie at local theaters, or keep your eyes peeled for potential screenings at film festivals or special events.

How to watch whitney houston I wanna dance with somebody at home?

To watch Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” at home, you’ll need a bit of patience—like watching paint dry. The movie’s at-home release usually follows a few months after its theater debut. Sit tight, and you’ll soon be belting out Whitney’s hits from your living room couch.

How long is the Whitney movie?

The exact run-time for the Whitney movie hasn’t been officially unveiled yet. Ya’ know, it’s like trying to nail jello to a tree with these details sometimes! But in general, biopic runtimes range from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, give or take.

How long is the new Whitney Houston movie I Wanna Dance With Somebody?

Netflix subscribers, I’ve got bad news and good news. Sadly, Whitney Houston’s breathtaking film “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” isn’t currently available on Netflix. However, don’t get your knickers in a twist! With the film’s popularity, I wouldn’t be surprised if it pops up on the platform soon.

Is Whitney Houston movie on Netflix?

Whitney Houston’s best friend was none other than Robyn Crawford. They were like two peas in a pod, always by each other’s side during Whitney’s rise to prominence.

Who is Whitney Houston best friend?

Sheesh, talking about moola, Whitney Houston pulled in serious dough throughout her career. Exact figures aren’t available—like looking for a needle in a haystack. But let’s just say she made millions and leave it at that.

How much money did Whitney Houston make?

Whitney Houston’s last performance was a poignant duet with her mentee, Kelly Price, at Price’s pre-Grammy party in February 2012. Troubling to think, but she was gone just days after this touching performance—talk about an emotional swan song.

What was Whitney Houston last performance?

As of now, Whitney Houston’s film, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, isn’t available on Netflix. But remember, timelines for movies to hit streaming platforms can vary, so there’s still a chance it’ll make a grand appearance on Netflix.

Will Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody be on Netflix?

Whitney Houston fans who subscribe to Hulu, hold onto your hats! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but “Whitney Houston: Can I Be Me” is no longer available on Hulu.

Does Hulu have Whitney?

Guys, Whitney Houston’s biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” isn’t currently on Netflix. Hopefully, Netflix won’t keep us on tenterhooks for long!

Is Whitney Houston I Want to Dance With Somebody on Netflix?

In the Whitney movie, the actress is, in fact, simply syncing to the music. Don’t get your hopes up—there’s no live singing involved. But hey, remember, those shoes aren’t easy to fill!

Is the actress really singing in the Whitney movie?

The verdict’s still out there regarding whether the new Whitney movie is a hit or a miss. That’s movie biz for ya—sometimes it’s as unpredictable as the weather!

Is the new Whitney movie any good?

All that glitters is not gold, folks. Even though it might seem like the actor is belting out those mighty Whitney tunes, it’s actually a brilliant bit of lip-syncing at play.

Is the Whitney movie lip synced?

Well, just like beauty, film appropriateness can be in the eye of the beholder. While “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” explores Whitney Houston’s life and career, some parts may be a bit complex for younger viewers. Always best to read reviews, ask others, and use your noggin before deciding.

Is Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody appropriate for kids?

Oh boy, for those wondering who’s stepping into Bobby Brown’s shoes, it’s the talented actor, Elijah Kelley. Say hello to the new Bobby Brown, folks!

Who plays Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston movie?

In “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, none other than Whitney Houston herself sings all the songs. The actress doesn’t sing the songs—kinda like a ghost singer, with Whitney being the real deal!

Who sings Whitney Houston songs in the movie I Wanna Dance with Somebody?

How the Whitney Houston movie ends is a secret I’m keeping under wraps for now. No kidding! Now’s your chance to watch how Whitney’s story unfolds on the silver screen.

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Whitney Houston Movie Producers Never Paid For Songs, Sony Music Claims in New Lawsuit

Sony Music Entertainment is suing the producers of the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody , accusing them of failing to pay for the more than 20 Whitney tracks that appeared in the movie.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in New York federal court, Sony claims that Anthem Films, Black Label Media and others behind the movie signed deals for sync licenses to feature songs like "I Will Always Love You" in the movie – but that more than a year after the film was released, the label hasn't been paid a dime.

"To date, Anthem has not paid the fees, or any portion of the fees, due under the agreements," Sony's lawyer, Christine Lepera of the firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, wrote in the complaint. As a result, the Sony says the use of the songs amounts to "willful and deliberate infringement" of its copyrights.

Riding a wave of enthusiasm for musical biopics – 2018's "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned more $900 million at the box office and Baz Luhrmann's 2022 "Elvis" made $288 million – "I Wanna Dance" was released in December 2022 to middling reviews and an underwhelming return of $59.8 million gross.

According to Thursday's lawsuit, Anthem and others signed a sync license agreement on Dec. 5, 2022 – less than ten days before the movie's release – covering the use of Sony's sound recordings of Houston's songs, including "Greatest Love of All," "I'm Every Woman" and the titular "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."

"Unlike other types of films, musical biopics by their nature require use of the subject musician's music, as it is nearly impossible to explain the importance of a musician's creative genius or unique style and talent without the use of the musician's music," Sony wrote. "Aware of the need for authorization to use Plaintiffs' sound recordings in order to produce a biopic about the life and music of Whitney Houston, and aware of the value of plaintiffs' catalog, Anthem entered into a license agreement."

But by August, Sony says it had not been paid anything. After notifying Anthem of the problem, the company allegedly told Sony that it was waiting on funds from a tax credit owed by the state of Massachusetts. But such a payment never came, Sony says.

"As a result of Anthem's failure to pay the fees to SME, it is clear that there was no license or authorization to use the SME Recordings used in the Film," the company's attorneys wrote. "Nevertheless, the Film embodying the SME Recordings was, and continues to be, exhibited, distributed, and exploited."

As defendants, the lawsuit names Anthem Films, a Boston-area film production company that allegedly produced the movie; NYBO Productions LLC, the entity that allegedly owns the copyright to the movie; Black Label Media, a Los Angeles film finance company; and WH Movie LLC, an entity allegedly created by Black Label to help finance the movie.

According to the lawsuit, the complex corporate structure behind "I Wanna Dance" potentially played into the lack of payment.

Though Sony says it notified Anthem that it was open to waiting for for the Massachusetts tax credit to be paid out, it demanded that such an agreement be formalized in writing. Anthem allegedly refused, saying that Black Label had "approval rights over Anthem's and NYBO's expenditures" and ultimately "ordered that Anthem neither pay SME out of the proceeds of the tax credit payment nor direct the relevant tax authority to credit SME the amount of the Fees."

In technical legal terms, the lawsuit accused Anthem and NYBO of direct copyright infringement, while it accused Black Label and WH Movie of so-called vicarious copyright infringement – meaning they had some control over Anthem and profited from its alleged wrongdoing.

In a statement to Billboard on Friday, a representative for Black Label said the company was "one of many investors in this film, should not have been named in the lawsuit, and looks forward to being dismissed from it promptly." The other defendants could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for Sony Music did not return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Read the entire legal complaint here:

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