Whitney Houston To EBONY: 'I Left A Lot Of Old Luggage Behind'

Access Hollywood - August 31, 2009 12:26 PM PDT
Story photo: Whitney Houston To EBONY: 'I Left A Lot Of Old Luggage Behind'Whitney Houston on the cover of EBONY EbonyAccess Hollywood

NEW YORK, NY -- Whitney Houston's self-imposed six-year hiatus officially ends today with the release of "I Look To You," her sixth full-length studio album. The album is getting mostly strong reviews so far from critics, and now the singer has begun her media blitz, opening up first to EBONY magazine.

CLICK HERE to read Access Hollywood's review of Whitney's "I Look To You"

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Whitney Houston: From '80s Pop Princess To Superstar Singing Sensation

In the article, Whitney goes into detail about the courting process by her longtime Arista Records mentor Clive Davis to bring her back into his musical fold.

"Clive called me one day and said, 'OK, are you ready now?'" she told the mag. "He said, 'I'm tired of listening to what I'm listening to, and I'm tired of seeing what I'm seeing. I want YOU back.'"

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But Whitney continued to put up resistance, even saying to Clive, "You have a great roster of people [Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, Monica]. I said, 'Do your thing.'"

However, the music impresario only told her, "Nope, nobody's singing like you; nobody's going to do it like we used to do it."

But Whitney says that she was perfectly happy at the time in her dual roles of mother and daughter.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown

"I was just ready to lay back and raise my daughter and just watch her grow and nurture her," she said. "And my mother's getting older. I wanted to spend more time with my mom [because during] most of my 20s and 30s, [I] was dealing with making records and traveling the world and being this thing - icon, you know - whatever this has turned into."

EBONY points out how the singer's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, is now a "trim and fashionable 16-year-old, who sat in the front row" at her mom's listening party for media and celebs in New York.

"She and I are not only mother and daughter, but we're good friends," Whitney said about her daughter. "I want her to trust me, to be able to trust in me, to know that I'm not going nowhere. If she knows that I'm there for her, she can depend on me. I'm the dependable one; she can depend on her mommy."

Whitney goes on to point out that it was her strong spiritual belief that kept her strong through her difficulties in recent years.

"I'm really humbled, and I thank God that people love me," she told EBONY. "But I [really] thank God that God loves me. I thank Him for chastening my heart, for never letting go. What I did sometime ... I went off and did my thing, but He never let me go.

"I shed a lot of stuff, a lot of unnecessary weight in the last three or four years," she continued. "I left a lot of old luggage behind, and when I did, the blessings just started pouring on me, and the light in my spirit started to lift again."

EBONY even talked to Whitney's first cousin, the famous Dionne Warwick, for their article.

"I am thrilled for her," cousin Dionne told the mag. "She sounds wonderful. She sounds happy. That's the one thing about being able to sing a song. You hear the joy in her voice. And the album cover is just flawless. You see the happiness in her eyes."

The OCTOBER 2009 ISSUE OF EBONY is ON SALE MONDAY, September 7, 2009.

Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Whitney Houston & Clive Davis Talk Comeback (July 21, 2009)
PLAY IT NOW: Whitney Houston Is Back!

MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Whitney Houston - Music - TV One - Leona Lewis - Jennifer Hudson

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comments 1-10 of 360  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >|  hide comments · post a comment
  • Don
    SHE LOOKS GREAT. BUT WHEN I HEARD HER SING I KNEW THAT SHE NEEDED WORK. SHE WILL RETURN TO THE WHITNEY OF OLD SOON. WHITNEY PLEASE STAY CLEAN AND SOBER AND STAY AWAY FROM YOU KNOW WHO.JUST SAYIN!!!!
    report abuseposted November 14, 2009 1:36 AM PST
  • shortstuff
    I STILL SAY EVEN AFTER SEEING HER INTERVIEW THIS PAST MONDAY WITH OPRAH WINFREY, HER VOICE IS NOT THE SAME!! IN THAT SHE CAN'T HIT THE HIGH NOTES LIKE SHE DID IN ""BODYGUARD"" EVER AGAIN!!! I STILL STAND BY, "ONCE A COKE HEAD, ALWAYS A COKEHEAD"". YOU CAN'T SHUT IT DOWN ""JUST LIKE THAT&quo
    report abuseposted September 17, 2009 12:08 PM PDT
  • Jade6
    SHE LOOK S GOOD BUT HER PERFORMANCE ON TV THE OTHER NIGHT WAS NOT THAT GREAT SHE HAS TO RETRAIN HER VOICE AND WATCH WHAT YOU SAY TO THE PUBLIC WHO BUYS YOUR MUSIC THAT INTERVIEW SHE GAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK IS UNFORGETABLE. dO NOT BELIEVE SHE WILL BOUNCE BACK UNLESS SHE GET THE PERSON WHO LAYS MARY J BLIGE TRACKS AND A COMBINATION OF MISSY ELLIOT.S HE JUST MIGHT MAKE IT THEN BUT AS IT STANDS
    report abuseposted September 8, 2009 9:51 AM PDT
  • lives
    She looks so pretty with the dress. I saw her profile on billlionaire personals site ________A f f l u e n t B a c h e l o r s . C O M________ last week. It is said she is dating young billionaire on that site.
    report abuseposted September 5, 2009 1:59 AM PDT
  • lives
    She looks so pretty with the dress. I saw her profile on billlionaire personals site ________A f f l u e n t B a c h e l o r s . C O M________ last week. It is said she is dating young billionaire on that site.
    report abuseposted September 5, 2009 1:59 AM PDT
  • Sheila
    go GO Whitney glad you back miss hearing your voice . Stay strong .. GOD BE With You
    report abuseposted September 3, 2009 4:06 PM PDT
  • VilmaR
    i am delighted for the new whitney she looks great only now is she living a good life and she can focus on becoming a better person from the inside out many blessinga to her like she said god never left her side
    report abuseposted September 3, 2009 3:52 PM PDT
  • christine
    that's great i'm happy for her and just stay strong and when u take one step forward god will take ten more for u that's my belief.
    report abuseposted September 3, 2009 2:13 PM PDT
  • christine
    that's great i'm happy for her and just stay strong and when u take one step forward god will take ten more for u that's my belief.
    report abuseposted September 3, 2009 2:13 PM PDT
  • NickyD
    LOVE YOU! THANK YOU FOR MAKING MORE MUSIC!!
    report abuseposted September 3, 2009 1:28 PM PDT
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