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Whitney Houston Dead at 48; Protesters Rage in Athens; Bobby Brown Performing in New Edition Reunion; Aretha Franklin Talks about Whitney Houston; Freezing Temperatures Expected in US; New Ban Leaves Churches Out in the Cold

Aired February 12, 2012 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ted Rowlands, sitting in for Don Lemon.

It is music's biggest night, but all the attention is on the one superstar who won't be at tonight's Grammys, Whitney Houston dead at the age of 48. The cause of death is still unknown, but we've learned that an autopsy will be performed as early as today and may have already taken place.

TMZ is citing informed sources who say the singer was found unconscious in the tub of her Beverly Hills hotel room where she was pronounced dead. The site also claims her bodyguard attempted CPR and pills were found at the scene.

This is also courtesy of TMZ. A picture of the 18-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina, rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in the last few hours. No word on why but her condition was thought not to be life-threatening.

Fans gathered outside the hotel where Houston died laying down roses and candles and iReport tributes have been rolling into CNN. Tonight, the music industry will honor Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards. Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan will lead what is sure to be a stirring musical tribute.

But let's begin with Casey Wian who is following the investigation in Los Angeles.

Casey, you have some new information about when we may see those autopsy results.

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ted. We can now confirm according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office that the autopsy is taking place today. They're saying that once that autopsy is complete, Whitney Houston's body will then be released to the next of kin.

They are also saying the toxicology results could take up to eight weeks. And according to the coroner's office the Beverly Hills Police Department, which is leading the investigation into the singer's death, has requested that a security hold be placed on those autopsy results.

So, it's going to be quite some time before we have any definitive information as to how she died.

Now, as to the other story you mentioned that's part of this, a little while ago, the singer's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, as you mentioned, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital here in Los Angeles earlier today. The fire department rushed her to the hospital. Now, according to two affiliates here, two CNN affiliates here in Los Angeles, she has now been released from the hospital.

All along, police were telling us that her condition was not life- threatening -- Ted.

ROWLANDS: All right. Casey Wian with the latest on the investigation for us from Los Angeles.

Whitney Houston's death is not stopping tonight's Grammy Awards.

Nischelle Turner is on the red carpet as Houston's friends and colleagues make their way inside.

Nischelle, what are you hearing so far? What are people telling you?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: You know, what we're hearing right now on the red carpet is a lot of solemn, a lot of heavy hearts.

And with me right now, I do have one of Whitney Houston's closest and dearest friends for the past 13 years, Miss Kim Burrell.

Kim, you told me just a minute ago that the last time you spoke with Whitney was yesterday.

KIM BURRELL, WHITNEY HOUSTON FRIEND: It was yesterday. I got to L.A. for this, and she told me to call her when I got here. We were going to go to the Clive party last night. So I called her and I missed her, and so I was in baggage claim, she called me and missed me and so, she left a message about 2:00. And I checked it and she said, "Hey, call me, I don't where you are. Call me back, call me back." And I called back several times and, of course, I didn't get an answer because my friend had gone.

And she was in great spirits, as always, and just left a message in the spirit that she would when she couldn't reach me. It's just the friendship we had. If I couldn't reach her, I'd call her back and leave the same kind of message.

But, you know, God is good, and he's been -- he's given me strength because I've needed it because I miss her and will always miss her, and I know it's a title of her song and "I Will Always Love You" and I do. I love her and always will.

TURNER: I was saying, too, so many times I have heard her at events and so many people have heard her say "I love Kim Burrell. I want Kim Burrell to sing to me." And you will sing to her one more time. BURRELL: I will sing to her.

TURNER: At her service?

BURRELL: Yes. Whether it'd be private or they make it public, I'll be there, as I always was and always will be. I'm in her life, her family. I'm very close to her mother, her brothers.

And it wasn't just a Whitney popularity thing for me. It was love. It was my sister, and as I said on different telecasts --

TURNER: It's OK.

BURRELL: I love her, and she's my sister, and she'll always be my sister, and I love her dearly.

TURNER: You also told me that we had reported that Bobbi Kristina was taken to the hospital earlier today and also yesterday. You were with her today.

BURRELL: I was with Bobbi yesterday when I landed. I went straight to the hotel. I was with her. She was doing OK.

And as to be expected, she's overwhelmed. It's her mother. And she knows how much her mother meant to the world; and Bobbi Kristina, she has a huge heart, just like her mother, and she loves hard. But she's going to pull through because we're going to be there to pull her through. She calls me Auntie Kim, so I got to be that more than I ever have before.

TURNER: You sat with her. You talked to her. What did you tell her?

BURRELL: I told her that God is real and the power of God is real. If she just depends on the strength of God, she's going to make it.

She looked me in the face yesterday and she said, "I can't." I said, "Sure you can," and she kept saying, "OK, OK." And she will pull through.

And we may hear several stories because she was born into a famous family, and any little thing that a famous person does, it comes reported. And it's OK. It's the life they live, we live, and she's going to be OK. We're going to see to it.

TURNER: I asked you before, I'll ask you again, was Whitney OK?

BURRELL: Oh, sure. Whitney was as smart as a whip. She was very alert when she talked to me. She was her own woman. She made her own choices, and she was adamant about that. She was strong, and she loved hard.

And to celebrate her is the only way for me to know her because even if there were some wrongs or downfalls, I celebrated her because I know the true Whitney.

TURNER: Had she beaten those struggles? BURRELL: You know, I didn't see her struggle.

TURNER: OK.

BURRELL: I always met her at a time that she was pulling through whatever it was. That was our conversation. And so, I only know her to be a fighter. And for whatever it was, whether it was personal or something that she was trying to hide or whatever normal people do, she always -- sissy, I know you got me, that was her nickname because we loved each others a sisters.

So, she was pulling through whatever. But I had to say that, you know, she was overcomer and as I sang to her on the BET honors, she was a survivor, and she'll always be that and I love her.

TURNER: I remember seeing that and I remember her getting up around rushing to the stage and rushing to you and you coming to her and you getting right down to her and singing right to her face.

BURRELL: I couldn't help it. I felt like I was there singing to my friend because she'd fly and come to my home and my family -- my mother would cook greens and all kinds of great food and, boy, that Whitney could eat. She could really eat. Oh, I miss her so.

TURNER: Kim Burrell, we appreciate you taking time to talk to us.

And really quickly, Bobbi Kristina, is she out of the hospital, do you know?

BURRELL: Last time I talked they were getting her care, but she'll be OK. She'll be OK.

TURNER: Thank you.

BURRELL: And we appreciate it. And I'm sorry for your loss.

TURNER: Thanks.

BURRELL: All right. We'll send it back to you guys.

ROWLANDS: Wow, Nischelle, obviously, emotion there from Kim. There's going to be a lot of emotion tonight. Can you give us a quick preview of what we know and expect to happen tonight during the awards ceremony?

TURNER: Well, what we do know is that Jennifer Hudson will be participating in a tribute for Whitney. She will be singing "I Will Always Love You" as Kim was talking about earlier. We also know during rehearsals, Jennifer was having a bit of a tough time getting through the song. So you can expect it to be a pretty emotional, raw evening.

And I know Chaka Khan earlier was saying she expected to participate in a tribute in some way. She didn't really know how.

But as I have been saying all day, even though those are the planned tributes, you can probably expect there to be some spontaneous things going on here at the awards ceremony tonight in tribute to so many people, including Whitney Houston.

Back to you.

ROWLANDS: All right. Nischelle Turner, we'll be back to you throughout this hour and next.

Before she became a Grammy winner, Whitney Houston perfected her powerhouse voice in a church as a teen.

Deb Feyerick is outside her hometown church in Newark, New Jersey.

Deb, it had to be an emotional day up there, too, for the congregation that literally watched Whitney Houston grow up.

DEB FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, and many of them really did. There was a big turnout today starting at 6:30 in the morning.

We can tell you, as for Whitney Houston's mom, she spent the day not too far from here at her home in Edgewater, New Jersey. She was surrounded by family and friends. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, he paid a social visit, really a condolence visit after midday services here. He went to speak to her, offer his support to her.

We are told by somebody close to the family that there's some talk about the possibility of bringing Whitney Houston back to New Jersey, back to her home. Her father, who was an entertainment executive, he is buried not too far from here. He passed away about five years ago.

But also about this church here, it was a very, very special place for Whitney Houston. It's where she found her voice, where she developed her talent. She sang as a teenager in the choir -- her mom, who was director of the choir at the time.

And it was interesting because in 2009, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, when speaking about her voice, she said to Oprah Winfrey -- you can see her there. Look how young she looks. She was a child at the time.

But she told Oprah Winfrey, I knew in the days I was a teenager singing for God that I was sure, talking about how her voice was so special, she said when I became Whitney Houston, then my life became the world's. And that's when she lost the privacy, and that's when, you know, the spark and the spirituality and everything that was so ingrained in her as a teenager growing up here at the New Hope Baptist Church, that's when she began if not to question those things, but to have a little bit of a crisis as she lost her way.

And many people had the question, you know, why now? It seemed like she was getting back on track. It seems that she was making a movie that was very special to her, a subject she knew about, about a singer who had been wrestling with drug addiction -- and so many people asking the question, Ted, why now? And clearly those answers are going to come out as this progresses, Ted. ROWLANDS: And, Deb, we're seeing some video of it. I understand people are leaving flowers there and paying their respects at a memorial at the church.

FEYERICK: Yes, absolutely. And it's grown. It was very sparse earlier in the day. But over time, folks just sort of came, made a pilgrimage. They wanted to honor the singer. They wanted to honor the legacy that she leaves behind.

You know, a number of people have said her voice has been silent. Well, maybe for the future, but the legacy of her voice is so powerful. The songs, her ability to speak to people through her words and her passion and the power of what she sang.

We actually met a woman who competed against her during a talent competition. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMEN BROWN, SINGER: She and I competed against one another back in 1978, talent expo. There were three competitions that you had to go through, and so we did that. She actually took first place. She sang "Evergreen" by Barbara Streisand and I took second.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you had to sing something to her today would you sing.

BROWN (singing): Two hearts, two hearts that beat as one, our lives have just begun --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: She inspired many, Ted, and now her family talking about whether the right thing to do is to bring her home to the place she loved -- Ted.

ROWLANDS: All right. Deb Feyerick for us this evening in Newark, New Jersey. Thanks, Deb.

Coming up at 7:00. CNN looks at the life of Whitney Houston. She was always on stage living her life right in front of all of us. We'll have interviews from her friends and colleagues and clips of the movies and music and the moments from her entire career, an entire hour looking at the life of Whitney Houston beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

And more on the death of Whitney Houston is still ahead. This magazine cover featuring Whitney Houston changed the lives of many young American -- African-American women, including our guest coming up.

But first, Athens burning. Chaos in the streets of the world's oldest city. A live report coming up in two minutes.

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ROWLANDS: Moments ago, Greek lawmakers approved a bailout deal that should help keep their country out of bankruptcy, but it won't help calm Greeks who have been tired of budget cuts and forced -- having those budget cuts forced down their throat. That anger erupted today in Athens where as many as 100,000 protesters rampaged through the streets.

With the latest, we now turn to Matthew Chance in Athens.

Matthew, tell us what we have seen today. I guess a very, very chaotic day in Athens.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of chaos, a lot of violence as well, Ted. Tens of thousands of protesters, as you mentioned, clashing with riot police in the center of Athens right outside the parliament building where MPs were discussing these austerity measures which have passed.

Petrol bombs were thrown. Rocks were thrown at the police. They're responding with stun grenades, batons, lots of tear gas. The air was thick with this choking gas. It was really quite difficult to be outside at various points.

Eventually, the crowd dispersed as the parliamentarians inside that parliament building right behind me approved these austerity measures -- measures which are deeply, deeply unpopular against many Greeks who are tired, as you mentioned, of having these cutbacks of their public services and wage cuts thrust down their throats.

Buildings are on fire, violence in the streets, chaos. All of these things we've seen this evening. It's been real, real havoc, Ted.

ROWLANDS: Now that the vote has passed, what was expected now in the near future and in the months ahead?

CHANCE: Well, for Greeks, for instance, things are going to get a whole lot worse than they already are, which is saying something because already ordinary Greeks have seen their standards of living drop off a cliff. They have seen unemployment rise to nearly 21 percent.

Amongst the age group of 16 to 24, that figure rises to 48 percent of that group without any jobs, which is obviously extraordinary. Public services have been slashed, hospitals have closed down, schools haven't got any books -- and those kinds of shortages are likely now to get much, much worse. So it's going to be a very difficult few years ahead for most Greeks.

ROWLANDS: What does this mean, Matthew, to other countries in the European zone and to other countries around the world?

CHANCE: Well, I think for the moment it means that Greece stays within the eurozone. It means that it doesn't go bankrupt, which was a possibility. It needs the bailout monies that it's now going to get after approving these austerity measures to pay its creditors. And next month, if it couldn't do, it would have gone bankrupt.

So, I have to say what they have agreed this evening as well is that those investors that bought bonds in Greece only get 30 percent of their initial investment back. So, a big 70 percent haircut for them. But at least that deal has been done. It means that Greece maintains its position as a European eurozone country and doesn't default and doesn't descend down that potentially catastrophic and chaotic path. But it doesn't mean that's not going to happen in the future, Ted.

ROWLANDS: All right. A difficult day in Athens today, a difficult evening and difficult days ahead. Matthew Chance live for us in Athens. Thanks, Matthew.

Next, our top story, the death of Whitney Houston. Despite the difficult times she had in her life, she was a role model for millions of young African-American women, and this is what started it all: a magazine cover. One of those young women who was shaped by this image joins us next.

Stay with us.

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ROWLANDS: In November of 1981, Whitney Houston became the first African-American woman to grace the cover of "Seventeen" magazine. But it became much more than a magazine cover.

Culture critic Goldie Taylor joins me now.

And, Goldie, how did this image on a magazine cover impact not only you but a generation of young women?

GOLDIE TAYLOR, CULTURAL CRITIC: Sure. My best friend Debbie Ferrell and I used to run to the drugstore to grab a copy of "Seventeen" magazine every month. But there were all white girls on the covers. There were no girls who looked like us, but we enjoyed the clothing, the makeup, all the tips.

And then one month, there was a black girl on the cover that none of us knew who she was, and it changed -- it changed everything. It said that we in our smallness could be something big. And so, appearing on that cover and then later in its pages for back to school issues, for swimsuit issues and other things was just such an inspiration to some of us who were old enough to remember when it hit the shelf.

ROWLANDS: She really did change the standard for beauty in America and pop culture. Explain.

TAYLOR: She did. She did, indeed. If you looked at magazines of the day, we had two "Ebony" and "Essence" -- and there weren't many women of color who graced the pages of some of the mainstream or general market magazines. Whitney Houston was one of the first to be featured in a teen magazine. So, she was really breaking down barriers very early.

But that beauty standard and how African-American women are reflected in popular culture continues to be an issue today because of how Whitney inspired me, and she inspired me to enter a modeling contest for "Seventeen" magazine in 1984 I think it was. It was a sad thing. But I entered it and black girls around the country entered for the first time but she inspired me to create something called my black is beautiful in 2007. We did this for Procter & Gamble. And that was really a conversation about the beauty standard -- the beauty standard that people like Whitney Houston, they were challenging, confronting, and changing.

ROWLANDS: And build confidence I'm sure.

TAYLOR: Absolutely. Where there is confidence, there's self-worth, where there's self-wort, you can raise a family, a community. You can raise the quality of life for yourself and people around you.

ROWLANDS: You and other young women watched her career, her ups and downs. Her downs will be a part of her legacy, unfortunately, but also a lesson for young women.

TAYLOR: Absolutely. While there is tragedy in her story, there is also so much triumph in her story. And I think that's what's missing from a lot of the covers we've seen, you know, around the world over the last 24 hours, is that she really has a shining light for so many who fight to survive to cope and make it in their own way, in their own circumstances. She was really pulling through it.

ROWLANDS: All right. Goldie Taylor, thanks. Appreciate it.

TAYLOR: Thanks for having me.

ROWLANDS: Coming up at 7:00 Eastern, CNN looks at the life of Whitney Houston, interviews from her friends and colleagues and clips from the music and movies of her entire career. That's at the top of the hour, 7:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

At CNN, we like to talk about people who are making their own mark. Over the last week, no one has done that more than Jeremy Linn. The New York Knick is the talk of the short NBA season, with a blazing hot start.

A week ago, he was an unknown. Nobody knew this guy. Since then, he's helped the Knicks win five straight, averaging almost 27 points a game. He's a rarity in the league. The first Harvard grad to play in almost half a century and the only Asian American in the NBA right now.

In December, he was cut by not one but two teams. Since signing with the Knicks, he's been crashing on his brother's couch. That's likely to change now that he has made his mark.

Whitney Houston's former husband Bobby Brown is performing in Tennessee tonight with his old group of New Edition. And CNN is there. A live report from Nashville is coming up next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROWLANDS: Whitney Houston and New Edition front man Bobby Brown were married for 15 years -- much of that time tainted by rumors of drug use and domestic violence. Tonight, Brown is scheduled to perform with his band, New Edition, at a reunion tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee.

George Howell is outside the Metro Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

George, is he still expected to perform?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand that the show will go on here in Nashville, but we've confirmed that it will happen without Bobby Brown. We confirmed that through his publicist. Obviously, his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, currently in the hospital. Her condition unknown.

We talked to one fan that came here and said that he saw Bobby Brown leave the municipal auditorium here. But people are still planning to come out to support again New Edition, minus Bobby Brown.

This same concert was held in Mississippi just last night, and we had a few iReporters in the crowd. They tell us that Bobby Brown was very emotional on the stage, seen crying at times. He asked for prayers for himself, for his mother, and for his daughter.

A lot of people expecting to see New Edition, coming out here to support Bobby Brown, though he will not be here.

We talked to a few people about their thoughts about this concert today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIS WOODALL, NEW EDITION FAN: You have to put your family in a situation like this, everybody needs strength and love. Like Whitney Houston said, you can find your strength and love in a lonely place. I feel like I'm about to cry talking about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Bobby Brown is not giving comment, not speaking rather on camera at this point obviously, but he did release a statement. I want to read the statement to you. He says, quote, "I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston. At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I appreciate all of the condolences toward my family at this most difficult time."

Obviously, again, Bobby Brown will not be at this concert tonight but a lot of fans coming here to support him.

ROWLANDS: All right, George Howell, live for us in evening in Memphis, Tennessee. George, thank you very much.

Joining us on the phone right now we have Aretha Franklin, who is calling in from Charlotte, North Carolina. Madam, good evening, and thank you very much for joining us. First off, your reaction to Whitney Houston's death?

ARETHA FRANKLIN, SINGER (voice-over): It's just almost unbelievable, Mr. Rowlands. It's stunning, just absolutely stunning. I could not believe what I was reading coming across TV. And I was not sure that it was true. I just didn't know what to think about it to begin with. But it's a sad day. It's a very sad day.

ROWLANDS: Have you talked to her mother, Cissy? And if so, how is she coping?

FRANKLIN: Cissy is holding up fairly well, but you can hear her heart is broken and the tears in her voice, you can hear that. But she's doing the best that she can do and holding on.

ROWLANDS: Give us a sense of your relationship with Whitney over the years from when she was young until recently. How close were you in the last few years and how often did you talk to her?

FRANKLIN: Well, our schedules as of late, the last few years, did not mesh, so I didn't see Whitney a lot or talk to her, but early on her mother brought her as a little girl to the recording studio where I was recording in New York, and she had that cute little twinkle in her eye that you would see from time to time. And I have been very close to the family over the years, Cissy and I sung together coming up at Columbia Records in the early '60s. She and Didi Warwick, her sister, who was a very well-known artist as well. Just been very close to the family over the years.

ROWLANDS: Talk about --

(CROSSTALK)

ROWLANDS: Oh, excuse me.

FRANKLIN: That's all right.

ROWLANDS: Talk about, if you would, about Whitney Houston the artist, her talents, her voice.

FRANKLIN: Over the years, I watched her develop as a very young and budding artist. Certainly, to a very high-level star, and then superstar and icon. She developed, I thought, beautifully. She not only was making hits, she knew how to be a star. She knew how to be. And sometimes artists make hits but they don't know how to be a star. Whitney knew how to be a star along with the hits. I thought she developed quite beautifully.

(CROSSTALK)

FRANKLIN: Go ahead.

ROWLANDS: What do you think her legacy will be?

FRANKLIN: I think some things that many people may have been aware of, and some others did not, were her many contributions to charities, different charities around the country. She gave of her time and herself and at no charge. And certainly, the wonderful body of music that she recorded for Arista Records and Clive Davis. I spoke to Mr. Davis. He is down, as one would expect him to be, and as most of us are, but he's still carrying on.

ROWLANDS: She had some very public difficult times in her life. She was working through that, getting back on her feet. How difficult was it for you and the others that really loved her to see her go through what she went through during her lifetime?

FRANKLIN: Well, we were all aware of her challenges, but I felt she was overcoming them. She looked really great in the movie "Sparkle." I saw some of the previews. And a lot of the scenes were done in Detroit. I thought she really, really looked good. And I was just mentioning it to her people, had they seen it and how well she looked. And I thought, at that point, she had kind of conquered the challenges that were ahead of her.

However, looking at -- thinking about -- rather, looking back -- thinking about something that Natalie Cole said once said, was how difficult it is sometimes when you have overnight success and the kind of success that Whitney did -- she had phenomenal overnight success, and that can sometimes, and particularly to a young performer, being as young as she was, that can be very, very overwhelming sometimes. And I think that possibly may have played a part in things.

And I know that she -- getting a European tour and Natalie and Dionne accompanied her to support her on her first European tour and then her second one came up. She had some very challenging nights with different audiences who were not very kind. And not being able to sing what one wants to sing had to have been very, very disheartening to her. And I think that it was very trying for her. However, she stood up. She stood up night after night to the challenge and she stood with the heart of a champion. And so that -- for that I'm sure that her mother and I know I was very proud of her and wished her well. I was rooting for her and hoping that things would turn out for the best.

ROWLANDS: You are in Charlotte, North Carolina now. Where were you when you found out about Whitney's death and, again, what was your initial reaction when you heard the tragic news.

FRANKLIN: I was here in Charlotte. And as I said, when I saw that come across --

ROWLANDS: OK. I guess we just lost Aretha Franklin, who gave us some incredible insight, telling us that Whitney's mother, Cissy, has had a very difficult time with this but is trying to work through the loss of her daughter.

We'll try to get Aretha back on the phone. But she was very forthcoming about her relationship about her goddaughter, Whitney Houston.

Well, a reminder coming up at the top of the hour, CNN looks at the life of Whitney Houston. Interviews from her friends and colleagues in music from her movies, her entire career. That is 7:00 eastern time right here on CNN.

Also coming up, pressure from Syrian-Americans for the United States to intervene in their crisis in their homeland. That report coming up after a break. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS: All right. We have Aretha Franklin back on the phone with us from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sorry we lost you there. You were explaining about how you found out and you saw, I guess, a crawl come across the television screen telling you that Whitney had died. Pick up the story there. What emotion did you have then and then what happened -- who did you talk to, et cetera.

Aretha? Aretha, can you hear us?

FRANKLIN: Hello?

ROWLANDS: Hi, Aretha. Thanks. Sorry we lost you there.

FRANKLIN: Hello?

ROWLANDS: Hello, Aretha, can you hear me?

FRANKLIN: I can barely hear you.

ROWLANDS: I will try to speak up.

FRANKLIN: I can just barely hear you.

ROWLANDS: OK. I'll speak very clearly and loud.

FRANKLIN: You're very, very, very low. I can just barely hear you.

ROWLANDS: OK. Can you hear me OK now? Aretha?

FRANKLIN: Hello?

ROWLANDS: All right. I guess we're having some technical problems here with the phone line.

We're going to take a quick break and we'll try to get Aretha back on the line so she can hear us and continue our interview with Aretha Franklin. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROWLANDS: And we're still trying to re-establish our phone connection with Aretha Franklin. While we continue to do that, let's check in with Jacqui Jeras, who is in the Weather Center.

Jacqui, good evening.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good evening, Ted. We're tracking two powerful storms across parts of the west. These are big impact storms because they're producing a lot of heavy snow, a wintry mix and a lot of it, too, making roads very, very icy.

First storm right here pulling out of the four corners and the second one right here along the western coast.

We want to start out in Texas tonight where the snow has been coming down so heavy, causing very treacherous travel along I-20 as well as I-40. In fact, just west of Amarillo, the Texas Department of Transportation reporting a small section of I-40 has been closed down because of that heavy snow. 20 degrees in Amarillo. You can see this pink mixing in east of San Angelo. We're looking at freezing rain as well as sleet. So keep in mind, if you're going to be traveling, not really advised to do so. But bridges and overpasses are always going to be icing up first.

The winter weather advisories extend from Texas all the way up here into parts of Iowa and Nebraska. We're only looking at maybe one to three or four inches at the most of snowfall accumulation, but it's because we're expecting some of that mix that the advisories have been issued. So tough travel. This really starting tonight across parts of the south and that is going to be spreading towards Oklahoma City late tonight, into Kansas City, into St. Louis eventually. There you can see the time line as we head through the day on Monday. Memphis will likely start with a little bit of a mix in snow, changing over to some rain.

This is going it make its way all the way to the east, head towards Atlanta, eventually up towards Raleigh on your Tuesday. So a big impact storm affecting a whole lot of people. That cold air has been in place for a couple days now, Ted, so winter finally making a comeback here.

ROWLANDS: Thanks, Jacqui.

Each week CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta profiles innovators from all walks of life and all fields of endeavor. The program is called "The Next List." Next Sunday, he talks to Dale Dougherty, founder of "Make" magazine, who says Americans may have a little bit of an identity problem.

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DALE DOUGHERTY, FOUNDER, MAKE MAGAZINE: For many years or many -- almost decades, we've kind of talked ourselves out of being makers, that we're smart shoppers or consumers. And I really want to turn that around and say we are makers. We make our world.

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ROWLANDS: And you can tune in to watch the next "The Next List" Sunday at 2:00 p.m. If you can't see it, set your DVR.

We're still working to get Aretha Franklin back on the line. Hopefully, we'll have that established when we get back from a commercial break.

Also coming up next, some New York churches are forced to leave their worshippers without a home. We'll have a report on that coming up as well. Stay with us.

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ROWLANDS: We're still trying to get Aretha Franklin back on the phone. Working out some technical issues. In the meantime, we'll move on to other news.

For years, churches in New York, without their own space to worship, used to be able to pay a small fee and used public schools to hold their services. Now, a new ban has gone into effect leaving some groups out in the cold.

CNN's Susan Candiotti tells us about one congregation praying for a solution.

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(SINGING)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the final Sunday that Bronx Household of Faith Christian Church will hold a weekly service in this unusual space, inside a New York City public school.

(on camera): And here you use the auditorium?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The auditorium, right.

JACK ROBERTS, CO-PASTOR, BRONX HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH CHURCH: And cafeteria.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): A decade ago, the congregation won the right to use the space after hours as other social clubs are allowed to do in city public schools.

JACK ROBERTS, CO-PASTOR, BRONX HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH CHURCH: If people who pay taxes can rent the school for a nonreligious purpose, the people who want to use it for religious a purpose should also be able to do that.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): In other words, Pastor Hall, you should be able to worship wherever you want?

ROBERT HALL, CO-PASTOR, BRONX HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH CHURCH: Treat us the same as you do all the other groups. Don't discriminate against us because of our religious speech.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): For years, the city fought back in court arguing this church should not be allowed to use a school as a house of worship. Now the schools won and the church groups have to go. The city issuing only this statement, "The Department of Education was quite properly concerned about having any school in this diverse city identified with one particular religious belief or practice."

(on camera): But when it comes to the house of worship, the legal argument goes that's where it crosses the line.

HALL: That's a theological position. We don't think that the state ought to be making those kinds of theological decisions. Our theology tells us the church is people, not a building.

(CHANTING)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): More than 60 other congregations that also use the city's schools agree, staging protests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayor Bloomberg believes that children in New York City can't tell the difference between the church that rents the building on Sundays and the academic instruction that takes place Monday through Friday. New Yorkers are smarter than that. Our children are smarter than that. They know the difference.

ROBERTS: This is it. Right there. This is what we're building.

CANDIOTTI: Until they raise a half million dollars for this building, Bronx Household of Faith will squeeze into a house for Sunday worship. But they are not giving up. They will be back in federal court this week --

ROBERTS: It's not over yet.

CANDIOTTI: -- praying the city will change its tune.

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CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

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ROWLANDS: Coming up, we'll have new reaction to Whitney Houston's death. And we're still trying to get Aretha Franklin back on the phone. I think we're close. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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