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Death of Whitney Houston; Protesters Rage in Athens; Whitney Houston's Rise to Superstardom; Queen of Soul Reacts to Houston's Death; Radio Community Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston
Aired February 12, 2012 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live in Los Angeles. Thank you so much for joining us. Tonight, we remember a music legend, a woman whose soaring voice can still send chills up your spine, whose personality and talent were big enough to fill arenas. Whitney Houston dead at the age of 48.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(WHITNEY HOUSTON SINGING "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Houston should be at the Grammys tonight with the rest of music's superstars, instead, her life ended on Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel room. An autopsy has been performed on her body, but it could take as long as eight weeks to get the toxicology results back. Investigators say a bodyguard found Houston unconscious in a bathtub. Paramedics performed CPR, but she was pronounced dead at the hotel.
TMZ is reporting that pill bottles were found at the scene, and this is also courtesy of TMZ -- a picture of Bobbi Kristina, the 18- year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital. But it seems she is OK. A source close to the family tells CNN that she has since been released.
Tonight, the music industry is honoring Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards. Jennifer Hudson is leading a musical tribute to the woman she considered both a friend and an idol.
I want to bring in our Casey Wian now who is following the investigation very closely into Houston's death.
And Casey, it's good to talk to you today and get some of the behind-the-scenes information. Let's give some of that to our viewers now. You mentioned that we have heard from the coroner in this case. Take us deeper inside of this investigation.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. As you mentioned, the coroner came out this afternoon and revealed that the autopsy on Whitney Houston's body has in fact been completed. He said that there were no visible signs of trauma and that foul play is not suspected at this time. But that is about all that he would say. And that is because, Don, the Beverly Hills Police Department has requested that a security hold be placed on the results of this autopsy. That is to allow their investigation to proceed. There were many people at the Beverly Hilton Hotel when Whitney Houston died. They are going to want to talk to all of those people, and there's a lot of evidence that they need to go through.
The coroner is saying that these types of security holds are very common, especially in high profile celebrity deaths. One was placed on the autopsy of Michael Jackson for example. Also, the coroner is saying that he would not discuss reports of prescription medication, bottles found in Whitney Houston's hotel room or any other possibility that any drugs may or may not have been found there. He is saying that he will not have any further comment until perhaps Wednesday of this week.
And as you mentioned, those toxicology results will not be available for perhaps six to eight weeks according to the coroner. So that may mean we may not know exactly what killed Whitney Houston for quite some time, Don.
LEMON: Yes. You know, it came as a shock to a lot of people today when we learned about Bobbi Kristina, her daughter, having to go to the hospital. And I think they said she went to the hospital twice. But as I mentioned at the top of the broadcast, she has been released.
Casey, do we know where she is now?
WIAN: Yes. Our understanding as you mentioned is this afternoon she was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center here in Los Angeles and she was there for a couple of hours. She has been released according to sources and she is traveling back to New Jersey, we are told, to be with family, Don.
LEMON: Casey Wian, thank you very much. Good job on reporting the inside of this investigation. Casey, we will look to you throughout the weeks until we get the toxicology results.
Meantime, Whitney Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, did not join his bandmates at a New Edition concert tonight. Brown was scheduled to perform at a reunion tour stop in Nashville.
CNN's George Howell, outside the Metro Nashville Municipal Auditorium right now.
So, George, what is the mood there tonight? What's going on?
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, not the mood you expect at a regular concert. This concert was just about to start a few minutes ago when he went inside. And when people went to the front door, take a look, this is what they saw -- that Bobby Brown would not appear with New Edition. Fans were told they could get their money back if they chose to do so. But people we spoke to, they seemed to understand what's going on, obviously. Bobbi Kristina was in a hospital earlier today with a non-life-threatening condition. People tell me that they are supporting the family. They want to be here for Bobby Brown, but they say being here is bitter sweet. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN WEBSTER, NEW EDITION FAN: I would love to have seen Bobby tonight. I saw Bobby years ago in South Carolina. I mean, he was awesome then and I was really looking forward to it, but, again, I understand that he needs to be, you know, with his daughter.
LEONARD WEBSTER, NEW EDITION FAN: My heart goes out to him, his family, Whitney's family. As a father, I understand what he is dealing with and, you know, when I heard that he was at a concert last night and heard, I expected for him to leave immediately. And the fact that he came here to Nashville not knowing if he was going to be able to do the show or not, but then hearing that his daughter was in peril and immediately left, again, as my friend said, he had to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: And Bobby Brown was here in Nashville at one point, but we confirm he has left the city. He is not speaking on camera at this point, as you can understand. But he did release this statement that I would like to read 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 towards my family and I at this most difficult time."
Again, people here happy to be here. They say that they are here to support Bobby Brown, to support his family. Obviously, some people miss seeing him, but people say they understand, Don.
LEMON: Yes. George Howell, thank you very much. And I should tell our viewers - I'm not exactly sure, this is not confirmed, but I am being told that Bobby Brown came to L.A. to pick her daughter up and to bring her back to the East Coast. So, we will see and we'll work on getting more information on that.
George Howell, thank you very much. We appreciate your reporting.
How can Whitney Houston rule the charts for a decade and a half? A look back now at her golden years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hers was a voice instantly recognized by millions. Legendary recording artist Whitney Houston sold more that 170 million albums with hits including "Saving All My Love For You" and "The Greatest Love of All," but perhaps her crowning achievement was her 1992 cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" from her film "The Bodyguard" with Kevin Costner.
Whitney Houston was born into a musical family in Newark, New Jersey in 1963. Her incredible talent was discovered at an early age and she was signed by Arista Records in 1983. Her first two albums brought seven consecutive number one hits, surpassing a record set by the Beatles and the Bee Gees.
She went on to become music's most awarded female artist of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records. She won six Grammys, two Emmys, 16 Billboard Music Awards and 23 American Music Awards and was named Female Artist of the Decade at the Soul Train Music Awards in 2000.
But her career stalled as she struggled with drugs and alcohol and her stormy relationship with singer Bobby Brown became tabloid fodder. She filed for divorce in 2006. In 2009, a comeback. Houston released her first studio album in seven years. It debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITNEY HOUSTON, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER: It humbled me and it kind of like -- kind of like said, OK, I think I want to do this just one more time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: But her tour was reportedly plagued with vocal difficulties. Her reps blamed an upper respiratory infection. In 2011, her publicist said Houston was seeking help for her addiction. The performer was said to appear in the upcoming film "Sparkle," her first movie role since "The Preacher's Wife" in 1996.
Her sudden death shocked fans and musicians across the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON COWELL, "THE X FACTOR": I am absolutely devastated by this news. I am so sad for her. She was undoubtedly one of the greatest superstars of all time. One of the greatest voices, you know, in our lifetime that we will ever see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Whitney Houston's golden years as reported by CNN's Fredricka Whitfield.
Coming up on CNN -- facing bankruptcy. Greek lawmakers felt they had little choice but to act, but furious protesters didn't see it the same way. They feel betrayed and took out their anger on police in Athens.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: It has been a day of bitter fighting in Athens. Greek protesters battled police in the streets while lawmakers debated a new bailout deal. The agreement pass and should save Greece from bankruptcy next month. But as Matthew Chance explains the public anger is far from over.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the vote inside this Greek parliament was never seriously in doubt, and as expected, the controversial austerity bill was overwhelmingly approved. It means Greece gets the bailout funds it desperately needs to avoid bankruptcy next month and a chaotic crash out of the Euro.
Here in 3.13 2210(INAUDIBLE), the Greek Prime Minister, Lucas Papademos, again stressed how important it was for the country to avoid default, telling lawmakers that the decision would be historic and set the course for Greece's future. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCAS PAPADEMOS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It would be just a catastrophic bankruptcy and the social cost is limited in comparison with economic and social disaster which would follow if we didn't adopt it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Outside though here in Syntagma Square, the anger in Greek public opinion turned to violence. Tens of thousands of protesters clashing with riot police, setting buildings on fire and fighting pitch battles in the streets, choking tear gas clogged the air, stun grenades shook the ground in some of the worst violence Greece has seen in years.
But the government may have passed these austerity measures, but many Greeks are now bitterly angry after two years of painful cuts and deep recession. They are now expected to cut even more.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Athens.
LEMON: The Arab League is proposing a daring plan to end the bloodshed in Syria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SCENES OF SHOOTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The League wants to work with the United Nations to send a joint peacekeeping force to monitor a proposed ceasefire. The decision follows a brutal week in Syria. Activists say at least 23 people were killed today. It's not clear whether Syria would sign on to a new peace plan or if the UN would join a peacekeeping mission.
More on the death of Whitney Houston straight ahead here on CNN. We're going to hear from another singing legend, Chaka Khan. But first this. Some tips for one of the most important financial decisions in your lifetime -- saving for retirement. Here's CNN's Ali Velshi and Christine Romans with this week's "Mastering Your Money."
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Our good friend Bruce always says people would save better if they knew what their retirement looks like.
Do you know what your retirement looks like?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, CNN'S "YOUR BOTTOM LINE": My retirement, well, I know what you think your retirement looks like. You want to be -- wasn't it you want to be on a cruise but on land or something?
VELSHI: Right. That's right.
ROMANS: I don't want an umbrella drink and I don't want a villa in Tuscany, right? I want to make sure my kids have a college education that is paid for and I want to make sure I have enough money to make it to the end.
VELSHI: Right.
ROMANS: And so, I'm not looking for something lavish. I just want security and comfort.
VELSHI: You wrote something on our book about at the turn of the, you know, 1900 -- in the year 1900, the average age that you lived to was like 42.
ROMANS: I know. I know.
VELSHI: Nobody had to worry about outliving retirement. Here, year after year, we come out with these medical developments and breakthroughs and I'm not sure people think every year, wow, I'm going to be healthier, I'm going to live longer, but saving enough for it --
ROMANS: We are not saving enough for it. I mean, chances are you are not saving enough for it, right? And that's just -- and that's just the bottom line. And you know, the expenses in health care, you look at some of the statistics and you know how I get so nervous about the amount of money you need to cover all your medical expenses. I mean, it's something like a quarter of a million dollars by most recent surveys.
You look at how much it costs to be in a nursing home even after insurance, your insurance. Your out of pocket costs are pretty high. I don't mean to be Debbie Downer about money, but I do think that we could focus a little bit more on the long term than on the near term.
VELSHI: So, you and I wrote a book together, you definitely take the lead. You're the organized one between the two of us and also you worry more about these things.
ROMANS: That's true. VELSHI: I sort of have this view like retirement that it's going to work out, it will all be fine.
In a marriage, in a relationship, who should take the lead on retirement planning?
ROMANS: The one who bothers the most. It should be someone -- and it's OK if one person is completely in charge. I don't think that there's -- I don't think it should be 50-50. It could go crazy. But I do think the person who, as Doug Flynn says in our book, you know, those certified financial planner accredited, and he says, and from Flynn Zito Capital Management, he says, you know, the person who bothers the most is the person who should take the lead. And I agree with that.
VELSHI: All right, Christine, good to see you. I'm Ali Velshi with this week's "Mastering Your Money."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Singer Chaka Khan is among the friends and entertainers reacting to the death of Whitney Houston. You can hear the emotion in her voice as she tells HLN about her last conversation with Whitney Houston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAKA KHAN, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER: I'm still in shock. I can't wrap my head around the fact that -- I won't be able to call her and say hey anymore, you know? Man, that's the hardest thing for me.
UNIDENTIFIED HOST: How difficult --
KHAN: I love her -- I love her very much. I love her.
UNIDENTIFIED HOST: And you say you love her and we can hear in your voice, we could hear how stunned you are. How difficult is it going to be for you tonight to put those emotions aside and give a proper tribute to Whitney at the Grammys?
KHAN: I don't know. I'm just going to pray that I can do it. She was like a sister to me. And I -- I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I want to do what I can.
UNIDENTIFIED HOST: When was the last time you spoke with Whitney Houston?
KHAN: It was I think the end of last summer I saw her. She came to - friends and I were working here in L.A. and she came to the gig. And she came up on stage with me and we sang together. And afterwards we talked for like over an hour in my dressing room. And we had a wonderful talk and -- wow. You know, it's so surreal to me. I just saw her.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Chaka Khan reacting to the death of her friend Whitney Houston. She called her a little sister.
Next, a look at the stories affecting your week ahead. Plus, we'll talk to a producer who produced Whitney Houston's first album.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONI BRAXTON, SINGER: I wanted to be like her. I always wanted to sing like that, never could though. But, you know, she was a wonderful person. Always giving of herself. But, you know, her music will live forever. She will forever be a superstar. Forever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she was. She was a superstar.
BRAXTON: Superstar. Yes. They don't make them like that anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Now to the big stories in the week ahead. From the White House to Hollywood, our correspondents tell you what you need to know. We begin tonight with the president's plans for the week.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. On Monday, President Obama unveils his new budget for 2013. He will lay out all the details at a community college in nearby Virginia. Then on Wednesday, he hits the road on a three-day- trip, making stops in California, Missouri, and Washington State. It will be a mix of campaign and policy events.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Well, coming up this week, Wall Street is awaiting earnings from auto giant General Motors. The company is expected to post a $6.5 billion profit for 2011. We will get those numbers on Thursday. And on the economic front, we'll get the latest retail sales numbers as well as housing starts and the Fed will release the minutes of its last meeting. We'll also get the latest inflation data on both the wholesale and the consumer level. We will track that all for you all week and see how the market responds on CNN Money.
A.J. HAMMER, ANCHOR, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer. Here's what we are watching this week. We are live after the Grammy Awards on Monday morning. We will have all of the big shockers and, of course, all of the show-stopping moments. And the legendary Gloria Estefan and the always entertaining Wendy Williams will stop by this week.
Catch "Showbiz Tonight" exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HLN.
LEMON: All right. And keeping our focus on your week ahead, Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center.
Jacqui, is the cold weather going to hang around for tomorrow morning's commute?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Beautiful shot though.
JERAS: Isn't it pretty? There's snow flakes coming down at the airport at 3:40, but I don't see any in that picture. I don't know if you do.
LEMON: I don't see anything. Beautiful shot but not so much for tomorrow morning's commute. So, you have been warned by Jacqui Jeras.
Jacqui, thank you. Appreciate it.
We want to get back now to the story that's on so many minds right now. The death of singer Whitney Houston. The superstar was just 48 years old, 48 years young, really.
The autopsy is done, but the toxicology results could take as many as eight weeks to get back. Investigators say a bodyguard found Houston unconscious in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel, the Beverly Hilton as a matter of fact. Paramedics performed CPR but she was pronounced dead at the hotel.
TMZ is reporting tonight that pill bottles were found at the scene. Again, that is TMZ reporting that. This is also courtesy of TMZ. This picture right here. It's Bobbi Kristina, the 18-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, being rushed to the hospital -- to a Los Angeles hospital. But it seems she is OK. A source close to the family tells CNN that she has since been released.
And Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown pulled out of a performance with his group, New Edition. Brown released a statement saying he is deeply saddened by Houston's passing. Also in a concert last night, he mentioned his ex-wife and said he loved her and was thinking of her and her family.
Tony Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Holliday remembers Whitney Houston also and earlier she spoke about her memories of her friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY, TONY AWARD-WINNER ACTRESS: Whitney was one of the most down -- just so down home and just nice and kind-hearted. And I had met her early on because I knew so many of the same people that she knew -- Michael Jackson and all these people that I knew, of course, through "Dreamgirls" and then Aretha Franklin and singers and staff.
I got to know her just as a nice person. And she was always very kind-hearted. And when I had fallen upon hard times and had lost my home and trying to get my career back together, she kind of stepped in to try to figure out, OK, so how are you going to get work and how are you going to do it and she would offer me jobs.
And one time she had a birthday party and she said, well, I can book you to sing for that. And she and I were label-mates briefly. I was with Arista Records. I did one album for them. And I also sing for the Clive Davis party, which she was always at. And she personally took me around to people, introduced me and personally saw after me. She was always just trying to show that she cared about people.
She was also that same way with her musicians early on. And that I learned from her how to treat musicians, you know, just in terms of her piano player who was a musical director. She loved them and his death was one of her first tragic deaths. The loss of the piano player and how she cared for them and the family.
So, she always has been a very caring person. And I think it got all mixed up because she didn't have a lot to say about a lot of things, meaning like I'm very deep and analytical about life itself. You didn't feel darkness from her. And you know you can get that from some people, some artists. They feel dark. They feel secretive. You didn't feel that. You always felt the light from her. She was always uplifting and trying to help people, you know, by connecting them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Jennifer Holliday, also one of the nicest people I know as well. Thank you, Jennifer Holliday.
Up next, a conversation with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Her thoughts on Whitney Houston and some words of wisdom for young artists.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A U.S. automaker is on the road to recovery three years after the government bailed it out. General Motors is expected to post a record profit of about $8 billion in its earnings report on Thursday, but auto giant says it has a greater goal -- to make more than $10 billion a year. It's a dramatic shift for the company that needed billions in taxpayer money to avoid collapse in 2009.
It's a rough road ahead for consumers who are already paying more money at the pumps. Regular unleaded is averaging $3.50 a gallon and gas prices are expected to jump another 50 to 60 cents by May. Watch for a report on consumer inflation on Friday.
And when it comes to love, it's going to cost you this Valentine's Day. According to the National Retail Federation, the average consumer will spend about $126 on their special someone, the highest since the survey began 10 years ago.
That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." I'm Alison Kosik.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Let's take a trip back down memory lane, as we say, to the beginning of Whitney Houston's legendary career and get perspective from someone who worked closely with her, very closely with her. Grammy and Emmy Award-winning producer Narada Michael Walden witnessed her meteoric rise firsthand. He produced her first albums and he's joining us now on the phone.
That was -- what an amazing time for Whitney Houston and I'm sure for you, Mr. Walden. Give us a sense of Whitney's beginnings. Before you do that, how are you doing? I'm sorry. How are you doing?
NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN, EMMY AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER: I'm doing -- I'm feeling much better now, thank you. I was in shock and -- like most of the world, but now I'm kind of just going to celebrate her life and to pass on the love for her music and the love for her and accomplish all (ph) that we know about all of this.
LEMON: Yes. And let's go back to the beginning now. And, you know, as they call her, Nippy, right? Some people call her Whit. Some people call her Nippy. She is this young kid. She's got all this talent. She puts off these albums and then, boom. It was a rocket ride to the top.
WALDEN: That is correct. She had all the talent in the world and all the good looks to go with it and the big push from Clive Davis and the company behind her and all the great producers helping to work on it. It was a wonderful time in life. An absolute wonderful time.
LEMON: Did you guys become close? And if so, did you remain close through the years? What was your relationship like through the years?
WALDEN: Yes. I remained close with her all throughout her life and I was very happy to be the first -- I worked with her "How Will I Know" at the very beginning.
LEMON: And how did -- what was it? Like 7 or 8 number ones on that first album?
WALDEN: I'm not sure of the number, but I know that (INAUDIBLE) number one as the fourth single "How Will I Know."
LEMON: Amazing. So, tell me about your relationship because people, everyone, you know, we saw the public part of her, we saw her in concert, we saw her in the movies and what have you, her relationship with Bobby Brown. But tell us, what was it like working with her both inside and outside of work? In the studio and out of the studio.
WALDEN: In the studio, first of all, let me say that she's a very sensitive woman and she comes from, you know, blue blood royalty with her mom being Cissy Houston and her aunt being Dionne Warwick, and her beautiful dad John Houston who had since passed away.
But, you know, she was very, very sensitive. So, in approaching her and being with her, she had to know that she could trust you, that you were on her side and that you were there for her best, and that she could put her hair down with you would be alright.
So, that was like letter A -- to give her the love and the trust. And your flowers or teddy bear or anything sweet and putting on some candles, to always make it feel very homey and very relaxed. And then we can just get on to wonderful music where she would just put her heart out. And she trusts me to make her best recordings and I'm very, very proud of that.
And outside the studio, she had a great sense of humor. Loved to laugh and loved to be happy. And, you know, like electricity going through her. She was a Leo, so her heart was full of fire and very dynamic person. Very beautiful person. And everyone loved to just talk to her and approach her. So that was a wonderful quality that she had.
LEMON: It's funny that you should say that because I have an older sister who has the same personality as Whitney Houston. And my sister is Lisa. They are twins and she is a Leo as well.
Listen, I don't want to dwell on this. What did you know about her struggles and I'm asking you that because I'm wondering if you tried -- if you tried to help her through or give her guidance. Not to dwell on the negativity, but were you there for her and did you try to talk to her?
WALDEN: Well, I'm -- she's always known I was there for her. Whenever I see her, we hug each other and embrace each other as a love (INAUDIBLE). So, that's as far as I can go with that, you know, that she always has been there. Because whenever I see her, she always wants to go over a new song or a new project or whatever. So we have always been close.
And last I saw -- last time I saw her was actually this time last year with her and her daughter, Bobbi, and Dionne Warwick and all together and she was very happy. And then Bobbi, her daughter, I said I'll produce her and make her, you know, and I told Bobbi, well, you know, talk to your mom and whatever your mom wants, then we will do that. Whitney and I kind of smiled at each other. Always very affectionate and very loving. So, my life with her, it's always been nothing but a family feeling and a very loving feeling and a very kind feeling.
LEMON: Narada Michael Walden, thank you for taking the time, OK.
Aretha Franklin's powerful words of wisdom to young celebrities. That's next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA ROSS, SINGER: She had such an incredible voice and such a beautiful, beautiful face. I remember the first time I saw her first on records. Just a beautiful girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: In tonight's "What Matters," the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is sharing her thoughts tonight on the death of Whitney Houston. And in this rare interview, she pours her heart out to young celebrities about how to survive in the music business. She is making her "What Matters" segment this week.
(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)
ARETHA FRANKLIN, QUEEN OF SOUL: It's stunning, just absolutely stunning. I could not believe what I was reading coming across the 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.
I would just like to caution younger artists, male and female, and particularly those who are in the very high level income. And that is that they should be prepared for what you're going to do when your success plays out.
And I would like to put it in the words that my dad put into me. He cautioned me very early on, saying that no matter who you are and no matter how good you are, one day the applause is going to stop. One day the hallelujahs and the amens are not going to be happening and one day the fans may not be there. So be prepared for whatever it is you are going to do when that happens, because it is definitely going to happen.
There is always someone coming behind you. And you have to be prepared in terms of future income, how you are going to retire and so on so that you don't wind up just being in a position you don't want to be in. So those things are so very, very careful.
If the money that is rolling in now for a lot of us -- the money, as my father said, is going to stop and that was the truth. The money is not going to be always coming like it may be coming now. So you've got to really look ahead and plan ahead for what you are going to do when it stops, because it is going to stop.
(END AUDIOTAPE)
LEMON: Enough said. That was the Queen of Soul and it's great advice. Thank you, Miss Aretha Franklin.
Whitney Houston had a profound effect on radio listeners and up next the radio community pays tribute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The ripple effect of Houston's death is being felt where it all started for her -- radio. Houston was unstoppable in the 1980s and early 90s, racking up hit after hit after hit. Holly Firfer talked to radio hosts about the void she leaves behind.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Whitney Houston loved to have fun on the radio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOUSTON (SINGING): I want to feel the heat with somebody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, we love you, Whitney Houston.
HOUSTON: I love you too.
FIRFER: Like singing along with radio personality Wanda Smith. Houston was more than just an artist to the staff of V-103, one of the top-rated urban radio stations in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK SKI, V-103 RADIO MORNING SHOW HOST: The one and only, Whitney Houston. I'm Frank Ski.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: D.J. Frank Ski said she was also a friend.
SKI: She was really down to earth. She was just like the girl next door when you got to meet her.
FIRFER: Her music was played often on the station and she was a frequent guest on the Frank and Wanda Morning Show, sharing not only her music but her life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOUSTON: And tears were on her face and mine, my mother's and, you know, we were just all family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: So the news of her passing was a shock to everyone there who dedicated their Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to the loss of a musical icon.
GRANDMASTER D, HIP-HOP ARTIST: I'm so broke. I feel like I am standing here (INAUDIBLE).
FIRFER: Even fellow musicians like Grandmaster D called in to express their condolences.
(on camera): Selling more than 170 million albums in her career, program directors say Whitney Houston changed the music industry by crossing all musical genres.
REGGIE ROUSE, CBS RADIO VICE PRESIDENT, URBAN PROGRAMMING: She was our princess in the urban world, but it crossed over to America. It was Whitney Houston to me at one point was colorless. Whether you were black, white, Asian, it didn't matter. You loved Whitney Houston. FIRFER (voice over): Releasing her first album in 1985, her 27- year career landed her on top of the Billboard charts 11 times, setting a standard not easily reached. But industry insiders say she paved the way for the up and coming artists of today.
ROUSE: I think Whitney Houston influenced every vocalist in today's music genre, whether it's Alicia Keys, whether it's Jennifer Hudson. We grew up watching Whitney Houston.
FIRFER: Even though Whitney is gone, her music will play on radio stations for generations to come.
Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Holly, thank you very much.
When we return, the biggest names in entertainment pay tribute to the Queen of Pop.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Whitney Houston died Saturday night in Beverly Hills, too young, at the age of 48. Those who share the star spotlight reflect upon her life, the life of this pop superstar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: She sent so much love out to the world and she was an inspiration for so many people. And, you know, we are there with her.
GLADYS KNIGHT, SINGER: I have known her from a little girl up, you know, and her family, of course. And I am venturing out to say this and may get some flak, but there will never be another voice like that.
TONY BENNETT, SINGER: When I first heard Whitney Houston, I called up Clive Davis because I'm on the same label, you know, at Sony Columbia. And I said, Clive, you've got the right artist. I said, that's one of the greatest singers I ever heard.
DAVID FOSTER, MUSICIAN: Well, I just remember when we were doing "The Bodyguard" that she would work all day filming, tired from that, she'd come into the studio and just rip her coat off and go up to the mike like I said, like a racehorse. And she is the definitive girl. You know, I love great voices and hers was the greatest of all.
MATTHEW MORRISON, ACTOR: You know that voice anywhere. I grew up listening to the "Bodyguard" sound track. That was like my jam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was amazing to see someone like that. To have all the star qualities and be able to sing like that. People who have the star quality are not necessarily excellent. You know, we see, she was excellent and a star. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The memories that I have with her is sitting with her in Atlanta, talking about the music that she wanted to do, you know, talking about the songs that she wanted me to write for her. She said, "I just need people to know that I'm happy, you know, I'm not bitter, I'm not depressed, I'm happy. I got my kids, my music and my God. I'm happy."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You know it was just an incredible 24 hours it has been. 24 hours ago, I was in another studio in another city reporting on the death of Whitney Houston. That was in Atlanta. Now I'm here in Los Angeles and it is still surreal to believe that she has passed with the Grammy Awards going on just a few miles away from here.
I will be here all week covering the story and we wish Whitney Houston's family and friends and fans the very best. Our hearts, prayers and thoughts are with you.
I'm Don Lemon in Los Angeles. We hope that we have done and we think we have done a respectful job of handling this story. We're going to leave you tonight with a classic Whitney Houston song.
Whitney, we will always love you. Good night, everybody.
