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CNN Sunday Morning

Whitney Houston Remembered

Aired February 12, 2012 - 07:00   ET

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

TED ROWLANDS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Ted Rowlands.

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: It's 4:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, where the sudden death of pop icon Whitney Houston has just shocked the country. Many of you may just be waking up to this news. Celebrity singer Whitney Houston is dead. She was just 48 years old.

Here's what we know right now: Houston's body was found in a room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Police say there were no signs of, quote, "obvious criminal intent." The body was moved from the hotel to the morgue just a couple of hours ago, and that obviously is where they will try to determine the cause of death. A music industry executive staying in the room just above Houston's says she heard two loud booms and a man's voice. That was around 20 minutes before Houston was pronounced dead.

It's hard to know where to begin or how to describe the life of Whitney Houston.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

HAMMER: As both an entertainer and a person, she's been described as larger than life. She was born in 1963 to well-known gospel singer Cissy Houston. Her voice was discovered when she was a young girl singing at her church in Newark, New Jersey. Her debut album self-titled "Whitney Houston" sold 12 million copies. That was in the United States alone. She record aid string of billboard number one hits from the 1980s and 1990s, including songs of "Saving All My Love for You" and "How Will I Know."

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

HAMMER: And, of course, Houston went on to star with Kevin Costner in the hit movie "The Bodyguard." The soundtrack was one of the top 10 biggest selling albums of all time. And, of course, it included that fantastic of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You."

Her bright career later stalled in subsequent year as she battled drug problems, becoming better known for her high profile and tumultuous 15-year marriage to R&B star Bobby Brown of New Edition. They have one child together Bobbi Kristina.

Now, just before her death, Houston had just finished filming a remake of the 1970s movie "Sparkle." It is scheduled to be released nationwide in August. And that's according to Sony Pictures.

ROWLANDS: Shocked, stunned, and devastated. That's how many of music's biggest stars and fans around the world are saying they're feeling this morning at the sudden death of Whitney Houston.

Entertainment journalist Kelley Carter joins us from Los Angeles now.

Now, Kelley, you saw Whitney Houston in person just a few days ago. Where were you, and how did she look to you at that time?

KELLEY CARTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Yes, you know, I saw her when I was at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and I was there to interview Clive Davis, Brandy, and Monica, you know, her mentor ad two singers that she's mentored. They're performing at the Clive Davis party, which is just a few hours ago.

And she sat in on our interview. I kind of threw my hand up at her, waived at her. And she didn't look as good as I saw her a couple of months ago in Detroit when she was on set filming "Sparkle." You know, nothing that was entirely alarming, to be honest with you.

ROWLANDS: But she was actually sitting in the interview while you were conducting this interview.

CARTER: Yes.

ROWLANDS: That had to be a little nerve-wracking, to say the least.

CARTER: Just a little bit. You know, right before I walked in, I think it was a publicist kind of tapped me and said just so you know, Whitney Houston is in there and just probably going to sit in on your interview. What I learned later is that she was hanging out with Monica much of that day with her daughter Bobbi Kristina, who also was there.

And they were just kind of, you know, floating in and out, and I was kind of saw her in and around the hotel before that interview, during that interview, after that interview. And, unfortunately, that would be the last time that I would see her alive.

ROWLANDS: I know you talked to LL Cool Jay, too, hosting the Grammys tonight. What did he tell you about what we could expect tonight?

CARTER: I did. I talked with LL right as he was coming back from the last Grammy rehearsal, and he said he didn't want to divulge all the details, but they would be reworking the show to pay respectable tribute to Whitney Houston. We now know, of course, that Jennifer Hudson has signed on, and she obviously was someone who's influenced by Whitney Houston, signed on to perform a tribute to her. And that's all we know right now, but he was obviously very upset.

Also in attendance at that dinner, a long-time Whitney Houston friend, Magic Johnson, who said that he was very upset. Arsenio Hall was also there, very upset.

And also at that dinner I talked with was Tika Sumpter who plays one of Whitney Houston's daughters in "Sparkle." She was crying and very upset. I asked if she had reached out to any of the co-stars which also include Jordin Sparks, "American Idol" winner who stars as Sparkle in the film. She said, no, she hadn't talked with anyone as of yet.

Jill Scott, another singer was also there. She said -- you know, she kept shaking her head and said I can't, I can't, I can't. She was just not able to talk about Whitney Houston, a lot of tears.

You know, just a lot of people upset about that news.

ROWLANDS: All right. Kelley Carter, live for us this morning in Los Angeles -- thanks, Kelly.

CARTER: Thank you.

HAMMER: Stunning reaction coming in from around the world to Houston's death. A few statements that we're going this morning.

Dolly Parton issuing this statement, "Mine is one of only millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did of my song. And I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"

We're also hearing from Mariah Carey who, of course, shared the charts with Whitney Houston throughout the 1990s. Mariah tweeting this, she is, quote, "Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all of her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth."

This from Aretha Franklin, who also happens to be Houston's godmother. She said, quote, "I just can't talk about it now. It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby."

ROWLANDS: Whitney Houston's impact, of course, wasn't limited to Americans. People all over the world have been reacting to her sudden death. Our Josh Levs is monitoring that for us.

Good morning again, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you. Good morning again to both of you.

Let me tell you, folks, they are coming in from all over the world. We're getting an incredible number of messages. This behind me is Whitney Houston's official Web site. And you can see this beautiful image of her right her. And I want to flash something at you right here quickly, which is trend maps, which shows you around the world the kinds of tweet that are going out on any given moment, and you can see where it says #WHITNEYHOUSTON, in big letters. These are parts of the world in which there's an especially large number of tweets happening at any given moment. Take a look at that.

Now, of course, here at CNN, we have iReport, hearing from a lot of you via iReport. Let's go to a couple of those quotes that are coming out. I pulled up one here from Sheila, came in not long ago at all, and it says, "Whitney Houston was a diva, a songstress, an icon, a transformer. We should all be grateful for her beautiful voice and legacy she has left us where. My heart is aching."

Let's go this one, Tammy who wrote us this morning, "Thank you to her family who shared her with the world. Whitney, may you fill heaven with your voice."

Here's one from Tando of Kaluma. This one is interesting. We're hearing from people all over the world. "Such great stars go beyond touch and lift our community beyond measure."

Now, you can weigh in any time on iReport. We're also following you on Facebook and on Twitter. Her official Web site leads you to Facebook.

I also want to show you something really nice and visual here that we have for CNN.com. Our partners are from TIME.com, and in the wake of the death of an icon, "TIME" often will give us a spread of some iconic photos of the person who has died. So this is one of the photos they have of here this morning. This is all the way back in 1986 when Whitney was holding a sign from "Boston Herald" that said, "Say no to drugs."

Take a look at couple more of these photos. This one here says she's clapping her hands during a Kids Choice Awards, moving into the 1990s there.

And one more I'm going to show you before we go here. Really iconic photo. This is from shows her worldwide reach here. This photo, I think we can zoom in, it's black and white. But it's 1993.

There you go. October 1993 from when she was performing in the Netherlands, and I will tell you this morning we are hearing from people in Europe from all over the world.

Last hour, I read you a quote from an opera singer who said that she has influenced opera singers all over the world. We read you a quote from a woman in Africa who said she opened up the way, helped pave the way for black female performers. Not just in the United States, but in other parts of the world, certainly moving in the pop era.

So, we certainly look forward to hearing from you throughout the day with your thoughts, what she meant to you and what the music that Whitney Houston brought us meant to you. The moment that it played out in your lives and what it signifies.

So, keep those tweets and iReports and Facebook messages coming. I will see you all next hour with some of the latest.

Ted, back to you. Or, A.J.

HAMMER: All right. I'll take it there, Josh. Thank you very much.

Of course, Whitney meant so much to so many people, so many young stars, including Jennifer Hudson. Back in 2008, Whitney presented Jennifer Hudson with a Grammy. And in tonight's Grammy Awards, Hudson paying tribute to her idol. Details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS: The condolences continue to pour in this morning for Whitney Houston. Earlier this morning, I spoke to one of her colleagues, singer and actor Tyrese Gibson. He dedicated a performance to Whitney Houston last night in Houston, Texas. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRESE GIBSON, SINGER/ACTOR (via telephone): It's unbelievable. Whitney Houston created the standard in music as we see it today, and, you know, there's never been a female artist to ever do it the way Whitney Houston has done it. I just -- you know, I want to send my prayers and my shouts to the family and all of her friends and people that knew her and loved her over the years.

(MUSIC)

GIBSON: The power of music is that at some point some of the most significant things we've ever done in our life, music was there to add to it. Whitney Houston music will forever be in our hearts and our minds because her music has traveled into some of the darkest places, and that's also been a part of some of the most incredible, beautiful moments that people have shared in their lives.

ROWLANDS: Was it difficult for her the way she was at times portrayed and the things that she went through? Her troubles were well documented. Was it a difficult road for her?

GIBSON: I can't really speak for her, but can I only imagine it was difficult sometimes. Us as entertainers, we do have a responsibility to be and do our best as public figures. But because we make so much money or we have so much success and we become the stars, people stop -- people stop forgetting that we're human and that we're going to fall in love publicly and make mistakes publicly, and we're going to rub people the wrong way sometimes publicly, or sometimes you're going to have drug and alcohol problems publicly.

It's another level of pressure to deal with a drug or an alcoholic problem -- alcohol problem when so many people are watching. You're not dealing with any of these issues by yourself. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The New Jersey church where Whitney Houston got her start, a place so important to her, plans to pay tribute to her this morning.

Deborah Feyerick is just outside the New Hope Baptist Church.

Deb, I have to imagine -- it is such an emotional scene there this morning. What have you been hearing in?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it is a lot of the parishioners who came for the early service this morning. They were very quiet. The news is really still sinking in because she was such a big part of this church. She began in the junior choir here at New Hope Baptist Church, and you look at some video that we found on YouTube of her singing. The song she was singing was "Have a Little talk with Jesus."

Just take a listen for a second.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

FEYERICK: A.J., you know, there was a real joy. There was a real joy when she was performing. She described it as singing for God. She was part of the junior choir. Her mom was a gospel singer, very involved with this church.

New Jersey is a big part of who she was. She was really living here for the majority of her life, selling her house back in 2009, spending a lot more time in Atlanta, and also in Los Angeles. Her pastor yesterday had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE CARTER, PASTOR, NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH: This church, the church that Whitney Houston grew up in, is calling for prayer for daughter Bobbi Kristina and her mother, Dr. Emily "Cissy" Houston, and the entire Houston family and Whitney's fans. At this time, we're definitely asking for respect for the privacy of the family and the church during this time of grief and sorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: There's going to be a long service this morning, A.J. That begins at about 8:00. We're expected to hear a lot more from parishioners of that time. They're, of course, going to acknowledge her passing and figure out a way to honor her memory.

Remember, Aretha Franklin is her godmother. Her cousins are Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. So, just a strong sense of community and connection with this particular church, A.J.

HAMMER: Yes, she always stayed very close to those roots, and it was something that her mother was a part of for so many years, as you mentioned. Deb Feyerick, thanks so much.

Ted?

FEYERICK: We'll continue to bring you the latest on the death of Whitney Houston, but a quick pause. When we come back, we're going to look at some political news, including Sarah Palin. She has a message for the Republican presidential candidates. That message basically is play nice.

But that's not all she said yesterday. We'll tell you what else she said coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROWLANDS: We'll have more on Whitney Houston in just a moment.

But, first, here are some of the stories making news this morning. Mitt Romney has another notch in his belt with last night's win in the Maine caucuses. You can see the numbers there. Romney barely beat Ron Paul.

Paul had spent a lot of time campaigning for that good finish in Maine. The win ends the three contest winning streak that Rick Santorum had.

But Maine voters weren't the only ones giving Romney a victory. He also won the straw poll in the Conservative Political Action Convention, CPAC, the annual gathering of conservative activists.

Here are those numbers. Santorum finished second in the poll. Romney, Santorum, and Newt Gingrich all addressed the conference on Friday.

Sarah Palin closed out the CPAC convention with a rousing speech for Republicans. She took shots at President Obama, the Washington establishment, and, of course, the media. Palin did not endorse anyone on stage, but she did have this to say about how the eventual nominee should act.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Our candidate must be someone who can instinctively turn right to constitutional conservative principles. It's too late in the game to teach it or to spin it at this point. It's either there or it isn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Sarah Palin still an integral part of the Republican Party and the ongoing election process.

Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in our weather center now. Let's check in with him.

Reynolds, good morning once again to you. REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning to you, sir.

And it's going to be kind of an interesting morning for a lot of people who are trying to travel around the country. First and foremost, when we get to weather, one of the most important prospects of it is how it affects you. And the way it's going to affect you if you head to the airports, possibly some delays.

Cleveland, lake-effect snowfall could keep you grounded for just under an hour. We're expecting more of the same, New York. Not the snow but the wind could keep you grounded for that, and that's all the major airports we're talking in New York. LaGuardia, of course, JFK, and even over towards Newark, you might get some backups.

In Philadelphia, the wind is going to be an issue. Yes, the wind in Chicago, and Miami, surprisingly, not the wind, and a few thunderstorms in the afternoon maybe in the fray could give you some backups.

Now, what we also anticipate is going to be that rush for cold air that continue to tumble its way into parts of the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic States. We do have some snow. That's going to be that lake-effect activity, and as we zoom in, you'll notice that the heavy snowfall is actually going to be up in parts of the Appalachians. Could see anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snowfall.

As we approach the lake, wow, the machines are roaring today. We've got the wind coming out of the Northwest, and that Northwest breeze moving right across the lakes that's going to really pick up a lot of that evaporation off of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and the result could be anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snowfall. Lake- effect activity should be happening in Syracuse, maybe even as far south as Binghamton. Maybe not Buffalo as much because there's going to be more of a northwesterly as opposed to just a due west breeze. We couldn't see the snow begin to really pick up.

As we wrap things up, what we're going to be seeing over the next couple of days, a lot of purple out there. That's your advisory for the next storm system.

As we very quickly wrap this thing up, you're going to see that low eject from parts of the four corners. Dip down a bit, and there we go back into portions of the Central Plains. Snow moves into Monday. By 7:00 a.m., we could see snow for the Central Plains, and rain in Texas.

That's your forecast. That's a wrap. Ted, back to you.

ROWLANDS: All right. Thanks, Reynolds.

The story we've been following all morning, one of the music's greatest voices. A special tribute planned today for Whitney Houston. We'll have more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: The song she originally sang back up for Chaka Khan.

And coming up throughout the day, we're going to be bringing you tributes to Whitney Houston from coast-to-coast. Next hour, we're going to be live outside the Newark, New Jersey, church where the pop icon got her start as a child, singing in the church choir. And then at 11:00 Eastern, Reverend Al Sharpton will call for a national prayer for Houston's family during services at the Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles.

And beginning at 3:00 Eastern, we will be live from the red carpet at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. Of course, we'll be getting plenty of reaction to Houston's death from some of the music industry's biggest stars -- Ted.

ROWLANDS: And also at the Grammy Awards tonight, producers are planning to honor Whitney Houston with some of today's top talent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH EHRLICH, EXEC. PRODUCER, GRAMMY AWARDS SHOW: Our plan at this point is we do -- I've asked Jennifer Hudson to come, and we're really at this moment, you know, talking about what she's going to do. But it will be something respectful. It's not going to be a full blown tribute. To me, that feels like it's too early. It's too fresh at this moment.

So, we're working on something that will be really respectful and appropriate to Whitney's memory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Houston won a total of six Grammys throughout her career. The first in 1985 for best pop vocal performance for the song "Saving All My Love for You."

A.J. and I will be back next hour with more on the life of Whitney Houston and the reaction to her death.

But, first, "DR. SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts now.