In 2022, the biographical film ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ gave insight into Whitney Houston’s life, exploring her relationship with Robyn Crawford. Before the film’s release, Crawford shared details of their years together in her book, ‘A Song For You: My Life With Whitney Houston.’

The former assistant’s book revealed that the two’s friendship started at a camp when she was a 19-year-old basketball player in college, and the singer was a 16-year-old going to Mount St. Dominic Academy, although it turned into something more in the following years.

Houston and Crawford formed a sexual relationship sometime after their first meeting, which lasted for only two years, while their closeness continued for more than 20. The singer ended the romantic part of their friendship after signing her first deal with Arista Records by handing her partner a Bible and saying she didn’t want to make her path in the music industry in the ’80s more difficult.

Still, the two continued as friends, and Houston hired Crawford as her assistant when her career grew. They lived in the same house and remained close, even occasionally sharing a bed, although the author admitted that things became difficult for her after the late singer started dating Jermaine Jackson, Eddie Murphy, and finally, Bobby Brown, whom she married.

Commenting on that period, Crawford wrote:

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

Meanwhile, rumors about the two’s affair started to spread in the media, as a serious profile in Time magazine once hinted at the relationship. So, Houston’s lawyer called Crawford to ask whether they were true, which she refused to answer, angering the singer, who wanted her to say ‘no.’

On the other hand, within the ‘I Will Always Love You’ singer’s inner circle, hostility toward Crawford grew due to their friendship. Her mother, Cissy, called their affair unnatural and wanted her daughter’s friend not to be seen with her in public. She also refused to listen to her suggestions about getting help for Houston’s drug addiction.

Later, Houston’s father banned Crawford from business meetings. In 1997, he even excluded her from a 10-date Pacific Rim tour after years of touring together. A few years after that, Robyn quit her job and distanced herself from the singer, establishing a new life in rural New Jersey.

The former assistant met her now-wife, Lisa, and had two children with her there. She didn’t talk to Houston for years until her death in 2012, although she said:

“But I was always there for her. I kept feeling she was going to come, and I told Lisa, ‘When Whitney comes to our door, that door has to open.'”

Houston lost her life in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton, and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office later revealed that drowning and the ‘effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use’ were the reasons for her death. In the years following that, her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, told Us Weekly that he thought Houston would be alive today if Crawford remained in her life.

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Most know Cissy Houston as the mother of the late Whitney Houston. But Cissy’s career and influence in the American music scene began long before her daughter’s rise to stardom. A two-time Grammy Award winner, she has worked with some of the famous names in the industry, including Elvis Presley.

Her Early Life

Born Emily ‘Cissy’ Drinkard on September 30, 1933, Cissy’s career began as a background singer for various artists, including Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin. She then went on to launch a solo career that yielded her two Grammy Awards. Her first Grammy came in 1996 for the album ‘Face to Face’ in the category of Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. She won again in the same category in 1998 for her album ‘He Leadeth Me.’

Cissy’s Family, Marriages, and Children

Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, with actor William Elliott, in 1972

Apart from being the mother of Whitney Houston, Cissy is also the aunt of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and a cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Her family also includes her only grandchild, Bobbi Kristina Brown, who was Whitney’s only child.

Cissy’s first marriage was to Freddie Garland in 1955, and they had a son, Gary Garland, born on October 12, 1957. Gary later became an NBA basketball player and was inducted into DePaul University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Houston’s second marriage was to John Russell Houston Jr., with whom she had two more children: Michael, born on August 14, 1961, and Whitney, born on August 9, 1963.

The marriage to John Houston Jr. lasted from May 1964 until 1991 and was marked by ups and downs, including a near-fatal heart attack suffered by John in 1976.

John was initially a taxi and truck driver, but he later ventured into the entertainment industry by managing his nieces-in-law’s vocal group, Drinkard Sisters, in 1959. He later managed The Sweet Inspirations, a group his wife was a part of until she left the group in 1969 to focus on her solo career.

The Impact of Whitney Houston’s Death on Cissy

Whitney faced struggles with drug addiction. Cissy intervened on multiple occasions to help her daughter enter rehabilitation programs. She even obtained a court order and the assistance of law enforcement to ensure Whitney received treatment.

In the wake of Whitney’s death on February 11, 2012, Cissy expressed dissatisfaction with the media’s coverage. Speaking to WWOR news anchor Brenda Blackmon, she said:

“The media are awful. People have come from here and there, and they don’t know what they’re talking about. People I haven’t seen in 20 years… Here they come; they think they know everything, but that’s not true. But God has his way of taking care of all of it, and I’m glad I know that. They really chopped on her, chopped on her … kept, kept, kept.”

She also clarified that she did not blame herself for the way Whitney’s life unfolded, stating that she knew she did her best for her children.

Cissy authored a book in 2013 titled ‘Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped,‘ where she details her late daughter’s ascent to fame and the battles she faced with substance abuse.

Health Concerns and Late Life

Reportedly, Cissy Houston is in the early stages of dementia, a condition that affects over 47.5 million people globally. Despite her health challenges, she remains involved in family affairs and even released an official statement concerning claims of alleged abuse within the family.

Born in 1933, Cissy will celebrate her 89th birthday on September 30 this year.

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The love story between Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston remains one of music history’s most talked-about and tumultuous romances. Their close friendship evolved into a passionate romance at Houston’s birthday party. In 1991, Brown took a significant step and proposed marriage to Houston, and the couple tied the knot at Houston’s estate in 1992.

However, their marriage was marred by rumors of infidelity, substance abuse, and domestic violence. The couple’s relationship reached a breaking point in 2003 when Bobby faced battery charges following an altercation with Whitney. In September 2006, Houston filed for legal separation, and their divorce was finalized on April 2007.

Still, life had more in store for Brown as he crossed paths with Alicia Etheredge. Although they met in the late ’80s, they formed a platonic friendship for years. Following his split from Houston, Etheridge noticed Bobby struggling with heartbreak, as she revealed to People in a 2022 interview:

“He was in a pretty sad place. I saw him dealing with heartbreak. I saw him fighting to get back to his music and to what he loves.”

In his difficult days, Brown found solace in Alicia’s presence, and their bond soon transformed into a romantic relationship. In 2012, Brown and Etheredge married and welcomed three children together. Their love story, however, has not been without its challenges, as they carry the weight of the singer’s previous marriage to Houston.

Reflecting on the relationship between Brown and Houston, Alicia said in the same interview:

“Bobby and Whitney were their time. I also came from a place. So knowing that he loved hard and came out the other end and somehow we were meant to be and found each other again, that’s what I focus on.”

Beyond being Bobby’s wife, Etheredge-Brown has been his manager since joining his team in 2008. She also previously worked with notable figures like Macy Gray and Magic Johnson.

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