'Forever Daddy's girl': this world-class entertainer is a superstar as well as a superdaughter to father John Houston - Whitney Houston

Ebony, June, 1990 by Lynn Norment

'Forever Daddy's Girl'

LONG before Whitney Houston became America's darling, she was daddy's girl.

That is quite evident when one observes the loving interplay between the superstar singer and her father, John R. Houston. The special father-daughter bond is apparent as Houston tells how his eyes still mist when he hears his "Nippy" sing, how his daughter can "put a hurting on a song." It is also evident when Whitney tells of how her "Poppy" was the first man "I ever fell in love with."

It is rather uncanny how in separate interviews throughout the course of a very busy day in New York City, both father and daughter recall the same incidents from Houston family history, use the same terminology to make a point, and the same adjectives to describe a sitution. At times a very articulate and charming Houston speaks of his daughter in glowing terms that would inspire skepticism if not for the tender paternal honesty. When John Houston speaks of Whitney Houston, the talented singer and loving daughter, it is from the heart.

And when it comes to protecting his daughter's interests, his heart gives way to keen business sense. Since 1986, Houston has been Whitney's business manager. As president and chief executive officer of Nippy, Inc., he oversees three corporate entities and a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Since her 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, set the music charts afire and became the all-time best-selling debut LP by a solo artist, 26-year-old Whitney Houston has indeed become big business. Her second album in 1987, Whitney, became only the fourth LP by a solo artist, and the first by a female, to debut at the No. 1 spot on album charts. In addition, the album's single, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," established an unprecedented seven consecutive No. 1 hits by a performer. More than 30 million of the two albums have been sold worldwide. Now an artist of international stature, Whitney has won two Grammy Awards, 12 American Music Awards, three People's Choice Awards, and two Emmy Awards for outstanding individual performance.

The ascent to the top was so fast, Whitney says, that after a whirlwind first year, "I had to catch up on all that Whitney Houston had become. It just took off so fast that I had to backtrack."

That's when she decided to persuade her father to get involved. "First of all I was in trouble, and I knew that my father is a very wise man, a smart man. I figured that if there is anybody I can trust, it is my daddy, because I know my daddy loves me. And i know that before the business and the money came, it was just him and family. Plus, my om was on Daddy's case to get involved in my business.

"And besides that fact, my father has a good business mind," she says. "I just feel comfortable with him being there. I feel secure that somebody is watching over me, and watching over everybody else, too. I trust him. He literally came in and saw the troubled areas and what needed to be done, what I needed to do, and we did it."

With Whitney's "total involvement," Houston reorganized his daughter's business affairs and expanding financial empire. He hired an accounting group, solidified her relationships with her attorneys, signed a top booking agency, and hired talented and competent Black people in key positions. "I want people around us whom you can tell what you need done, but not how to do it," he says of his administrative philosophy.

Most people are well aware that entertainer Cissy Houston is Whitney's mother, for she has appeared in a video with Shitney, performed on her album and in live concerts, and appeared in numerous publications with her famous daughter. John Houston, on the other hand, has preferred to keep a low profile and carry out his daughter's mandate" to run these businesses."

Houston, a striking, self-assured man, admits to occasionally "going bananas" when he discovers that a staffer has taken some action without his or Whitney's knowledge. "I come across to some people as the devil incarnate," he says. "I am smart, I learn fast, and I'm dedicated to Whitney Houston. But I'd be dedicated to anyone I'd work for," he adds.

But especially when the chairman of the board is his daughter. The fact that Whitney is indeed chairman, the boss, the one who signs the checks, is emphasized by Houston. "It is her career, her money, and nobody makes decisions but her. She's not into the routine of running the office day-to-day," he adds. "I'm paid to do that."

It is impossible, as Houston and Whitney both acknowledge, to separate father from manager, and daughter from artist. It is the manager/father who passionately talks about the "loving, caring" Whitney Houston. "After that first year, there were some misconceptions about Whitney," he says. "Some people felt that she was syrupy, that she had no social awareness, that she was a Barbie Doll. That is not the case. She is well-informed, politically aware, smart and articulate, and in the final analysis, she runs the show."