www.classicwhitney.com - Historic Newsfile

Happy New Year!!

The Princess Diaries DVD...

Whitney Houston is featured on 'The Princess Diaries' DVD in a short interview segment about the movie. Below are a few screen captures taken from the DVD.

[Click On Image To View In Larger Scale]

[Thanks Dzemil]

Viva La Diva...

UK network television's Channel 4 last night broadcast a documentary entitled Viva La Diva.

They were discussing who the great divas of all time have been, working from the old days (such as Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich etc) forward through the likes of Aretha, Diana Ross to the modern day ones, who were Whitney Houston and Madonna.

In Whitney's slot, they showed clips of 'I Will Always Love You', 'It's Not Right But It's Okay', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)' and a clip of her presentation in South Africa.

The show's discussion mainly centred around the fact that Whitney was perceived as being too clean cut in the early days to earn diva status and they were all obsessed with the fact that a diva should have history and heartache and trouble to earn true Divaship.

However, there were comments like 'her voice was marked a change in standard, it moved the goalposts' - 'she won't be going anywhere for a long time' and a generally positive vibe.

[Thanks Craig S.]

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 5 January 2002:

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles - Up to No.80 (from No.89) Greatest Gainer/Sales - 26 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Up to No.3 (from No.4) with bullet - 24 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles - Re-Entry at No.93 with bullet - 14 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Up to No.9 (from No.12) with bullet - 13 weeks on chart.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?:
Adult Contemporary Recurrents - Up to No.23 (from No.24) - 4 weeks on chart.

NEWSFILE: 31 DECEMBER 2001

Christmas Greeting...

[From Whitney Houston Platinum Club]

Happy Holidays From Whitney!

In a special message to the Platinum Club, Whitney and her family extended the warmest of holiday wishes to all of her fans, wishing each a peaceful and joyous holiday season and New Year.

Whitney also made a surprise announcement that she will be entering the studio following the New Year to begin recordings on a new album! She looks forward to bringing her fans an album full of brand new tunes in the coming year. Stay tuned to the Platinum Club for more details on Whitney's plans to record a new album in 2002!

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 29 December 2001:

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles - Down to No.89 (from No.82) - 25 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Down to No.4 (from No.3) - 23 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Down to No.12 (from No.10) - 12 weeks on chart.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?:
Adult Contemporary Recurrents - Down to No.24 (from No.23) - 3 weeks on chart.

NEWSFILE: 23 DECEMBER 2001

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 22 December 2001:

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles - Up to No.82 (from No.90) - 24 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Remains at No.3 (second week) with bullet - 22 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles - Up to No.90 (from No.96) - 13 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Down to No.10 (from No.9) - 11 weeks on chart.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?:
Adult Contemporary Recurrents - Remains at No.23 (second week) - 2 weeks on chart.

NEWSFILE: 13 DECEMBER 2001

The Wedding Song...

Whitney Houston will sing 'Greatest Love Of All' at David Gest & Liza Minnelli's wedding next March. Read the NY Newsday report here.

[Thanks Monte]

Love, Whitney...

Music Week confirms that 'Love, Whitney' will be released on 7 January 2002 in the UK as reported here last month.

Setting Standards...

[From December 2001 In Style Magazine]

Thanks in part to the recent upsurge in national pride, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is climbing the charts yet again. In the weeks since its recent re-release, Whitney Houston's stirring 1991 rendition has gone platinum, with more than 1 million copies sold. (First released during the Persian Gulf war, the Houston version was certified gold and reached No. 20 on the Billboard charts.)...highlights:
(1) 1968, Jose Feliciano performs a scat-folk version of the song at the World Series. Though controversial at the time, it's now considered a modern classic.
(2) 1969, Jimi Hendrix plays his feedback-filled protest at Woodstock.
(3) 1983, Marvin Gaye's smooth, soulful rendition at an NBA all-star game has the crowd screaming "Encore!" His moving take--and last public performance--was recently replayed at a music industry fund-raising concert in Hollywood.
(4) 1991, Whitney Houston offers her tearful salute at Super Bowl XXV, where she sang over her own prerecorded voice. Her rendition is considered the current standard.

[Thanks Lisa D.]

NEWSFILE: 12 DECEMBER 2001

Billboard Chart Update...

The Billboard update for the week ending 15 December 2001:

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER:
Hot 100 Singles - Down to No.90 (from No.85) - 23 weeks on chart;
Hot 100 Singles Sales - Down to No.3 (from No.2) - 21 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles - Down to No.96 (from No.88) - 12 weeks on chart;
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sales - Down to No.9 (from No.5) - 10 weeks on chart.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?:
Adult Contemporary Recurrents - New Entry at No.23 - 1 week on chart.

NEWSFILE: 6 DECEMBER 2001