The Wait Is Over...

San Francisco Chronical: Whitney Houston: The Wait is Over
Jo Schuman Silver / Producer, Beach Blanket Babylon (Clive Davis' Cousin)

This past weekend, I was in L.A. where I attended a listening party for Whitney Houston's new album, "I Look To You" which was held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Hosted by my cousin, Clive Davis, this event came on the heels of listening parties in London and New York. The album drops September 1st. Whitney was wore a black Armani sheath dress with stunning diamonds earrings that looked absolutely radiant!

Before each album track, Clive gave a brief speech explaining how he found each song and introduced some of the songs' composers who were there that evening. The album is a mix of dance tunes, mid-tempo songs, and power ballads. During the evening, there were clips of Houston performing some of her most popular hits: "I Will Always Love you", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", and "One Moment in Time".


The audience in L.A. ranged from Jane Fonda, Jackie Collins and Halle Berry, to Barry Manilow, Magic Johnson and Stevie Wonder. Also in attendance was her teenage daughter, Bobbi Kristina, who I've known since she was born and who's grown into a beautiful young woman.

Highlights of the album include, "Million Dollar Bill" (written by Alicia Keyes and produced by her boyfriend, Swizz Beats), "Like I Never Left" (written and featuring Akon), "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" (written by Dianne Warren and produced by David Foster) and the title track "I Look To You" (Written by R. Kelly).

What was amazing to me that evening was seeing the overwhelming support for Whitney. Everyone has loved that voice from the first time they heard it. I still recall Clive playing me the demo-recording of, "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard in 1992. I was totally blown away. I still remember Clive saying to me, "This is going to be huge!"

It has been 7 years since Whitney's last album, and there has been tremendous anticipation for this new release. Clive convinced her, especially after her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown and her alleged substance abuse, that it was time to make music again, "People want to hear you sing."

Carefully he chose the material as he always does and worked closely with her to instill her confidence.

Clive discovered Whitney when she was only 19 years old and it has been a father-daughter relationship ever since.

During the party, Whitney leaned over to me and said, "I truly am Clive's daughter".

At the end of the evening when Houston acknowledged the capacity crowd, she said, "I am humbled, thank you for coming". She mentioned her troubled past and then paid an emotional tribute to Clive, "Those years when we were apart I was lost, but now I'm home where I belong".