John Houston Passes Away...

[From Fox 411]

Whitney Houston's Father Passes Away

I was very saddened to hear that John Houston, Whitney Houston's dad and Cissy Houston's former husband, passed away Sunday. He was 82 years old. He also leaves his sons Michael and Gary and their devoted wives, Donna and Pat.

Lately there had been a lot of talk about John Houston suing Whitney for millions of dollars. In fact, Houston had come under the sway of an associate who led him in that direction. When I first met John, in 1989, he was a devoted and loving father and a person of much interest. I doubt that suing Whitney was his idea.

Before Whitney became a star in the early '80s, John Houston had been the manager for his wife's group, The Sweet Inspirations. The group sang backup on countless hits, including many classics by Aretha Franklin.

They also had their own hits, and Houston booked them and toured with them. He told me about many hair-raising experiences with the Inspirations, collecting their money from greedy club owners and getting them in and out of "all-white" hotels in the South. It wasn't easy, but he did it.

Whatever the last confusing years of his life were like, Houston will be remembered as a pioneer in rhythm-and-blues. He helped provide "sweet inspiration" for generations to come. My condolences to his family.

NEWSFILE: 3 FEBRUARY 2003