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New York Daily News: Oprah Winfrey calls Whitney Houston interview her best ever; diva dishes on marriage, drugs
By Richard Huff
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Updated Tuesday, September 8th 2009, 4:43 PM

Oprah Winfrey says her blockbuster sit-down with Whitney Houston is "the best interview I've ever done."

However, Winfrey isn't telling folks exactly what Houston says — yet.

Houston does talk about her marriage to Brown, drugs, rehab and how her family saved her, according to the show.

"My approach to this interview was to not be judgmental in any way, and not to go in trying to get her to say things to make a 'moment,'" Winfrey says in a statement released by the show.

"I just wanted to be able to have an honest conversation with her," Winfrey continued. "One woman to another woman. And the day of the interview I literally prayed about that all day long. I just wanted a connection between the two of us. And that is what happened. And that is why I believe it's one of the most, if not the most, powerful interviews I've ever done."

Houston taped the interview with Winfrey earlier this month. It will air Sept. 14 and be seen locally on WABC/Ch. 7 at 4 p.m.

Winfrey admits she should leave it for others to say how well she she did in the interview. But she apparently couldn't help but gush.

"I can't think of a moment, ever, when I had a stronger connection to the person I was interviewing," Winfrey says.

She should know. She's grilled countless guests since her daytime talk show launched in 1986.

Houston agreed to the chat as part of her comeback tour, which started in late August with the release of her new album. Indeed, Houston cited her talk with Winfrey during a recent concert taping for "Good Morning America," in which her voice cracked in each song.

Houston's last interview was seven years ago, when she and then husband Bobby Brown talked to ABC's Diane Sawyer during a period of allegations of drug use and other troubles.

"I think whether you liked or loved Whitney Houston before you will certainly have a deeper appreciation for what she has been through as a human being," Winfrey says. "And I mean, the fans are just going to love her even more."