Whitney Comments to Promoter...

Adelaide Now: Whitney Houston coughs up an excuse for her abysmal performances
From: The Daily Telegraph February 26, 2010 11:30PM

Whitney fails to impress Aussie fans

WHITNEY Houston's promoter has revealed the cause of her coughing and breathlessness during her Australian tour - she smokes. Andrew McManus said the singer, 46, had refused to have her throat problems treated. He also said Houston was using her faith to help her get through her much maligned tour Down Under, which has been panned by critics and disappointed fans.

"Whitney smokes. God bless her, I can't tell her not to. She will not take any substances. She just will not. It is what it is," McManus said. "She's comfortable with the show she's performing. She knows she's not hitting every note like she used to. But it's value for money, it's Whitney Houston warts and all."

McManus said the gospel-loving Houston is aware of the haters and has told him to stop protecting her because the critical attacks may be God's will.  "I talked to her after the Sydney show. I told her I have her back but she said, 'If the good Lord wants me to be attacked and ridiculed that's the road I have to go down'," McManus said. "It's an interesting approach. Here I am being aggressive in trying to protect her and she said, 'I love you for it but let it go. I can only give my best, if that's not good enough, so be it. I'm comfortable in my own skin'." The promoter hinted that her performance tonight at Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley may be an improvement on her Brisbane and Sydney shows because it is outdoors.

"She's looking forward to singing outside and not in the confines of an air conditioned venue," he said.

Hope Estate officials said yesterday they had been inundated with calls from fans asking whether tonight's show would go ahead following her lambasted performances in Brisbane and Sydney.

Houston spent yesterday on a Sydney Harbour cruise with daughter Bobbi Kristina.