On what would’ve been Whitney Houston’s 62nd birthday, her family, friends, and fans celebrated the 40th anniversary of her music/entertainment career.
The Whitney E. Houston Legacy of Love Gala was held on Saturday (Aug. 9) at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia and hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier and Pat Houston. The four-hour celebration included a silent auction, video tributes, musical performances featuring Jennifer Hudson and more, along with a series of presentations.
The auction included special mementos, including Dolly Parton’s personalized autographed sheet music for “I Will Always Love You,” signed jerseys, Mike Tyson’s autographed boxing gloves, and concert packages. All proceeds from the auction went towards The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, which is dedicated to “supporting scholarships, arts education, supportive services, and youth empowerment programs—particularly for underserved and underrepresented communities.”
Video tributes poured in from Clive Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Harvey Mason, Jr., LA Reid, Larry Jackson, Debra Martin Chase, and others.
“The Whitney Houston Legacy of Love Gala was epic,” Pat Houston said of the gala in a statement. “I know that Whitney would have been pleased with the year-long celebration thus far. Whitney was the best and she deserved the best. There are millions of supporters and fans who celebrate her everyday worldwide and we do not take that for granted. We plan to continue to honor her legacy and support the various platforms that were close and dear to her heart: music, children, young adults, and the global community.”
She added, “We would like to give a special thank you to Jennifer Hudson for giving her love, time, and passion in honor of Whitney and her legacy. We are very grateful to all the talent that was part of this celebration. It was an incredible evening.”
Hudson sang a riveting medley of “I’m Every Woman,” “How Will I Know,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Saving All My Love,” and her Oscar winning rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” In addition to Hudson, guests also witnessed performances from Meli’sa Morgan, who performed Houston’s 1985 hit, “Thinking About You,” and her own 1986 classic, “Fool’s Paradise.” Jimmy Avance, winner of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation’s Annual Cover Song Competition, performed “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” while rising star Jada Nikole performed “Run to You.”
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra previewed their upcoming North America Fall Tour titled “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration” with a medley of “I Loves You, Porgy,” “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “I Have Nothing”, and “It’s Not Right but It’s Okay.” Gary Houston closed out the performances with “Where You Are” with help from loved ones.
Check out more highlights from the evening below.
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