Since Whitney Houston passed on, I have been trying to write what was in my spirit about her. For some reason this did not come easy. I started typing so many times but nothing came out. My experiences with Whitney have been of a personal nature but with all the negativity I felt like I needed to share what I knew about Whitney. Our only connection was Jesus!
As I rose to command the morning today, I finally sensed the anointing (and the release) to pen my experiences with Whitney Houston. Though I did not want to get caught up in the world’s fascination over her, I wanted to share my version of Whitney Houston. I am not the person to interview on CNN but I knew her through ministry and prayer. I met her approximately five years ago.
Because God blessed me to know Cece Winans, I was also blessed to meet Whitney Houston. I will never forget the day that I met her. As I was walking with Cece and my husband, Ardell, in the backstage area of a conference, without any warning, Cece pushed us into a room and left us standing in front of Whitney Houston. I cannot remember if Cece introduced us or if we introduced ourselves, but I do remember that it was all of a sudden. Cece left us alone with Whitney that day.
Ardell’s grandmother (Momma Daisy) lived to be 103 years old. She would always tell him that Whitney Houston was his cousin from his family in New Jersey. He thought, “Yeah, right, we are related to Whitney Houston?” No one in my immediate family took it serious enough to think twice about it. Then the moment of truth came … My husband asked her if she was related to his relatives in New Jersey.
To our amazement she confirmed what Momma Daisy had told us. Whitney’s grandfather was Ardell’s grandmother’s first cousin. Whitney seemed more excited than we were that we were related. We prayed for Whitney and she prayed for us. Despite all the reports, after meeting Whitney Houston for myself, nobody could tell me that she did not love the Lord!
The next time I saw Whitney was at another Always Sisters Conference. I was in my room at the host hotel when my twins came up and casually said, “Whitney Houston is downstairs.” The twins told me that Whitney was in the back seat of a car in front hotel lobby. They said that she rolled the window down, called them her little cousins and asked them to come to the car. She asked jokingly, “Where is your momma? … I bet she is somewhere being deep .. your mother is too deep for me!”
The next day I saw Whitney in the green room at the conference. I was supposed to release my song, “Body Language,” before I preached my message. Every major gospel singer you could imagine was there. Cece’s staff made a joke about me being a gospel artist. They put the title “artist” on my badge. Whitney saw it and pulled me off to the side. She said, “You are not a singer, you are a preacher!” She was serious but so funny. She told me that the staff was setting me up. She also told me that she did not want me to embarrass our family. I thought this was real funny.
Less than 30 minutes later I was on the stage in front of 5,000 young people. As you know, I am really not a singer but I was releasing my song in front of Donnie McKlurklin, Marvin Winans, Sandra Crouch and many other artists. This was really funny to everyone. To this day I cannot believe I did this …
Whitney was sitting on the front row as I was giving out my material before ministering. My song “Body Language” (I call it the Hoochie Momma Song) was produced in the same studio and by the same producer of The Bodyguard. When I was offering the CD to someone in the crowd as a gift, I could not believe that Whitney was in the front of the stage, yelling for me to give my CD to her.
I joked with the crowd and told them that Whitney wanted to know me because “Body Language” would sell more copies than The Bodyguard. With the cameras in her face, Whitney came back to the front of the stage and I gave her a copy of my CD. She was laughing and acting crazy! She was waving my CD in the air telling everyone that I was her cousin.
I never did much with the CD after that. I guess I was satisfied that I sung before Whitney Houston without making a total fool out of myself. Though I am not a gospel artist and I can barely hold a note, God allowed me to sing before 5,000 people with the greatest singer in the world in the front row. I am forever grateful to Him and I will never forget it. God does take foolishness to confound the wise.
The next time I heard from Whitney was when she saw me on TBN. She called me asking that I tell her friends that I was her cousin. She was joking and talking so loud. She kept saying, “This is my cousin. Isn’t she pretty? She looks just like me!” Whitney was so proud that I was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. With all she had done in life, this seemed to mean so much to her.
After the TBN appearance, Whitney and I “Commanded the Morning” for several weeks without missing a beat. She always wanted to know what the word of the Lord was. What we prayed about will always be between me, her and the Lord. I think that I have the liberty to say that we always prayed for God to heal her voice. One day she left a message on my phone to tell me that I would not be hearing from her for a while.
Whitney said that she had to get away to make some important decisions about her life. She changed her number and I did not hear from her for a while. As I was looking for a number in my phone a few days ago, I came across Whitney’s old number. I forgot that it was in my phone. Though I did not know her for a long time, five years was enough! I thank God for allowing me to know her the best way you can get to know a person .. through prayer!
Finally, I spoke to Whitney and Cece while in Los Angeles after the election. Whitney was talking about how she and I would get together and bust devils. She never asked me to pray for her but only told me of the people she wanted me to meet so that they could be set free.
My 50th birthday was close when I spoke to her. She and Cece promised to call me to sing “Happy Birthday.” I hired a guy to record it professionally. I recorded them singing “Happy Birthday” and congratulating me for winning my political race. I think this was one of the funniest things that I have ever heard. Cece was mild-mannered and Whitney was acting crazy, as usual! Whitney was singing so loud and I think Cece was focusing on harmonizing … that wasn’t happening. Whitney was off the chain and it was OK because it was my 50th birthday present.
Later Cece said, “I know that you are not going to let other people hear this.” I told her that I would not but I had my fingers crossed. (Smile)
Whitney and I never ministered deliverance to her friends but I heard that she was laying hands on a very famous pop artist at the club the day before she left us. So, with a heavy heart (because I miss her) but a peace in my spirit (because I believe she is with the Lord), I can say … Whitney, the world says “rest in peace,” but I say, “You have entered into His rest! The media and all the haters do not have a Whitney Houston to pick on any more. You have finished your course!”
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