Whitney Houston’s Sister-In-Law & Manager Pat Houston Pens Tribute For 35th Anniversary Of Singer’s First Album

Pat Houston, Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s Sister-In-Law & Manager Pat Houston Pens Tribute For 35th Anniversary Of Singer’s First Album

Tuesday (Feb. 11) marked the eight-year anniversary of Whitney Houston’s tragic passing. And her sister-in-law and manager, Pat Houston, is remembering the legend with a special tribute. The message will be included in a vinyl release of Whitney Houston’s first album, which was released 35 years ago today (Feb. 14). It had songs like “Saving All My Love For You” and “How Will I Know”. The packaging will feature the very first U.S. edition of Whitney Houston’s Whitney’s Dancin’ Special, which was only released in Japan.

To celebrate the special milestone, the vinyl release will be a 32-page picture and lyric book with letters and statements from Whitney Houston’s closest friends and people she’s worked with in the industry, including Pat Houston.

Her essay, according to Rolling Stone, begins,

When music fans all over the world first heard Whitney Houston’s debut album in 1985, they knew things were about to change forever.

It was 35 years ago that Arista Records released Nippy’s self-titled debut album, which spun off three consecutive No. 1 singles, sold 22 million copies worldwide and earned her first Grammy Award. The enthusiasm for this stunning new artist was unprecedented, to say the least.

From the opening notes of “You Give Good Love,” audiences could hear a blueprint for Whitney’s albums in the decades to come: powerful, dramatic, uplifting songs, steeped in pop and R&B traditions, designed to showcase the unbelievable instrument that was her voice.

Her ability to deliver a message in song captured our imaginations like no other. As Whitney herself once said: “God gave me a voice to sing with—and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?”

She then spoke on Whitney Houston’s influences when she was younger.

“When Whitney was a child, she would hold a broomstick like a microphone stand and dream of becoming one of the greatest singers of all time, as expressive as those voices she spent her formative years studying: Cissy Houston, her mom, mentor, vocal coach and inspiration along with her cousin Dionne Warwick, her dear friend Darlene Love, or even The Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. The success of her first album proved that those dreams could come true.”

She ended by letting readers know what they can expect from the book and thanked music legend Clive Davis for Whitney’s iconic career.

“As you flip through the pages of this book, I hope you’re reminded of the power of those dreams, and the songs that made them an incredible reality.

Our thanks to Clive Davis, the Arista Records staff and all those responsible for the rise of a pop culture phenomenon that has set the highest possible bar for today’s female performers to match. Let us all salute and celebrate this monumental 35^th anniversary—where it all began for our beloved Whitney Houston.”