A review by emquegeeaye
Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped by Cissy Houston

5.0

Very good book. This is my third book from what I describe as my “I loved and shared my life with Whitney Houston”. First was Bobby’s book. Then Robyn’s. Now Cissy’s. Cissy’s was something else. Been mean and ornery her whole life. They didn’t necessarily say it in the book but I got the vibe that she may have been a tad bit jealous of Whitney when it came to her looks, talent and career. Like most parents who have famous children they retire or their kids retire them Cissy kept working bc it didn’t seem like she liked being known as “Whitney Houston’s mother” bc she wanted it to be known that Whitney was “Cissy Houston’s daughter” and that had it not been for her there would be no Whitney. I will say there were times she seemed to contradict herself. Like she blames Bobby for all of Whitney’s tribulations and claims she didn’t know Whitney was using but said Robyn (who she hates with a passion) told her Whitney was in trouble and struggling with drugs and needed help in the 80s around maybe 87 two years before she met Bobby. But it’s very clear that although she didn’t like anybody that Whitney chose for herself and didn’t like Bobby she really hated Robyn and for no other reason than Robyn was a lesbian and she knew even though she denies it that she and Whitney were in a lesbian relationship and she didn’t agree with that lifestyle. Also as much as people like to believe it Bobby was not the problem. For all three of these people to dislike each other there are way too many similarities of stories when it comes to Bobby’s personality and how he really loved Whitney. I learned lots of things like Cissy and John were not married until May of 64 almost a year after Whitney was born bc John was married to his first wife. The dad John and Aunt Bae who Whitney spoke of often raised those kids. Cissy was always on the road. And that was bc John didn’t really work. I always thought they were middle class bc of his income but nope it was Cissy’s. The dad had a mean streak and loved being Whitney Houston’s dad. What wasn’t mentioned was how Gary and Michael were really the downfall of Whitney. They were the ones buying and supplying her with drugs but Cissy was so blind to that bc she was laser focused on getting Robyn & Bobby out of the picture. But it was her kids the whole time. Great book. Good stories. Learned a lot and was surprised by how forthcoming she was. But she blamed Robyn & Bobby for everything and her, John, Gary and Michael were not the problem in her eyes.