Whitney's Caught Off-Guard

Date: November 21, 1998

From The New York Daily News
Submitted by: Lisa D.


Whitney Houston got a little shock when she looked out into a concert crowd Wednesday night. Smiling back at her was her former co-star Kevin Costner.

The actor is said to have talked about surprising Houston by jumping onstage during her show at Wall Street's Cipriani Hotel. But the singer's handlers decided that might be too much of a surprise. (We wouldn't want her bodyguards beating up her "Bodyguard," would we?)

Houston, shimmering in her new auburn hair and a gold sequin gown, dedicated her "Bodyguard" anthem "I Will Always Love You" to Costner, "mommy" Cissy Houston and hubby Bobby Brown (who looked clean and sober, and thoroughly beguiled by his wife).

Other songs went out to gathered friends like Mary J. Blige, Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds, gospel great BeBe Winans and songwriters Darryl Simmons and Denise Rich.

Arista chief Clive Davis was also there. Houston recalled how Davis told her one day, "You have to come back to work."

"When?" replied Houston.

"Yesterday," said Davis.

Six weeks later, she had cranked out her new CD "My Love Is Your Love" — with her five-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina collaborating with Fugees star Wyclef Jean on the title track.