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John Houston Dies At 82
submitted by: Patricia, Monty, Robert, Tammy, Andrew, Ricky, Noelle
source: Reuters, Associated Press
Date: February 3, 2003
Whitney Houston's Father Dies After Long Illness
NEW YORK - John Houston, the father of pop diva Whitney Houston and a longtime theatrical manager, died from cardiac arrest after a long struggle with diabetes and heart disease, a family spokeswoman said on Monday. He was 82.
Houston died early Sunday morning at Manhattan's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital with his wife, Peggy, and his personal nurse by his side, said spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer in a telephone interview from Los Angeles.
Houston and his famous daughter had locked horns in recent months as his theatrical management agency sued the pop star for $100 million, claiming the 39-year-old singer hired him and his business partner to help her with financial difficulties and to negotiate a record contract and were never paid.
The contract squabble did not keep them apart, however.
The rest of the Houston family made flight arrangements as soon as they could after being informed Saturday night that Houston was failing, Seltzer said, adding that Whitney arrived on Sunday from Miami, where she was shooting a magazine cover.
"The entire Houston family and John loved each other very, very much and each and every one of them had a chance to be with John (at the end)," Seltzer said.
Whitney was the youngest of three children Houston had with his first wife, Cissy, and was his only daughter.
Houston managed the backup vocal group called The Sweet Inspirations that included Cissy Houston and performed on hits recorded by Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin among others.
The elder Houston had drawn attention to the suit against Whitney from his hospital bed in December, urging her to "pay the money that you owe me."
He made the unusual public appeal on the syndicated television show "Celebrity Justice," a day after his daughter acknowledged a history of drug and alcohol abuse in an ABC television interview and said her father's suit was hurtful.
Whitney Houston's Father Dies
NEWARK, N.J. - John Houston, the father of singer Whitney Houston and a theatrical manager since the early days of rhythm and blues, died Sunday after a lengthy battle with diabetes and heart disease, a family spokeswoman said.
Houston died at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, said Nancy Seltzer. She said Houston's health had been deteriorating for several years, and that he had been in and out of the hospital a number of times recently.
"The entire family is greatly saddened by the loss of someone they all loved so much," Seltzer said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles.
Well before his daughter's rise to fame, Houston managed the career of her mother and his ex-wife, Cissy Houston. She sang with The Sweet Inspirations, a backing vocal group to artists including Aretha Franklin.
Seltzer said Houston was an uncompromising manager who, for example, insisted while the South was still segregated that his wife and other black clients stay in first-class, white hotels.
"He was a pioneer in rhythm and blues," Seltzer said.
In recent months, relations between Houston and his daughter, who has acknowledged having drug problems, took an especially awkward turn, when his company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, sued her for $100 million. The suit sought compensation for helping to get a marijuana charge against her dismissed and for getting her a new record contract.
The father made a public appeal to his daughter in an interview with the syndicated news magazine "Celebrity Justice" on Dec. 6, in which he addressed his daughter directly, saying, "You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me. If you do that, you haven't got a lawsuit."
Houston was born in Trenton and New Jersey was still his home when he died, Seltzer said. His theatrical management agency was based in Newark, the city where his daughter, who now lives in Mendham, N.J., was born.
In addition to Whitney, Houston is also survived by two sons, Gary and Michael.
John Houston, father of singer Whitney Houston, dies at 82
By STEVE STRUNSKY, Associated Press Writer
NEWARK, New Jersey - John Houston, the father of singer Whitney Houston and a theatrical manager since the early days of rhythm and blues, died after a long battle with diabetes and heart disease. He was 82.
Houston died Sunday at a New York hospital, family spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer said Monday. She said Houston's health had been deteriorating for several years.
Well before his daughter's rise to fame, Houston managed the career of her mother and his ex-wife, Cissy Houston. She sang with The Sweet Inspirations, a backing vocal group to artists including Aretha Franklin.
Relations between Houston and his daughter, who has acknowledged having drug problems, took an especially awkward turn recently when his company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, sued hers for $100 million.
The suit sought compensation for helping to get a marijuana charge against her dismissed and for getting her a new record contract.
Houston even made a public appeal to his daughter in an interview with the syndicated TV news magazine "Celebrity Justice" in December: "You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me."
Houston was born in Trenton on Sept. 13, 1920, and was living in Fort Lee when he died, Seltzer said. His theatrical management agency was based in Newark, the city where his daughter was born.
In addition to his daughter and wife, Peggy, Houston is survived by two sons.
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