Aretha Franklin states:

Under Clive Davis' guidance, Cissy's daughter Whitney Houston, who I used to call Nippy and met as a little girl, was fast developing into a star. Because we were labelmates, and because she intimated in Jet and Ebony that I had inspired and influenced her, everyone thought a duet with Whitney was a good idea.

As it went down, some things were misunderstood and we miscommunicated; we were very badly mismatched in terms of maturity and experience and sensitivity. It was something that never should have happened. I think Nippy felt unappreciated, and nothing could have been further from the truth. But the song, "It Ain't Never Gonna Be," turned out well, and I continue to appreciate her and sincerely wish her the best. I'm still her Aunt Ree, and she can come to me for support or advice anytime.