Good Morning America Interview with Whitney Houston (12/11/96)
Interview by Shantal Westerman

(Introduction) Whitney Houston was waiting to exhale in her last movie, but as the preacher's wife, she gets a chance to really let loose. In this film about an angel sent to aid a struggling pastor, the pop superstar returns to her roots in gospel music, and...it feels like she never left.

(Clip is shown from "The Preacher's Wife" of scene where Whitney sings "I Believe In You And Me").

GMA: It's interesting to me today that you pick up Newsweek magazine and Time magazine and the cover's about God, the cover's about prayer. It must do your heart good to know that you were talking that way a long time ago.

WH: Ooooh... man. I"m a longtime believer. I'm finally coming back... full circle, you see. Um, I believe that people are a little more frightened these days. Our children are leaving us. Our children are being killed by one thing or another. There's this war on drugs, there's this, there's that, you know. And it's happening everywhere. I have met so many people who have been on the outs of life, and you know we all get to that point sometimes, and somehow someway they always turn around and they'll tell me, "You know, the only thing that saved me was the love of God." In my family, that was the first place you went. It wasn't the last place. It was like, my mother would say, "Get on your knees and ask, and you'll receive it."

GMA: Would you say that music is sometimes a way of communicating, not just with God, but with other people when you can't say it in words?

WH: Yes, I do. I think music does that generally. When you can't say some things... Music speaks louder than words sometimes. My mother used to say, "It's the only thing that the whole world will listen to."

GMA: Aaahh... what a wonderful thing to say.

WH: Mmmm hmmm.

GMA: I imagine a lot of people ask your mother about you and "How do you feel when you see Whitney on the stage?". How do you feel... how does it make you feel inside when you hear your mother's voice? (Clip is shown of Cissy Houston's gospel album "Face to Face" and singing "Amazing Grace").

WH: Oooooh... it's overwhelming at times 'cause I know where I got it from and I know that I could not have achieved that without her. And once I told my mom that this is what I wanted to do, she was frightened.

GMA: Really?

WH: Yeah she was. Because she was... she knows.... my mother knew all the... (hesitates)... the crap that goes into this business and how mean people could be and she was afraid for me because I'm her child and you always want to protect your child. I know. I want to protect my daughter.

GMA: You know, what's interesting that you keep giving even though you have learned how mean people can be...

WH: Mmmm hmmm.

GMA: ...by being who you are. No point in going into details, but you know what I mean and a lot of people do.

WH: You're a classy lady (smiles).

GMA: Thank you. I guess I go back to the same question. What keeps the light shining in you?

WH: "Cause you know what I know? I know weeping may endure for night, but joy comes in the morning. I know this.

GMA: What is that again?

WH: Weeping may endure for the night, but joy will come in the morning.

(Clip is shown of Whitney and Georgia Mass Choir performing "Joy To The World" in "The Preacher's Wife").

GMA: It was my fantasy that you're working with the Georgia Mass Choir. And there were times that you would get going, and nothing could stop you.

WH: And that happened. On the last day, I said, "Ok. We're gonna do 'I Love The Lord.' " I said, "I want you to let loose in here." I began to sing, I would get to sang, not sing but sang... and boy, that spirit that came through that church was like electricity. It ROCKED us. And I was praising and they were praising...

GMA: And she said, "Cut"...

WH: And she was going, "Cut... cut... cut..." And we were just like, "Forget cut, man. The Holy Spirit is the director now."