It's been nine months since singing legend Whitney Houston died, but her legacy lives on with the release of at least seven different projects based on her music and life. Over the next few weeks, we will see a television special, a greatest hits album, a new, previously unreleased song, a musical based on her movie "The Bodyguard," a reality TV show, a Home Shopping Network spot, and a book -- all honoring while making a fortune off the talents of the late singer.
“You need to look no further than Michael Jackson to see that some celebrities are worth more dead than alive,” one entertainment professional tells me. “Over the next few months the amount of projects based on Whitney is staggering. I don't think I have ever seen anything like this before."
In November, viewers will see a special on Whitney featuring video and archival materials along with an interview with her record mentor, Clive Davis, on the Home Shopping Network. This is meant to support a new Whitney greatest hits album called “Whitney Houston: I Will Always Love You,” which will have 18 tracks, one of which is a new unreleased final single “Never Give Up.”
On Nov. 16, CBS is planning an hour-long special also featuring Clive Davis, along with performers Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Halle Berry and Britney Spears, focusing on Whitney as an artist, not her personal demons. Her mother, Cissy Houston, chose not to attend the taping.
Finally, Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law, manager and executor of Whitney’s estate, is set to publish a book of photos and thoughts. “All the projects will bring millions to Whitney’s estate and those who are working with it,” one industry insider reveals.
Last year, movie star Elizabeth Taylor beat King of Pop Michael Jackson to the top of the Forbes top-earning-dead-celebrities list, due to the auction of her jewelry collection. Insiders say if all goes as planned, Whitney will beat both.
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