THE 
September 1, 2009 Whitney Houston Loses Voice During ‘GMA’ Concert
Whitney Houston will appear on Good Morning America on Wednesday (Sept. 2nd) to promote her brand new album, I Look To You, but due to the fact that she isn’t a big fan of early mornings, she decided to have her appearance pre-taped, which took place earlier this afternoon. According to numerous fans and longtime Whitney supporters, the diva’s voice gave out midway through her much-hyped performance.
She addressed the 5,000+ crowd saying “I’m so sorry. I did ‘Oprah.’ I’ve been talking for so long. … I talked so much, my voice,” she said, trailing off. “I shouldn’t be talking. I should be singing.”
Continue reading for more details and video of Whitney’s apology.
Concertgoers didn’t hesitate to express their discontent “I expected it to be longer. She couldn’t sing. She was really damaged,” said Joao Andrade, 28, of North Bergen, N.J. “I’m a little disappointed. I think she was brave to come out with no voice.” Noticeably absent from the taped performance were songs performed during the sound check. She did manage to close out the segment with a great performance of her classic hit, “I’m Every Woman.”
Not everybody was unhappy some people were just happy to see Ms. Houston on stage again. “It brought tears to my eyes,” said Raleigh Hatcher, 38, of Jersey City. “She’s been through so much in her life. She’s been working very hard, and it’s a lot to do. And she’s been doing it well.”
I must say that this is unfortunate. This will be her first televised performance in years, so I feel as though she should have been more than adequately prepared to make her ‘comeback’ performance. With that said, I’m still anxious to see the rest of the live performance, and regardless of how she sounds, I still wish her well and I commend her for trying to get her life back together.
[Source]
LeKeith
September 1, 2009 at 9:54 pm
i am just glad she is TRYING to get back in their. Much love to Ms.Whitney Houston.
LB
September 1, 2009 at 9:54 pm
yeah because Mariah still sounds like 1993
come on now B…
LeKeith
September 1, 2009 at 9:55 pm
meant to say there* whoops. but again, i love Whitney and her album will be #1, simply based on support. agree or disagree, it’s cool. im done.
Miguel
September 1, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Wow @ her new live vocals.
Afghanant
September 1, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Why are you hating on Whitney? She aint do shit to you and you know Mariah aint hitting them high notes anymore but you still love her ass. You two-face, B.
April
September 1, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I don’t personally feel she is blaming it on further engagements. I think she was just telling her fans why her voice may not be as good as what they or herself expected. And like the first commentator said i’m glad she is trying and while her voice may never go back to what it used to be i’m happy she’s back out, smiling, and enjoying what she loves to do.
Tiffany
September 1, 2009 at 10:21 pm
omg she sounds horrific.. im sorry but their is noo excuse for this she had ALOT of time to get her voice together. I mean im not expecting her to sound the way she did back in the day.. But this is just unacceptable.
Lexington
September 1, 2009 at 10:37 pm
I was gonna come on here n put Whitney on blast, but u know what…She is Legend! I was watching some of her old videos and i miss that Whit, but im glad she graced us in the first place. This whole, “new album” i personally think was a mistake. But she did her best n we cant say she cant sing. She just can sing like before. But hey u did u thang Whit…
But the whole Oprah excuse…no ma’am!
Amy
September 1, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Well, she looks great and if her voice truly is tired as she says, it’ll get better. So, no big deal. She is certainly not the first singer to have a bad live performance and she’s not new, so this is not career ending. I mean, if “Being Bobby Brown” didn’t kill her career nothing will.
Lexington
September 1, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I really wanna see Mariah live with a ballad, just to see your reaction B?? lol
Tanyeno
September 1, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I heard that years of drug use over time starts to affect the voice with age. I hope she’s aware of this and does voice therapy to keep it in good working order. I mean she’s Whitney Houston, her fans are usually die hards. Even people who aren’t her fans are pretty forgiving….she was once a beautiful performer, fell off the horse and is now getting back on it. We love these pick-back-up stories, it’s like rags-to-riches. I’m sure people were just glad to see her, plus I think this was a free concert so–no real harm done. (She sounded kinda upset about it though.)
yei
September 1, 2009 at 11:10 pm
i Hope this goes to show that singing is not a walk in the park and cut these vocalist ( whitney and mariah) a break everytime they are not perfect!!!
Spicy Goddess
September 1, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Oh come one, EVERYBODY KNOWS Whitney’s voice AIN’T what it used to be…. what were ppl expecting…….. Whitney circa 1990-1998??? SMDH
nate
September 2, 2009 at 1:08 am
I do notice many of Mariah’s live performances, a certain blogger commends as amazing, but kicks down Whitney.. Atleast Whitney continues to have stage presence, I can tell by this video that she’s moving around and interracting with the crowd.. shes trying.. it break my heart she can’t sing through a performance anymore, when I was young she was the greatest…
nate
September 2, 2009 at 1:14 am
I already wrote a comment but I gotta come back.. cause I just visted Perez Hiltons site.. now Perez also reported on Whitneys performance on GMA, But managed to keep it positive, but saying how fierce she looked, and how she worked the crowd.. Now if an jerk like Perez Hilton can keep it positive, it kills me that somebody from our own community can’t keep it positive, the heading “Houston we have a problem.” tells it all..I expected a classier report..
yes
September 2, 2009 at 6:29 am
if she didn’t sound good, she didn’t sound good, that’s not B.’s problem
ER!C
September 2, 2009 at 6:55 am
I’ve read all 15 comments thus far and have this to offer. Lauryn Hill said something very profound on her Unplugged CD some years ago that spoke to me as a vocalist. Paraphrasing she offered that a singer is STILL a singer and even when they have off days or mortal man’s challenges vocally that does take away from who they are, what they’ve achieve, and that talent undoubtebly have. So Whitney had an off day. And just as we are gracious to Mariah Carey who has horrible vocal showings–most recently at the Michael Jackson Tribute Services–we should cut Whitney some slack and let her have a bad day or two. She’s an ordinary human with and extraordinary gift from God. Don’t you have bad days at your job?
ER!C
September 2, 2009 at 6:57 am
Oh…excuse my typos. I’m just a mere mortal man.
parisboy
September 2, 2009 at 9:20 am
i’m sure she will be back soon with a great live performance, she has not the same voice she used to , she has a new one maybe a deeper one she just has to learn how to use it again, she was stressed and anyway i prefer to see whitney triyng to sing than mariah lipsinging and “dancing” like she did in that ORRIBLE performance with her husband!!!!!!! team Whitney!!
Lee
September 2, 2009 at 10:13 am
OMFG..it’s sooo agitating to read some people’s responses!! Why in the world are we discussing Mariah?? B. Scott posTed eXactly what happened during the dang concert…the woman’s voice wasn’t up to PAR. Mariah Carey has nothing to do with Whitney Houston..they are two different artists with different skills and abilities and are still both equally still celebrated for their work. I watched Whitney and her voice was gone and especially during “I Look to You”, but that was really emotional for her and her mom..hell..I even cried. So im sure that may have contributed, but irregardless she had mad energy..she entertained..it was pretty dam gOOd. Her voice isn’t the same..and we all know why by now..tune into Oprah i’m sure she’ll finally admit it. With that being said, I still think her energy was great and the performance wasn’t horrible..she just didn’t have much of a voice. An interview excuse?? Maybe…perhaps..but she pretty much sounds that way nowadays. Anyhow..I love her still because of what she’s gone through and her ability to come back…I even love her album..I listen to it from start to finish..it’s a great piece of work. I commend her for her courage and I think her voice is kinda worn but she’s still quiTe taLented. Why even bring Mariah into this??? B hasn’t said that Mariah is better than Whitney or vice versa but some people just love to bring haTred to the forefront..its’ sTupid. Mariah’s voice isn’t the same as the early days..we all know that but she doesn’t sound horrible. The woman can still blow many people out of the waTer..her recent work such as “I Want to Know What Love is” is a testimonial to that fact. Her writing capabilities and vocals are superior. She may not have the best live performances ALL the time but she still can perform live and im sorry but she sounds way better than what Whitney did this morning. Besides im sure her live performance on GMA (I think) will further show that. Her voice isn’t as it was..but because she has been singing for such a long time, but it hasn’t been destroyed by harsh chemicals..she’s just a hard working woman. With that being said I must say that I won’t put neither one down because overcoming addiction and still able to put out some good work is just aWesome for Whitney, and Mariah after all these years..still writing masterpieces… and able to blow and hit craZy noTes in studio and out..incredible. The proof is in the pudding. In conclusion..I think Whitney did a great job all things considered..it was a very emotional performance and she gave her all..I’m proud and still a fan!! Her and Mariah are divas that will leave marks forever in this industry. Both of their voices have changed yet they can still deliver…so quit with the nonsense and bashing..cause it’s rather stupid. Lets celebrate both of them..the world is big enough for the both of them. They’ve both had their share of hard times but these two women are strong and should both be commended for never failing themselves or their fans..they still work hard and give all they’ve got.
JUSTSOUKNO1
September 2, 2009 at 10:25 am
Some of you are getting mad because people are calling B out. He has givin Mimi props when it was clear that she sounded a mess. So, why not keep it positive for Whitney.
Nick
September 2, 2009 at 10:48 am
She Looked Amazing, and Million Dollar Bill she Killed!
Johnson and Johnson
September 2, 2009 at 10:49 am
LOLOLO did someone say Mariah Sounds the same????? SMMFH yall know better then that now!!!!! Mariah aint sound the same since glitter. WTF
mary
September 2, 2009 at 11:05 am
I SAW THIS PERFORMANCE LIVE, AND I HAD A SINKING FEELING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST POST THAT B SCOTT WOULD PUT ON HIS/HER BLOG. IT’S AS IF B IS LOOKING FOR THE MOST HORRIBLE WHITNEY MOMENTS AND PUTING THEM UP.
Miss Pixie
September 2, 2009 at 11:47 am
Darlings, I watched the GMA performance and was there yesterday. People need to relax. It disturbs me to hear so much negativity about
ANY ARTIST. I will say that I think as time goes by Whitney’s voice will
grow stronger. Mariah needs to take a long break, act her age and she will
be just as fabulous as usual. WHO CARES if there voices aren’t that strong,
They are working hard for that money and for there fans. ‘Nuff said.
Regal
September 2, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Ok, my sources told me that she sang I Didnt know my own Strength on Oprah the day before and it was PERFECT. So, technically this was not her first come back performance B, Oprah was. . But any Whitney is better than what we’ve been subjected to for years. btw, she did loose her voice for a night in early 1999 when she did a tour because of the constant singing and talking so this isnt something new. She recently finished recording a beautiful album, (some song were not included) and did several constant interviews so what do you expect her to sound like after all of that? She is not 20 ya know. She has to rest like all of us do. But, that said, she still has it. Listen to the runs and notes on MDBs, I Got You, etc. CD in stores NOW!!!
mc20012003
September 2, 2009 at 2:30 pm
MARIAH MARIAH MARIAH. Every single time there is a Whitney article with bad press. People try and bring Mariah into it to take some heat off Whitney. What did this “Whitney performance” have to do with Mariah? People are just so pissed and done know how to take it. So they blame other artist. So sad. The MJ performance. WOW. Was Whitney there. Is this the topic? Grow up kids. Stop hating on Mariah. She has done nothing wrong to Whitney she always supports. So why are her fans bashing Mariah? Dont be mad at Mariah. Damn.
Mike
September 2, 2009 at 2:42 pm
@ Lee, man shut up! When it comes to Mariah or Whiney, either one will always be mentioned together, it’s part of the package!
PS. Mariah RULES!
Mike
September 2, 2009 at 2:44 pm
@ Lee, lol my apologies. I take back the shut up LOL
Yours Truely
September 2, 2009 at 3:10 pm
O Bscott where shall I start w/u:
1.You are SUCH a Mariah stan and I respect that
BUT…
2.You stated Whit’s “trying” to get her life back together…Ms. Scott where have YOU been? Whit’s life has BEEN together since she left Bobby. This album that she has dropped does not validate that.
3.I haven’t heard the performances YET but I trust your judgment as well as MANY others that it was a mess and not her best performance. But the fact that SHE KNOWS her voice is not what it was and she STILL agreed to do it LIVE or in your words “dubbing” I respect that
4.Since you have a obvious side in this Mariah vs. Whit crap ( btw I think they are BOTH great I support each and I will be buying both albums, I prefer the old Whit and the new Mariah strange I know lol) but Whit has been on drugs and smoking cigarettes for 10yrs( and I also feel it’s the cigarettes that has destroyed her voice not the crack).…WHAT is Mariah’s excuse again??? I can’t really recall ever being blown away by her live performances over her career, she has always been at best a sensational studio singer IMO. Please don’t tell me age b/c she is NOT old yet…go ahead I’m waiting…..
5. NOW last but not least you also stated in one of your live feeds that Whit fans better be careful with throwing stones b/c Mariah has the MOST loyal fans and yall aka Mariah fans don’t play…..your right Ms. Scott its unfortunate that her 1st live performance in so long sounded the way it did…BUT its going to be extremely unfortunate when you see Mariah’s record sales later this month compared to Whit’s record sales this week…..now THAT is what’s unfortunate chile!
CHOW
P.S BTW
@Lee
I “think” the reason people are responding on this post the way they are is b/c Ms.Scott’s LOYAL fans KNOWS she is a Mariah stan and is baised at times. While Ms. Scott does not express her it her on her blog everyday she does from time to time via other forms of communication ie twitter, livestreams etc. And out of ALL the blogs I looked at today Ms.Scotts opinion of Whit is by far the most uummmm yeah….
BITCH BOO BYE
O yeah bscott WHEN are you going to READ lil Mama…..don’t wait too long b/c than people are going to be like…what? huh? when that happened? ….do it NOW this week while its still fresh!
Michael St. James
September 2, 2009 at 3:39 pm
awww…poor whitney! we still love you girl, but i won’t be at your concert…lol!
CHRISTOPHER SMITH
September 2, 2009 at 4:44 pm
B SCOTT HAS ALWAYS FAVORED MARIAH CAREY. SO WHITNEY HOUSTON WILL ALWAYS FAIL IN HIS EYES. BUT HE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OPINOIN LIKE ANYONE ELSE. I LOVE WHITNEYS CD AND WISH HER ALL THE BEST.
P.S. I ALMOST FORGOT HOW GREAT OF A JOB MARIAH DID @ THE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE………………………………….NOT!!!!!!!!!!
mc20012003
September 2, 2009 at 5:03 pm
@ CHRISTOPHER SMITH.
U ALMOST FORGOT HOW GREAT OF A JOB MARIAH DID @ THE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE………………………………….NOT!!!!!!!!!! That was roses compared to what Whitney did today. So your point failed. Try another one.
marcel
September 2, 2009 at 5:40 pm
legend….. with or without voice
GAY
September 2, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Y’all knew when you logged on after seeing Whitney’s performance that B. Scott was going to everything in his power to ensure people saw the performance as a MASSIVE FAN. Whitney’s new cd is wonderful and a welcomed gift to those who appreciate “THE VOICE.” You know there are biased views on this site and someone can promote that they’re the most open minded until the cows come home, but we know what’s up.
LuvHer
September 2, 2009 at 6:47 pm
lol. mariah, mariah, mariah. you shoulda been in the brady bunch, girl.
now……noWHERE in this post did B even bring up mariah’s name. yet, here go the comments. insecure much? that says alot more about y’all than it does B. give it a fuckin’ rest already. this ain’t about Mimi. this is about Nippy. focus on that.
personally, i’m glad whitney’s back. i enjoy 7 out of her 11 album tracks. but it’s funny to see how all of the lines the LAMBs used (”did you really expect her to sound like she did in 1990?”; “she’s getting older”; “even on her worst day, she still blows these young chicks outta the water”) are being dusted off…..and regurgitated…..ad nauseum.
what wasn’t good enough for the goose, has now all of a sudden become good enough for the gander. it’s all good though. that’s just the way the world works.
regardless of who you ride for (Mimi or Nippy)….this finally proves it. nobody is perfect. and if that’s what you seek……feel free to check out of hotel ‘Life’. b/c you are in for one hell of a disappointment.
whitney (who voluntarily fucked up her own ‘gift’, mind you) is going to get the pass….and the pat on the back….and the look-away. regardless of whether everyone else thinks it’s fair or not. call it a feel good story….call it a comeback….but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with anyone else. this is HER time to redeem herself. judge her based on her own talent….and pray for her to regain control of her life. don’t belittle what she’s trying to do by pitting her against others….all to appease your own egos, at that. she deserves this chance to just be the artist she was born to be.
she will never ever be exactly the same….but that doesn’t mean that we can’t appreciate what we do have of her now, while she’s still here to enjoy it. she’s accomplished alot….and inspired millions. it’s time for those millions to turn around & inspire her to get back on top.
she needs to go on & release ‘worth it’ though. that is a surefire #1.
bryan78701
September 2, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Whitney has done live what I have yet to see any other artist do. You can’t take something away from someone after they have done it. Mariah has never and will never give a good emotion filled, crowd engaging, confident live performance. Whitney looked stunning and she rocked the crowd regardless.
CC
September 2, 2009 at 7:31 pm
I am soo happy that Whitney got on that staged and performed. It may not have been her BEST performance but she looked great. I am sooo happy that she is back. Her album is great and expected to be #1 on the charts because of strong sales. Mr. Scott I was surprised by the write up you did but lets remember that alot of artist have bad days. Your favorite diva had a bad day on the same show just last year when her pre recorded voice started before her mouth could catch up, and people including yourself STILL supported her. I wish Whitney nothing but positive energy!
shay
September 2, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Wow… some of these comments are incredibly immature. People are so ultra-sensitive now a days…cry me a river build a bridge and get over it. I love miss Whitney and so does B.Scott. No one is attacking her. But after seeing GMA, Whitney is not the old Whitney.
She has had many trials and tragedies… but with every tragedy is TRIUMPH honey. She looked fabulous and she can improve her voice over time. It’s been 7 years since she’s performed, give miss Houston a BREAK!
Semia
September 2, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Huh? Why are all the comments about Whitney vs Mariah??
B. didn’t even bring her up in his post LOL
So just because he’s a fan of Mariah he’s not allowed to voice his opinion on Whitney’s performance?? There are not many good things you can say about this “performance” anyway. And the things he wrote were quite respectful. So stop hating.
ed
September 3, 2009 at 12:05 am
it wasn’t her day….. it happened to brandy but when she performed in trl she nailed it…… like the diva she is….
let’s give whitney a chance….. it’s not as if she’s back doing drugs again right?
i love whitney love or hate her you can’t deny that she paved the way for all the artist that we listen to now a days and even mariah acknowledges that. so pls let’s just support her in this time of her life….. Peace ya’ll
Ace
September 3, 2009 at 3:39 am
What Diva will debut her latest album at #1 on the charts without one video release? …..
Need I say more?
It is F’ed up that this is the 1st thing you posted. Album came out no love. Props for the stream but even something bad was said then… but hey to each its own. We’ll agree to disagree
J
September 3, 2009 at 11:53 am
At least she got out there and sang live, she could have canceled (or decide to lip sync lipe Mimi loves to do since she can’t sing anymore) so give her respect! This woman has been through hell and back and now she’s making her way.. and btw when was the last time Mariah had a worldwide number 1 album?
Ebz
September 4, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Lol. I’m glad I’m not the only one who realizes that B.Scott’s bias towards Mariah, is one of the few times when objectivity seems to become obscure. Mariah has had numerous bad performances (MJ’s tribute was a DISASTER, the inauguration, etc), yet he steps in and defends her (i.e she was emotional), yet Usher KILLED his performance. Whitney definitely didn’t do well vocally, but much is to be said about her ability to captivate and audience and work the stage. And she did it without the assistance of autotune (Obsessed???). IMO, Whitney is better than Mariah on her worst day and Mariahs best day.
Can’t wait to see Whitney’s interview and performance, I’m sure she will slap all her critics in the face.
starr
September 4, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Whitney did great and I commend her on getting her life back together we don’t know the hell this women went thru her first 2 performances were great it’s at the end of song when she started getting hoarse. I commend her for singing live and still giving it all she had unlike mariah who lip sync every performance. And leave it too B Scott to put her worst performance, we all knows he loves Mariah and he is a hater and still the fakest bitch on here. Acting like his shit don’t stank. Anyway Wb Ms Houston. I love u and GOD isn’t done with u yet sweetie.
Lisa
September 13, 2009 at 5:34 am
Whitney’s performance WAS HORRIBLE plain and simple no iffs ands or buts about it. Mariah’s performance was at a damn memorial where someone died…THE KING OF POP. So if she wasn’t perfect oh well it was a damn memorial. Whitney on the other hand was at a scheduled concert and she failed miserably. I’m sure her performance on Oprah is going to be pitch perfect…she will lip synch it because she doesn’t have the chops any longer. Her first week sales are from die hard fans no one else is biting and they won’t bite after that GMA performance. Whitney is a joke and her career is like burnt meat. DONE….. Bobby’s live performances with Johnny and Ralph the last year sounded a helluva lot better than Whit’s.
Anonymous
October 3, 2009 at 3:58 am
yall people are so dumb
for one Whitney Houston was on drugs for years so that should be an excuse anyway
but if yall seen the Oprah show when she performed yall will see that whitney voice is pretty much the same
shehit that high note
i would say she just aint got much stamina like before but the voice is still the same
with a lil more practice she goin be back on top