'Whitney!' reveals insider accounts of Whitney Houston's tragic story
Fox Nation host Kacie McDonnell discusses the legacy of ‘the voice’ Whitney Houston and previews Fox Nation’s documentary ‘Whitney!’ on the life of the famed singer.
Dubbed "the greatest singer of her generation," "the diva to end all divas" Whitney Houston had one of the music industry's more remarkable rises to fame. But despite her climb to historic success, her downfall and sudden death sent shock waves through the news cycle, and continues to rattle people to this day.
Marking one decade since her untimely death, Fox Nation's ‘Whitney!’ explores the path to Whitney Houston's immeasurable fame, legendary career and demise.
Deemed a "cultural icon" and a "national treasure," Whitney Houston’s accomplishments in music are, no doubt, unparalleled. She was the first artist to have seven consecutive #1 hits and the first woman to enter the Billboard 200 at #1 with her album, Whitney.
But her accolades don’t end there. The New Jersey native earned herself two Emmy Awards, eight Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records, as well as induction into the Grammy, Rhythm and Blues Music, and Rock and Roll halls of fame. She was also the first woman of color to be featured on Seventeen Magazine, and a successful film producer.
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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: Whitney Houston sings the National Anthem during the pregame show at Super Bowl XXV while tens of thousands of football fans wave tiny American flags in an incredible outburst of patriotism during the Persian Gulf War on 01/27/1991. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images)
Many consider her performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV to be among the best-ever renditions of the national anthem.
"Whitney is on a pedestal when it comes to talent and God-given ability," host Kacie McDonnell told Fox News Digital. "She is a trailblazer. Everyone who came after her was influenced by her, singer or not."
Despite the reverence she’d earned from fans spanning the decades, the Fox Nation special explores how her once-in-a-lifetime success story was ultimately no match for her drug addiction and personal struggles.
On February 11, 2012, Houston is considered to have accidentally died in a bathtub just hours before pre-Grammy party hosted by Clive Davis, the man who discovered Houston.
In a controversial move, the party went on - ultimately becoming a tribute to Houston. Heart disease and cocaine use were determined to have been contributing factors to an otherwise mysterious death.
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"I think it is a tragedy. A talent lost too soon… No one will ever know exactly what she was feeling that night or throughout the course of her battle with drug addiction," McDonnell added.
Houston’s life, in many ways, could be considered a cautionary tale.
Houston made her acting debut in the romantic thriller The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack (which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year) including "I Will Always Love You" (which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year). In ‘Whitney!’ her real-life bodyguard, David Roberts, is interviewed about his role in her life - who told Fox Nation of his firing from the job after quietly notifying those above him about her out-of-control drug use.
"There was a time towards the end of my tenure with her that it was getting so bad that I put together a report for the hierarchy of the organization. And ultimately, they thanked me for that report and assured me that whereas Miss Houston would not be traveling internationally again, someone of your skills was no longer required but if she does, she'll get back in touch with you," Roberts said in the special.
"And that's the kiss of death," he added. "That never happens. They never get back in touch with you. So that was it."
When asked of the similarities between Kevin Costner's character and Roberts, McDonnell said "they both simply loved her."
Whitney Houston performs during the World Music Awards at the Thomas Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada as a tribute to music mogul Clive Davis, who received the Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry Award, September 15, 2004. The show will be broadcast in 160 countries reaching more than 1 billion viewers. (REUTERS/Ethan Miller)
While Houston is widely considered to have influenced a number of musical artists who've followed, McDonnell maintains none would hold a candle to the woman considered "The Voice."
"If Whitney were still alive, her level of fame would have been untouchable."
As for her legacy, Whitney Houston – widely referred to as, simply, "The Voice" will be remembered for so much more.
"She wasn't just a voice," McDonnell told Fox News Digital. "Her style, her vibe, her ability to wear multiple hats… She was a star."
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In the end, McDonnell maintains that, while she will be mourned for her demons, she should be "remembered for her angels and the way she has touched so many people's lives."
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