This past Monday saw the season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which featured the first part of a two-part interview with beloved and trying-for-a-comeback star Whitney Houston.
Whitney held little back, describing in detail some of the excesses of her time with ex-husband Bobby Brown, who she divorced in 2007. According to the singer, she just “wanted to be normal” and have a life with her daughter, instead of spending time on the road touring. This is not to say, however, that her career had lain fallow; she recorded several records during those years, none of which were successful on the level of her earlier work.
Now she says that she “wants her joy back”, referring to her love of singing and the gift of her beautiful voice. But is it too late for Whitney? Can she make a comeback after all this time, given her on-air shenanigans with Bobby Brown? And if the reason for leaving the life is to be normal, what does that say about her return to it?
It’s never easy for the children of the famous. The chance for normality is slim, and performing parents on the road mean either living with relatives or a team of caretakers. Is it fair for Whitney to leave her motherhood aside just for the chance for her to feel special again? Or is it more in line to say that she’s being a poor role model for her daughter if she’s not out there exercising her gifts to their fullest extent?
