Whitney Houston’s Father John Houston Dead At 82
John Houston, the father of superstar singer Whitney Houston and former husband of Cissy Houston of the Sweet Inspirations, died at the age of 82 on Sunday (February 2) at 5:56 a.m. ET at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Houston, who suffered from diabetes and heart disease, died from cardiac arrest due to a multiple organ shutdown.
The Houston family was informed late Saturday (February 1) that he would probably succumb. His wife Peggy Houston was at his side, and one of his sons, Michael Houston, arrived at the hospital just after he died. The rest of the family was attempting to fly in from various locations. At press time, the Houston family was in New Jersey working on funeral arrangements.
Houston was the manager of his former wife’s group, the Sweet Inspirations, who sang back up on many of Aretha Franklin’s classics. In recent years, Houston aided his daughter Whitney with her career through his Newark-based company, John Houston Entertainment LLC.
Late last year John Houston filed a $100 million lawsuit against his daughter Whitney Houston for failing to pay for his services. At the time he told Celebrity Justice, “I never thought about suing my daughter. I never thought about it that way. I thought about suing the corporation that belongs to Whitney, and she happened to be right in the middle of it.”
Late last year John Houston filed a $100 million lawsuit against his daughter Whitney Houston for failing to pay for his services. At the time he told Celebrity Justice, “I never thought about suing my daughter. I never thought about it that way. I thought about suing the corporation that belongs to Whitney, and she happened to be right in the middle of it.”
The elder Houston addressed his daughter directly during the interview. “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me,” he said. “If you do that, you haven’t got a lawsuit.”
The fees in question were allegedly for the help that John Houston provided when Whitney negotiated a new contract with Arista Records, as well as the assistance his lawyers provided in getting her marijuana-possession charges dropped in 2000. Many around the family maintained that outside forces coerced John Houston into suing his daughter, but the two remained close until his death.
According to the singer’s publicist, the father and daughter shared a great deal of love for each other and, as far as they were concerned, there was no problem between them. Houston visited her father prior to his death.
— Yves Erwin Salomon, New York