Whitney Houston 'would still be alive today' had girlfriend Robyn Crawford 'stayed in her life'

Posted by Jenniffer Sheldon on Friday, May 17, 2024

WHITNEY Houston would "be alive today" had her girlfriend Robyn Crawford been allowed to stay in her life, it has been claimed.

Robyn helped the megastar, who died 10 years ago aged 48, deal with the demands of fame and addictions, Whitney's close friend and saxophonist Kirk Whalum said.

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While Whitney never admitted to being in a romantic relationship with Robyn, the former aide wrote a book called A Song For You in 2019 where she revealed they had been "intimate on all levels" during their two-decade long friendship.

Kirk, who toured with Whitney for seven years in the 80s and 90s, revealed how Robyn always stood up for Whitney's “health and wellness” - even when she knew it would prompt clashes with handlers and family.

Asked if he believed Whitney would still be alive with Robyn in her life, Kirk told The Sun: “Yes I do believe that.

“There is an old jazz standard called Someone To Watch Over Me. I take that from the spiritual point of view, but that played out in flesh and blood. That was Robyn. Who would not want someone to watch over them.

'Closer than family'

“Whitney could breathe when she knew Robyn was in control of the business. When Robyn was there to hold her hand, she could be the strong black woman she was bred to be.

"Their bond was in many ways closer than that of her family."

Whitney drowned in her bath tub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 11, 2012. Coroners noted she suffered a fatal heart attack and had cocaine in her system.

Kirk believes Robyn's "powerful presence" could have talked Whitney into getting clean had they been close when she attempted her 2012 comeback.

However the musician told how Robyn being lesbian was “despised” by some of her key handlers.

'Despised her sexuality'

“The counsel, guidance, support and sheer instincts that Robyn provided for a history-making superstar were severely undervalued," he said.

"I want to go on record saying that Robyn was the better manager by far, though she never wore that title.

"The main reason, I believe, that Robyn was not allowed to function in that role, was because her official handlers despised Robyn’s sexuality.

"The importance of their personal relationship is one thing and Whitney’s ultimate psychological and emotional wholeness and health was one thing that took a giant hit.

"Then there is the career part where decisions were made on things like 'Whitney you need to do the following dates and have rest, but in the meantime you have to do photoshoots.

'Handmade for Whitney'

"Robyn was not having that. What ultimately leads someone down the path of drug abuse is not all ‘Hey I like partying’; it is about, ‘You are wearing me out.’

"Robyn was not having that. Robyn’s concern and main objective was Whiney’s health, wellness and ability to carry out this amazing gift.”

Kirk, who says he bonded with Whitney because of their strict church upbringings, added that the singer's stage band adored how Robyn supported the superstar.

He said: “We all loved Robyn. Robyn could put her hand on yours and you would calm down. There was something supernatural about her persona, something so peaceful and assuring.

“It was almost that she was handmade for Whitney.”

'It just could not be'

Whitney could never be open about her “soul mate,” fearing push back from the church and business handlers’ concern it would damage her career.

“It just could not be. There were so many reasons why it could not be. That to me is very sad," he said.

“Growing up in that culture of the black church, where Whitney came from, I did not have the proper understanding of why it was important for Robyn and Whitney to be who they were.

“But my and Whitney’s church theology would not allow for it officially at the time.

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“Thank God we have evolved. They had to live against the grain with their pure and sincere love for each other. That is what ultimately led to the sadness and ultimately drug use and dysfunction."

“When she said to us all the time, ’Can I be me’ I look back and think 'Wow who knew?'”

In the early 1990s Houston found romance with R&B star Bobby Brown, leading to Crawford stepping away.

Kirk says that had she been an artist today there would be less of a scandal concerning her sexuality and life choices - and she would have been doing Las Vegas residencies and sell-out tours.

Celebrating Whitney

He said: “Undoubtedly she would be celebrated if she were here today. The microscope on the rise and fall of someone of her stature, that smoke would dissipate.

“She would have gone into the sunset in Vegas or somewhere similar, similar to Celine Dion.

“There is a part of me that mourns the loss of her doing those shows. What Celine went on to to do was the thing that Whitney was born to do too.”

Kirk is proud that he boasts the title as the most heard sax solo in pop music of all time - thanks to his work on Whitney's iconic hit I Will Always Love You.

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As well as working with Whitney, the songwriter has featured on many Luther Vandross albums, and won a Grammy award in 2011 for Best Gospel Song ("It's What I Do", featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside lifelong friend and writer Jerry Peters.

He is now working on a memoir about his life and has produced a music documentary Humanite.


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