To mark the one-year anniversary of her tragic death, Whitney Houston will be further immortalized, this time in physical form. Madame Tussauds has created four iconic Whitney wax figures that will be displayed in various locations. It is the first time in 200 years so many looks were created for one subject.
The first chosen was Whitney in an white jogging suit, in which she performed her legendary version of the National Anthem at the 1991 Superbowl–a version that still towers over all others. The second look offers a snapshot of Houston in the late 1980s, capturing the dance-pop look from her 1988 music video “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” The third rendering shows Houston in a costume from her 1992 movie The Bodyguard. And finally, Madame Tussauds created an older Houston, around the time of her final album in 2009.
“We were extremely honored when Madame Tussauds approached us about doing four figures of Whitney from different points in her 30-year career,” Houston’s manager and sister-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement on behalf of the family. “This is something we are excited to do for the fans.”
The figures will be unveiled in New York today, and then will be transported to various Madame Tussauds locations. “She was a true and rare talent, and we are exceedingly proud to be adding her wax likeness to our attractions in the United States,” said Rosemary Preta, director of marketing, Midway USA, Merlin Entertainment Group.
The unveiling of the Whitney wax figures marks one of many events scheduled around the anniversary of her death this month. Just last week, Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, released her new memoir, Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and The Night The Music Stopped.
A gospel star in her own right, Cissy Houston famously nurtured Whitney (affectionately called “Nippy” to family) and her golden voice from the church choir to superstardom. However, once Whitney began dabbling in drugs, she started avoiding her mother. “Whitney hid from me,” says Cissy, which made her afraid to confront her daughter for fear of losing her completely.
To coincide with the book’s release, Cissy and her son Michael appeared with Oprah Winfrey for an installment of “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on OWN. The interview, taped at Cissy’s palatial New Jersey penthouse, contained a shocking confession from Whitney’s older brother–that he was the first person to give Whitney cocaine in the late 1980s. Michael attempted to explain the behavior, saying “You gotta understand at the time, no one knew, it was acceptable.”
For, the rest of the interview, Cissy, Michael, and Oprah all shared their fond memories of the icon.
The 2013 Grammys will also honor Houston, with a one hour special entitled “Grammys Will Go On: A Death In The Family,” which documents how news of Houston’s death a mere 24 hours before the 2012 Grammys affected the broadcast. The documentary features interviews with LL Cool J, Katy Perry, Dave Grohl, Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Hudson, who famously sang “I Will Always Love You” to a grieving room of musicians.
The special will air this Saturday, February 9, on CBS.
