Whitney Houston's Father John Russell Houston Changed after He Had a Heart Attack

Publish date: 2024-05-17

Whitney Houston and Her Father John Houston. | Source: Getty Images

John Russell Houston was a loving father who cared about his family. But after suffering from a medical emergency, John became a different person and disconnected from his loved ones.

John was a supportive father; he spotted his daughter's singing talent at a young age and supported her in becoming a global sensation. Their relationship was, however, not a walk in the park, as John once sued his daughter for failing to abide by his company's terms.

Even though John and his daughter had misunderstandings that made them drift away from each other, the two reunited before his demise.

John Houston at Webster Hall on Novemver 30,1995, in NewYork. | Source: Getty Images

John Was a Self-Made Man

John Rusell Houston was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on September 13, 1920. He made a name for himself after he served in the second world war.

John humbly started as a taxi and truck driver, and through his hard work and determination, in the1970s, he had the opportunity to work for Kenneth Gibson, the first black mayor elected in Newark.

Whitney Houston with mother Cissy and father John sitting at kitchen table at home on January 01, 1987 | Source: Getty Images

John was also a talent manager in the 1960s; he managed Sweet Inspirations, a vocal group led by his then-wife, Cissy Houston. The group was previously known as Drinkard Sisters, a gospel choir featuring Grammy-award winner and television host Dionne Warwick.

John and Whitney's Mother Dated When He Was in His First Marriage

Before John met Cissy, he was married to his first wife, Elsie Marie Hamilton. In Cissy's biography "Remembering Whitney," she stated that the moment she saw John, she felt an instant connection. She described him as a tall and well-built man with attractive charisma.

John Houston at Franklin School in East Orange on June 12,1997. | Source: Getty Images

Even though John was older than Cissy by 13 years, they were both in love, and their age difference didn't matter. Despite John being a married man, the duo started dating and moved in together, something Cissy's sisters disapproved of.

In August 1961, the love birds welcomed their first child together at Beth Israel Hospital in Newark. Interestingly enough, their son Michael was born in the same room as Gary—Cissy's son from a previous relationship. The couple later welcomed their daughter Whitney in 1963.

John and Cissy finally got married in 1964, after he finalized his divorce from Hamilton. According to Cissy, John was a loving husband and a great father to their children. Cissy said that even though she and John were in love, there were times when they had fights, just like any normal couple.

John Houston and his daughter, Whitney Houston, in New York, 1989. | Source: Getty Images

In her book, Cissy recalled a time when John took her to perform in a jazz club in manhattan. After her performance, the couple drove back home, and Cissy retired to bed early since she had a busy day.

She said she was sound asleep when her daughter woke her up with sad news about John being admitted to the hospital after suffering from a heart attack.

Even though John wasn't mentioned in the lawsuit, his daughter was accused of not paying up for services rendered by the company on her behalf.

After some days, John fully recovered and got discharged from the hospital, but the doctors warned Cissy that the heart attack might have affected John's personality. Cissy recalled that John disconnected from their relationship after the incident and that things were never the same.

Whitney Houston and father John Houston on October 9, 1991, at Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

John later moved out and rented another apartment even though he kept hanging out and doing gigs with Cissy. The two pretended that their relationship was perfect, and even some of their friends didn't know that they lived separately. The couple finally called it quits in 1991 after being married for 27 years.

John Russell Houston's Company Was Suing His Daughter

John's first time spotting his daughter's talent was when she sang the song "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" while in church. John was impressed by his daughter's vocal range, who was 11 at the time. He nurtured her talent, and Whitney Houston soon began to perform with her mother.

When John's daughter turned 20, she got signed to Arista Records, and in 1985, she got a major career breakthrough when she made her first debut album "Whitney Houston." Despite having been signed to a recording label, Whitney needed someone to manage her.

Whitney Houston with her parents John and Cissy at Heathrow Airport in London on February 8, 1987. | Source: Getty Images

She turned on to her father, who officially became her manager in 1985 and her company's CEO. John supported his daughter's career, and the two had a fantastic relationship. But their relationship began to drift away after his daughter married singer Bobby Brown in 1992.

But in 2000, when John's daughter got arrested in Hawaii for illegal possession of Marijuana, he came to her aid and bailed her out. Also, after the incident, he helped her negotiate a well-paying new record contract.

Despite John managing his daughter, the two occasionally had disagreements. Whitney admitted to interviewers that she and her father had fights, but it was because of business and nothing else. In 2002, John's company, John Houston Entertainment, sued Whitney for $ 100 million due to breach of contract.

John Houston and Whitney Houston, in New York, 1989. | Source: Getty Images

Even though the lawsuit didn't mention John's name, his daughter got accused of not paying for services rendered by the company on her behalf. In 2009 during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, John's daughter opened up about how the lawsuit had caused a major split between her and her father. Speaking to Winfrey, she said:

"It was a period of a couple years where we didn't speak at all."

John's daughter, however, set the record straight and admitted that before her father passed on, they had made amends and were in good books.

Whitney Houston and her parents, John Hoston and Cissy Houston on March 01, 1988, in NewYork. | Source: Getty Images

John Married for the Third Time Right after His Divorce

After John finalized his divorce from Cissy, he married his third wife, Barbara Houston. Cissy's biography expressed her disappointment with John and said he didn't even inform or invite their kids.

John Rusell Houston died on February 2, 2003, aged 82. He was survived by his wife, Barbara, and his five children. Five years after John's death, Barbara filed a lawsuit against Whitney over John's $1 million life insurance policy. According to the insurance policy, Whitney was the sole beneficiary of the money.

Barbara's lawsuit claimed that the insurance was to pay off a mortgage Whitney held over John and Barbara Houston's home and the remaining balance handed over to her. According to reports, John's daughter never gave Barbara any money.