CELEBRITIES
Whitney Houston revival underway
Pop titan Whitney Houston’s estate is planning a resurgence for the late singer that includes a new album of unreleased tracks, a touring hologram, a potential Broadway musical and other branding deals.
The Grammy-winning megastar died in 2012 from a combination of heart trouble and cocaine ingestion at age 48.
Houston’s estate has struck a deal with Primary Wave Music, a boutique marketing firm that specializes in reviving the classic catalogs — of Smokey Robinson, Bob Marley and Def Leppard, among others — through branding and entertainment deals.
The company will acquire half of the Houston estate’s assets, including royalties from her music and films, merchandising and rights to use her name and likeness. That includes profit share in her hit films “The Bodyguard” (and the musical), “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Cinderella” and “Sparkle,” according to a Monday statement from Primary Wave Music.
The performer’s sister-in-law and former manager, Pat Houston, the executor of the singer’s estate, is behind the strategic rollout.
Music for the new album is expected to be drawn from unused tracks from the singer’s self-titled 1985 debut album. It is unclear when the purported projects will premiere.