A look at Brandy and Whitney Houston’s enduring bond through the years

Whitney Houston quickly took Brandy under her wing in Hollywood, leaving an undeniable impact on her life and career. 

In her new memoir, “Phases,” the singer Brandy opens up about one of her most famous allegiances in Hollywood, her mentor, the late Whitney Houston. 

The two, who famously starred together in the 1997 TV musical remake of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” maintained an endearing fairy godmother-like bond over the years, right up until the day Houston died. Writing about her in “Phases,” Brandy, 47, who recalls falling in love with her voice for the first time when she was 7 years old, after hearing Houston perform “Greatest Love of All,” described the her talent and the many lessons the late icon, who died on February 11, 2012, at the age of 48, left her with. 

“We were two kindred spirits navigating the same tumultuous waters of fame,” she writes, per an excerpt published in The Cut. 

While many have heard how they first met in person at the 1995 Kids’ Choice Awards, Norwood recalls the first time she really met her idol at the age of 12. The aspiring singer attended a taping of “The Tonight Show” when BeBe and CeCe Winans were the scheduled musical act and mustered up the courage to sing her way backstage to meet them. Upon meeting them, she asked if they could phone Houston. Happy to oblige within minutes, her greatest inspiration was on the other line. 

From teenhood till her 30s, Houston remained a supportive figure in her life, not unlike a fairy godmother. Below, we break down their endearing bond right up until the end. 

Meeting at the 1995 Kids’ Choice Awards 

The two singers met in person for the first time in 1995 backstage during the Nickolodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. Brandy, then 16, was reportedly so overcome with emotion at the prospect of meeting an idol of hers who had been in the industry and dominating for over a decade by then that she initially ran away and burst into tears. Brandy, who had just released her debut album, was invited to attend while Houston, then 31, was that year’s host.  

“Cinderella”

Just two years after their first meeting, Houston handpicked Norwood to star alongside her in “Cinderella.” Norwood stepped into the role of Cinderella while Houston, also an executive producer, played her fairy godmother. This version also starred Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Paolo Montalban, Bernadette Peters, and Natalie Desselle (who died in 2020), in a diverse, vibrant reimaging of the classic Disney fairytale. 

The film, beloved by fans to this day, gave the culture a rare imagining of a Black princess and the timeless hit, “Impossible,” which Houston and Norwood memorably performed together when the fairy godmother first visits Cinderella.

While some critics were divided at the time over some of the modern choices made with the adaptation, the film was an instant success among viewers and ratings and eventually went on to receive acclaim for its groundbreaking “color-blind” casting featuring a Black princess, Filipino prince, and multicultural royal family, and received seven Emmy Award nomintions including a win for Outstanding Art Direction. It was also the formal start to a fairy godmother-and-fairy goddaughter-like dynamic between Houston and Norwood.

How their relationship evolved through the years

Throughout Brandy’s continued rise as an R&B star and actress, Houston was someone she could turn to for advice, a shoulder to cry on, mentorship, and inspiration. They kept in touch by phone for years, with Houston checking in frequently to see how she was adjusting and to compliment her on her performances. By the time the film “Waiting to Exhale” arrived, Houston tapped Norwood for the soundtrack, leading to the hits “Sittin’ Up in My Room.”

“What Whitney had given me was more than a handshake or a photo opportunity. It was a genuine investment in my future. And she kept investing,” Norwood writes in her memoir.  

Houston’s most enduring piece of advice 

Houston was found dead in a bathtub in her hotel room at the Beverly Hills Hotel following an accidental drowning made complicated by substance abuse. Days prior, she passed Norwood a handwritten note, the contents of which Norwood has never fully shared. However, of the many pieces of wisdom Houston imparted on Norwood over the years, there is one piece of advice the “I Wanna Be Down” singer never forgot. The night before Houston’s death, which occurred on Norwood’s 33rd birthday, the veteran star and Norwood spoke on the phone for nearly three hours. During the phone call, according to Norwood, Houston implored her to remain authentic above all else. 

“She went into depth about me staying true to who I am. She made me promise her that,” she recalled in 2021 while talking to Billboard. “So that has always been what I have vowed to do. I live my life every day being more and more myself. That can work in any area of your life … Being true to who you are just sets you free on every level.”