Ken's Korner: Whitney Houston exhibit in Vegas

Ken’s Korner: Whitney Houston exhibit in Vegas

Ken’s Korner / October 2012
News & Views From the World of Antiques & Collectibles
By Ken Hall
A new exhibit celebrating the life and musical talents of Whitney Houston has opened at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Titled Whitney! Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Whitney Houston, the exhibit – the first one devoted entirely to the late pop legend – will run through February. On display will be her Bible, high school diploma and yearbook, scrapbooks, choir robe (from the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ), and stage gowns (including the white beaded dress she wore to accept three Grammys in 1992).

The exhibit has been curated in cooperation with Houston’s family (who gave carte blanche approval to the project) and Clive Davis, the singer’s mentor. Featured are artifacts, rare photos and videos tracing a time line that stretched from the days Houston sang in a church choir to her multi-platinum achievements, which included a combined 170 million albums, singles and videos sold. What it chooses not to dwell on are the sadder aspects of Houston’s life and decline, including her death February 11 at age 48 after drowning in a bathtub.