Whitney Houston’s Friend Reveals What Could Have Saved Her
Whitney Houston’s fans and loved ones are still reeling from the “Saving All My Love For You” singer’s death 10 years later. Many question whether or not the singer would still be alive had she had better people surrounding her. One confidant in the singer’s life, her best friend Robyn Crawford, is credited by insiders as being one of the only solid sources of support for Houston. A friend of Houston’s agrees and says Houston may still be alive if her friendship with Crawford did not fall apart.
Whitney Houston’s friend says Robyn Crawford could have saved her
Crawford and Houston met as teenagers in the early 80s while working together during one summer. Their bond was immediate. Houston denied rumors about their friendship being more than platonic. But Crawford eventually confirmed such in a memoir, A Song For You. She says the romantic part of their relationship ended due to Houston not feeling comfortable being with a woman in the spotlight. Crawford remained a close friend and eventually worked for Houston.
According to many of Houston’s friends, including saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Crawford kept Houston in order. As fans know, Houston had a decades-long battle with drug addiction. Whalum told The Sun that if Crawford and Houston were still in contact at the end of Houston’s life, Crawford could have saved Houston.
“Yes I do believe that [Houston would still be alive today if Crawford stayed around],” he said. “There is an old jazz standard called Someone To Watch Over Me. I take that from the spiritual point of view, but that played out in flesh and blood. That was Robyn. Who would not want someone to watch over them.”
He says Crawford was a calmness in Houston’s life amid much chaos. “Whitney could breathe when she knew Robyn was in control of the business. When Robyn was there to hold her hand, she could be the strong Black woman she was bred to be,” he added. “Their bond was in many ways closer than that of her family.”
He says Whitney Houston’s handlers pushed Robyn Crawford away
Despite their close relationship, Whalum says Houston’s handlers were not fans of Crawford. Houston’s mother Cissy later confirmed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she didn’t like Crawford. The late singer’s brother Gary shared similar sentiments, calling Crawford a “nobody” in the Showtime documentary Can I Be Me?
Whalum says Crawford was “despised” by some of Houston’s key handlers. “The counsel, guidance, support and sheer instincts that Robyn provided for a history-making superstar were severely undervalued,” he said. “I want to go on record saying that Robyn was the better manager by far, though she never wore that title. The main reason, I believe, that Robyn was not allowed to function in that role, was because her official handlers despised Robyn’s sexuality.
When asked whether Houston ever considered having a full-on relationship with Crawford, Whalum explained that it was never possible. “It just could not be. There were so many reasons why it could not be. That to me is very sad,” he said. “Growing up in that culture of the black church, where Whitney came from, I did not have the proper understanding of why it was important for Robyn and Whitney to be who they were. But my and Whitney’s church theology would not allow for it officially at the time.”
A new book questions whether Whitney Houston’s alleged suppression of her sexuality and love for Robyn Crawford contributed to her downfall
Journalist Gerrick Kennedy’s new book Didn’t We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston explores how the media implored Houston’s life. One major subject is her relationship with Crawford and whether or not Houston and Crawford not being able to be together made things worse for Houston.
Crawford quit working for Houston in 2000, allegedly after a major blowup with Houston’s then-husband, Bobby Brown. She reportedly gave Houston an ultimatum: her or Brown. Houston reportedly gave Crawford her walking papers the following day.
