It has been seven years since the passing of the legendary Whitney Houston. Now her estate is ready to get the ball rolling on business as they work to keep her legacy alive. Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate spoke with The New York Times about potential projects involving Whiney’s brand. Including a touring hologram, a new album of unreleased music and a potential musical.
Pat said, “Everything is about timing for me. It’s been quite emotional for the past seven years. But now it’s about being strategic.”
Recently, Whitney’s estate signed a deal with Primary Wave Music Publishing, a music, and marketing company, to help rebuild Whitney’s business. In their deal, the company has acquired 50 percent of the estate’s assets, including royalties to Whitney’s music and films, merchandise, and the right to exploit her name and likeness.
Pat continued to say, “Before she passed, there was so much negativity around the name; it wasn’t about the music anymore. People had forgotten how great she was. They let all the personal things about her life outweigh why they fell in love with her in the first place.”
Larry Mestel, the founder of Primary Wave Music Publishing added, “Whitney was America’s sweetheart, and the idea now is to remind people that that is what her legacy is.”
The first project on the estate’s agenda is the hologram, which is reportedly already under development. The hologram will perform some her classic hits, all while being backed by her original band and backup singers.
Pat said, “The hologram has taken precedence over everything.”
Unreleased tracks from Whitney’s 1985 debut album are likely to appear on a new album, and Larry Mestel says that he has been in contact with Broadway producers about “a musical and a Vegas-style spectacle.” To make this all happen, Primary Wave Publishing would have to work with Sony since they own Whitney’s publishing.
As many of you know Whitney passed away in February 2012 after being found in her Beverly Hills hotel room during Grammy Weekend.
