Whitney Houston Book: Bebe Winans, "We Spoke About Drugs, Sex, Marriage"
The first of three books about singer Whitney Houston's death is scheduled for release on July 31. The book, titled "The Whitney I Knew," is written by Houston's friend, gospel singer BeBe Winans.
Winans wants to show a side of Whitney that very few got to see.
Bebe was inspired to write the book when images of her in a casket at her funeral were sold to a tabloid.
"There was no thought of a book, but a month after the funeral I received a lot of phone calls from people saying thank you for what I said at the funeral, that they didn't know that Whitney and it made their hearts happy," Winans told Huffington Post. "My first reaction [to the prospect of writing a book on Houston] was no. And after about a week I called the family and asked what they thought, and they gave it the green light. So I jumped in."
Winans also discussed the intimacy of his personal conversations with Whitney:
"Whitney never took a drug in front of me,I never saw drugs in the 26 years of our relationship. Now, we spoke about drugs, sex, marriage -- we talked about everything because that was the relationship. And the reason we could have a conversation about everything was because it stayed there," he added. "It was a sanctuary. Success can be so tricky and deceiving, you realize that not only is there not a sanctuary with friends but that family can go left on you."
The other two books reported to come out later this year regarding the late singer's life will be written by her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston and the other by Whitney's sister-in-law and manager, Pat Houston. Pat's book is tentatively titled "A celebration of the Life of Whitney Houston". The introduction will be co-written by Clive Davis, the head of Whitney's record label J records. It will be published by Simon & Schuster and will arrive in stores in November.
Whitney Houston passed away on Feb. 11. Autopsy reports revealed that Houston died from heart disease and the use several drugs including cocaine before her death at a Beverly Hills hotel.
Whitney Houston's last movie "Sparkle" will arrive in movie theaters nationwide on August 17.
