News

We lost some entertainment giants in 2024.

Among the big-screen legends who died during the past 12 months were Donald Sutherland, James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Carl Weathers, Shelley Duvall, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, Louis Gossett Jr., Anouk Aimée, Marisa Paredes and Gena Rowlands.

Related: Saying Goodbye: A Video Tribute To The Hollywood And Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2024

The TV world mourns the likes of Bob Newhart, John Amos, Phil Donahue, Linda Lavin, David Soul, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Martin Mull, Shannen Doherty, Michael Cole, Richard Lewis, Richard Simmons, James B. Sikking, Peter Marshall and Joe Flaherty.

Filmmakers and producers who left us include Norman Jewison, Roger Corman, Al Ruddy, Jon Landau, Lynda Obst, Jim Abrahams, Charles Shyer, Irv Wilson and Paolo Taviani.

The industry also paid tribute to such top executives as Charles Dolan, Paula Weinstein, Jamie Kellner, Richard Parsons, Gerald Levin and Paul Fox.

Broadway’s lights were a...

Beyond the Gates’ (Btg) cast continues their whirlwind press tour as they promote the new soap both on television and social media. The show’s debut is scheduled to take place on CBS this Monday, February 24 at 2 p.m. Et.

Actress Tamara Tunie, who plays matriarch Anita Dupree, made a stop at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on the evening of February 19, to talk more about Btg, and revealed the one thing that made her decide to return to the land of daytime drama.

Tamara Tunie’s Reason Why

Tunie is an accomplished actress, with not only a past in daytime drama but also roles in primetime.

She played Dr. Melinda Warner on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as Alberta Green on 24, Monica Graham on Blue Bloods, and Lillian Fancy on NYPD Blue – just to name a few of her past projects.

In addition, fans may...

Adnan Sami Calls Out The Grammys For Excluding Zakir Hussain In The Memorium (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Veteran singer Adnan Sami lashed out at the Grammys for excluding Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain from their memorium. The award ceremony, which honors the creme-de-la-creme of the global music fraternity, paid tribute to the singers and musicians who passed away in the year gone by. However, there was no mention of Hussain, who passed away in December last year. Sami called out the same strongly on his social media handle.

Taking to his Instagram stories, Adnan Sami shared a black and white throwback picture of Zakir Hussain playing the Tabla. He mentioned how Zakir was the recipient of the Grammys four times which makes his exclusion even more disappointing. The ‘Lift Kara De’ singer captioned the same, stating, “Dear Grammys, In your ‘Memoriam’, You inexcusably missed mentioning the passing away of the Greatest Tabla...

Chris Martin sits at the piano for a pared down performance during the 2025 Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 2) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The 47-year-old Coldplay frontman sang the band’s 2024 song “All My Love” during the award ceremony’s In Memoriam tribute, where he was joined by Grace Bowers.

The In Memoriam started out with a tribute to Liam Payne, who tragically died back in October.

Keep reading to watch…

Other stars who were honored during the segment included Kris Kristofferson, Cissy Houston, Fatman Scoop, Tito Jackson, Rich Homie Quan, Toby Keith and more.

If you missed it, watch Janelle Monae perform during a tribute to Quincy Jones, and watch Cynthia Erivo also perform during the Quincy tribute.

Fyi: Grace is wearing Dolce&Gabbana.

Chris Martin pays tribute to Liam Payne and other artists at this year's #GRAMMYs with "All My Love" pic.twitter.com/vJhHOYgjdW

— Coldplay...

Kevin Costner might be well known for his role as John Dutton in the Yellowstone universe. But years before that, he got on board The Bodyguard which established his everlasting friendship with legendary singer Whitney Houston. This movie released in 1992 was her acting debut project and turned out to be a huge success with her soundtrack I Will Always Love You becoming a global sensation.

Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in a still from The Bodyguard | Credits: Warner Bros.

However, given that she was a big name in the music industry, she had reservations before saying yes to the movie. Not only that, she also didn’t want to get the level of hate that pop icon Madonna got when she participated in A Certain Sacrifice released in 1985.

Kevin Costner helped Whitney Houston overcome her Hollywood fears

Whitney Houston can easily be one of the most celebrated singers in the history of music,...

Cissy Houston, mother of the late singer Whitney Houston, died on Monday at 91 years old.

“In our time of deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Emily ‘Cissy’ Houston, who transitioned today, Monday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 a.m. Et, at her home in Newark, New Jersey, while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease,” the Whitney Houston estate said in a statement.

The statement said Houston died “surrounded by her family.” Her sister, Pat Houston, who is the current executor of the Whitney Houston estate, said, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness.”

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“Mother Cissy [was] a strong and towering figure in our lives,” Pat said. “A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.

Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, has passed away at the age of 91. She was a gospel singer and played a significant role in building the pop icon’s career. Cissy went on to form a family gospel group and released an album on RCA Records, making them one of the first gospel groups to do so. She also had a career as a solo artist, releasing her debut album Presenting Cissy Houston in 1970.

Cissy Houston in Eastman Theater | Credits: Tom Marcello, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With her singing prowess, Cissy Houston guided her daughter in the right direction. Whitney Houston once revealed that she got her greatest singing lessons from her mother. While she had the talent inside her, it was her mother’s lessons in gospel singing that brought out her full abilities.

Whitney Houston Credited Her Mother Cissy Houston For Her Singing Skills...

Cissy Houston, the mother of the late singer and actress Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91. Through the years, Cissy also made a name for herself as a soul and gospel singer. The singer’s daughter-in-law shared the news of what had happened in a statement.

The Singer & Matriarch Passed Away In Her New Jersey Home

Houston had died in her home in New Jersey on October 7. Her daughter-in-law Pat Houston shared that she had been under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91 at the time of her passing.

As noted by People, Pat shared that, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family.” The statement continued, “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade...

Cissy Houston, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and Whitney Houston’s mother, died Monday in New Jersey. She was 91.

The singer was in hospice, where she was receiving care for Alzheimer’s disease, at the time of her death. In a statement, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, said that she was surrounded by her family. “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness,” Pat said. “We lost the matriarch of our family. … Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family,...

Twelve years after the death of her famous daughter, Cissy Houston has passed on.

The mother of the late Whitney Houston and an accomplished singer herself, Cissy Houston passed away on Monday, Oct. 7 at her home in New Jersey.

She was 91.

Her family confirmed the news, as well as the cause of her death in a touching tribute which they shared with the press.

Cissy Houston and daughter singer Whitney Houston attend the 2010 Keep A Child Alive’s Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom on September 30, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) Whitney Houston’s Mother Remembered

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” shared daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement from the family.

Cissy died while under hospice care of Alzheimer’s disease, which she had been battling for a number of years.

“Mother Cissy has been...

Cissy Houston, the two-time Grammy-wining gospel singer, mother of the late Whitney Houston and backup singer for acts ranging from Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin to Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon and Luther Vandross, died today of Alzheimer’s disease complications at her home in New Jersey. She was 91.

Her death was announced by her family.

“In our time of deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Emily ‘Cissy’ Houston, who transitioned today, Monday, October 7, at 10:30 a.m. Et, at her home in Newark, New Jersey, while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease,” said the family statement, obtained by Deadline.

Houston was born Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933, in Newark. The youngest of eight children, she launched her singing career in 1938 when she joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky to form the gospel group The Drinkard Four.

More famously, Houston was a member of The Sweet Inspirations,...

Cissy Houston, a Grammy winner and mother of the late Whitney Houston, has passed away at the age of 91.

The two-time Grammy Award winning-singer died on Monday (October 7) at her home in New Jersey while under hospice care. She had been battling Alzheimer’s.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston, the daughter-in-law of Cissy Houston, said in a statement. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts. Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled. We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for...

Best known to daytime fans for her portrayal as Jessica Griffin on “As The World Turns,” actress Tamara Tunie has joined the cast of CBS’ “Beyond The Gates,” the newly retitled daytime drama series set to premiere in early 2025 on the network, it was announced on Thursday.

“Beyond The Gates”

CBS

Tunie is set to play “Anita Dupree,” the family’s matriarch who at one time was a famous singer. Since leaving that life behind, Anita has worked hard for her success, while also raising two daughters with her now-retired senator husband. Underneath her glamorous and refined exterior, there is a fierceness she’s gained from her humble beginnings in Chicago.

“Beyond The Gates” tells the story of the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty.

Set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one the...

What are Whitney Houston‘s very best songs? Scroll through our gallery of her top hits and hidden gems. Does your favorite make the cut? And do you agree with our pick for number one?

Houston is one of the most iconic and influential singers in pop music history. Born August 9, 1963 into a family with deep gospel roots, she began strict vocal lessons from her Grammy-winning mother, Cissy Houston, at age 13. Cissy came from the popular gospel group The Drinkard Singers before forming the highly sought after crew of background vocalists called The Sweet Inspirations. Cissy’s voice can be heard on hundreds of songs for artists such as Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison and Luther Vandross. Most notably, Cissy provides the soaring soprano backing Aretha Franklin in the Queen of Soul’s classic hit, “Ain’t No Way.”

In 1983, Arista Records President Clive Davis signed Whitney to his...

Gladys Knight and the Pips were two decades into their career when they released their signature song. Formed in 1952, the legendary band comprised of Gladys Knight, her brother Bubba Knight and their cousins William Guest and Edward Patten were signed to Motown Records in 1966. However, they found their time to on the label to be an uphill battle, with acts like Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and the Supremes given priority.

Their 1973 signing to Buddha Records gave them a fresh start. For their debut single on the label, they recorded a...

Updated with teaser trailer for Whitney Houston in Focus below. Exclusive: The estate of Whitney Houston has resolved its concerns about the documentary Whitney Houston in Focus and is now throwing full support behind the film.

The 34-minute film directed by Benjamin Alfonsi is set to hold its world premiere next month at Doc NYC. The doc is centered on the recollections of photographer Bette Marshall who did multiple photo shoots with the young singer between 1982-86, the period Houston went from unknown to worldwide sensation. When Deadline first reported about the nascent film in December 2021, the estate told us it was upset over the project and hadn’t been consulted about it.

Seeing the finished film apparently dispelled any lingering qualms. Pat Houston, executor of the late singer’s estate, president of Whitney Houston Enterprises and Whitney’s former manager, called the documentary “an amazing story,” according to a release about the film.

One of the most awaited biopics of 2022, I Wanna Dance with Somebody reawakens the legacy of one of the greatest singers of our times, Whitney Houston. Featuring Naomi Ackie as the star herself, the movie takes a cinematic look at her life as a celebrated musician and cultural icon of the 80s and 90s. The biographical musical drama is directed by Kasi Lemmons, best known for previously directing Harriet; and is written by Anthony McCarten (The Two Popes). Besides Ackie, the ensemble cast of the biopic also includes Stanley Tucci as legendary record producer Clive Davis, Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford, Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston, Clarke Peters as John Houston, and Bria Danielle Singleton as Bobbi Kristina Brown, among others.

Whitney Houston had “the Voice.” It was trained, expressive, and clear. She didn’t write the songs she sang, but interpreted them, capturing the imagination of a generation. The first triple RIAA Diamond-certified-selling Black artist, Houston broke records set by the Beatles, Elvis, and Sinatra, which had nothing to do with racial divides. Now streaming on Netflix, I Wanna Dance with Somebody stars British actress Naomi Ackie, who plays Houston as a harried artist, only taking her time during performance, but rushed on and off the stage.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody), the musical biopic captures the melody of Houston’s life but also speeds the beat. It misses the rests between notes. Most of the erroneous materials come from narrative streamlining. For instance, Houston wasn’t discovered because her mother, the ever-professional Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie), showed up at a club like Sweetwaters pretending to have laryngitis.

The life of Whitney Houston, depicted in the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, was underscored by just how young Houston was in some of her most triumphant and tragic moments. I Wanna Dance With Somebody adopted Whitney's historic narrative, which started modestly in New Jersey and erupted into superstardom almost instantaneously. Her ascent into one of the greatest vocalists of all time was occasionally punctuated by personal adversity and the detriments of fame, but Houston has gone down as a legendary staple of music regardless.

Led by Naomi Ackie as Houston and I Wanna Dance With Somebody's cast - including Stanley Tucci as record producer Clive Davis, and Tamara Tunie as Houston's mother Cissy Houston - the biopic emphasized the highest hours of Whitney Houston's life, as well as her lowest. The biopic focussed on events that would best accentuate her steady rise and fall and...

When music executive Steven Abdul Khan Brown was making his way to the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, he was blown away by the beautiful sound he heard as he walked closer to the parish.

One of those voices? A teenage Whitney Houston.

“That’s scary — whoa,” he thought, recalling the moment more than 40 years later in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Why haven’t I ever been here before?”

Khan Brown, also a Newark native who had been working with Kool & the Gang and Phyllis Hyman, was encouraged to check out the talented musicians at New Hope, where Cissy Houston worked as minister of music. Khan Brown met the matriarch and a big-voiced Whitney, who blew him away as soon as she began singing.

“Lord, I’ve died and went to heaven,” Khan Brown recalls of her performance. “I thought my ears were going through something.

Chuck Jackson, an R&b singer who took “Any Day Now” to the Top 25 in 1962 and had some two dozen singles hit the Hot 100 during the decade, has died. He was 85.

Ady Croasdell of the UK’s Kent Records, which has worked on re-releasing Jackson’s music, confirmed on social media that the singer died February 16 in Georgia but did not provide other details.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Dionne Warwick Remembers Burt Bacharach: "Like Losing A Family Member" Related Story Julia Michaels, Dionne Warwick & 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Actress Trinity Jo-Li Bliss Set For Christmas Film 'Glisten And The Merry Mission'

Dionne Warwick, who recorded for the same label as Jackson during the 1960s, paid tribute to her friend today. “Another heartache has come my way. Chuck Jackson has made his transition,” she said in a statement released by her label.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a movie directed by Kasi Lemmons starring Naomi Ackie.

Today we saw this biopic about the always great Whitney Houston… according to some, the singer deserved something better than this; and for others… a good chance to remember her always.

A tribute to the singer born in Newark.

About the Movie Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Another biopic? Unfortunately, yes. This genre calls for more respect for the biography than a more developed introspection of the characters and frequently settles for composing works that revolve around more or less famous fragments and lose out (almost always) in the general balance, forcing respecto ver creation.

Many are born as failures.

With all our respects (totally) for the singer, we are of the opinion that this is a movie that although it is faithful to the biography, does not manage to transmit...

Whitney Houston was born in Newark, NJ on August 9, 1963.

About Whitney Houston Los Angeles – Mar 25: Whitney Houston arrives at the {Title} at Morton’S on March 25, 2001 in West Hollywood, CA. Depositphotos

She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and John Houston.

Her 1985 debut album, titled “Whitney Houston,” went platinum, selling more than a million copies in the United States alone.

She has sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide throughout her career.

She is one of the most awarded female artists of all time and has won six Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.

She was the first artist to have seven consecutive singles hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Houston starred in “The Bodyguard” in 1992 which won her an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Movie Actress – Drama.

She performed a rendition...

“Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” has its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

In the era of the “authorized documentary,” whereby filmmakers get access to a living legend in exchange for a film that’s going to be almost unfailingly glowing, it’s incumbent upon documentarians to find some element of interest to take the place of scandal, criticism or provocation.

Thankfully, the makers of “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over” have such a fascinating subject — and who gives interviews that are equal parts warm, self-deprecating, no-nonsense and unapologetic — that the movie almost never feels like a greatest-hits informercial. Warwick is one of the all-time great vocalists, yes, but she actively intersected her career with the world outside of show business, from the civil rights movement to the early years of the AIDS epidemic.

If the film teaches viewers under the age of 35 that Warwick is more...

“Music was a part of her life from the time she was a very young child,” says Tamara Tunie while discussing her portrayal of Cissy Houston in the Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Cissy is a Grammy-winning gospel music legend, Whitney’s mother and the aunt of Dionne Warwick. “Her family was steeped in music. The family organically learned that this was a very talented group of siblings that then became quite famous gospel singers.”

See Naomi Ackie (‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’) on becoming Whitney Houston: It ‘feels like you’re playing a superhuman’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Tunie describes Cissy’s relationship with her daughter as “deeply loving.” She adds,”I was able to find some video footage of Cissy and Whitney that was in a hotel room after or before a concert. They were just being themselves. It was footage that Robyn Crawford had shot. What that really showed me,...

No one will accuse Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody of glossing over the turbulent life of Whitney Houston. In its two-plus hours, the movie, which was authorized by Houston’s family and was co-produced by her music mentor Clive Davis, features a multi-layered performance by British actress Naomi Ackie, whose lip-synching to Houston’s vocals is incredibly convincing. The movie doesn’t skimp on scenes of Houston in the possession of drugs, kissing and frolicking with her close companion (and future creative director) Robyn Crawford, going into rehab,...

The holidays started early in Tinseltown (and elsewhere), beginning with James Cameron missing his own “Avatar: The Way of Water” Hollywood premiere, knocked down with a bout of Covid and moving on to New York’s first look at “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Santa turned up at Christina Moore and John Ducey’s “I Believe in Santa” Netflix premiere and there was even a Christmas Con! Meanwhile, Damien Chazelle brought a much less family-friendly flick, “Babylon,” to the City of Angels in another splashy premiere.

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

Dolby Theatre, Hollywood

Stars Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington attend the U.S. premiere of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in Hollywood. (Courtesy 20th Century Studios)

It was well worth the wait! Disney transported fans into Pandora for the “Avatar: The Way of Water premiere” at the Dolby Theatre. Stepping inside, it was as...

Hollywood pop-music biopics tend to be about artists who go back a long way. “Bohemian Rhapsody” felt rooted in a fresher, less done-to-death-by-biopics era — though when the Freddie Mercury drama came out, its title song was already 43 years old. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” which tells the exultant and tragic story of Whitney Houston, feels different. Houston’s first album was released in 1985, and maybe because her triumphs and travails were chronicled, right as they were happening, by a newly emerging entertainment-media-gossip complex, the film feels like it’s telling a story that never went away. Yet as you watch, you may realize how much there is to the story you didn’t know, and how transporting it is. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is the kind of lavishly impassioned all-stops-out biopic you either give into or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional,...

Click here to read the full article.

A decade after her death, Whitney Houston’s life and legacy has made it to the big screen thanks to the Kasi Lemmons-directed biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, starring Naomi Ackie as the iconic performer.

While attending the premiere at AMC Lincoln Square in New York City on Tuesday, the film’s cast and production team opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about portraying the highs in Houston’s career, as well as some of the low moments in both her professional and personal lives.

“It was a big challenge,” Ackie revealed of how the film balanced both sides of the late singer’s life. “It was really hard to do, but I think it does it the best way it can. To tell the truth but to protect somebody’s dignity and integrity is really important.”

Ashton Sanders,...

Take a look at new footage from the upcoming musical drama feature "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", directed by Kasi Lemmons, based on the life of singer, actress Whitney Houston, (Naomi Ackie), opening in theaters December 21, 2022:

Cast also includes Ashton Sanders as ‘Bobby Brown’, Stanley Tucci as ‘Clive Davis’, Nafessa Williams as ‘Robyn Crawford’, Clarke Peters as ‘John Houston’ and Tamara Tunie as ‘Cissy Houston’.

Click the images to enlarge…...

What are Whitney Houston‘s very best songs? Click on the gallery above to scroll through 35 of her greatest hits and hidden gems. Does your favorite make the cut? And do you agree with our pick for number one?

Houston is one of the most iconic and influential singers in pop music history. Born into a family with deep gospel roots, she began strict vocal lessons from her Grammy-winning mother, Cissy Houston, at age 13. Cissy came from the popular gospel group The Drinkard Singers before forming the highly sought after crew of background vocalists called The Sweet Inspirations. Cissy’s voice can be heard on hundreds of songs for artists such as Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison and Luther Vandross. Most notably, Cissy provides the soaring soprano backing Aretha Franklin in the Queen of Soul’s classic hit, “Ain’t No Way.”

Whitney was in the studio the day Aretha recorded that track.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is the new Sony Pictures musical drama feature, directed by Kasi Lemmons, based on the life of singer, actress Whitney Houston, starring Naomi Ackie, opening in theaters December 21, 2022:

Cast also includes Ashton Sanders as ‘Bobby Brown’, Stanley Tucci as ‘Clive Davis’, Nafessa Williams as ‘Robyn Crawford’, Clarke Peters as ‘John Houston’ and Tamara Tunie as ‘Cissy Houston’.

Click the images to enlarge…...

"I'm a messenger - and I'm carrying messages of love and hope." Dogwoof has revealed the official trailer for a biopic documentary film titled Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, from filmmakers David Heilbroner & Dave Wooley. This premiered at TIFF last year and it also screened at the Doc NYC and Santa Barbara Film Festivals. Set against a music world profoundly divided between black and white, Don't Make Me Over tells the dramatic story of Warwick's meteoric rise from New Jersey gospel choirs to international cross-over super stardom. The film chronicles the iconic singer Dionne Warwick's six-decade career in both music and Black and LGBTQ activism. The ultimate portrait of the legend, featuring an all star line up of appearances: Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Bill Clinton, Clive Davis, Gladys Knight, Cissy Houston, Elton John, Damon Elliott, Kenneth Cole, Snoop Dogg, Smokey Robinson. This looks like an uplifting, joyous doc.

The makers of Whitney Houston’s biopic have dropped the maiden trailer of the movie titled ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, a biographical drama about the life and times of the iconic singer.

“The End of the F***ing World” star Naomi Ackie has the daunting task of portraying the legendary vocal powerhouse in the film, along with a cast that includes Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown and Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis. Clarke Peters will be playing John Houston, Whitney’s father, and Tamara Tunie will be portraying Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother.

Sony describes “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as a “no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice.”

The film recounts the story of a New Jersey choir girl who became one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time.

“My dream? Sing what I want to sing, be how I want to be,...

It's still hard to imagine how musical biopics can exist in a post "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" world, but the last few years have been bursting with big-budget biopics centered on some of the most iconic performers in music history. Jennifer Hudson belted her face off as Aretha Franklin in "Respect," Taron Egerton was downright dazzling as Elton John in "Rocketman," Austin Butler may be looking at an Oscar nomination for his turn in "Elvis," following a trend set by Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody." Now, the queen of R&b is getting a high-profile film of her own, with Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston.

The upcoming film "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" comes from "Bohemian Rhapsody" screenwriter Anthony McCarten and groundbreaking director Kasi Lemmons, with Ackie lip-syncing to Houston's unbelievable voice while embodying the remarkably talented woman the world lost too soon. The...

Naomi Ackie hits the high notes as Whitney Houston in the first trailer for I Wanna Dance With Somebody, a dramatized biopic about the life of the late singer. The clip showcases Houston getting her start onstage and her subsequent rise to fame.

Along with Ackie, the cast includes Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis, Clarke Peters as John Houston, Whitney’s father, and Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother. The film was directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Anthony McCarten.

An official synopsis has not been released,...

Sony is bringing the spirit of Whitney Houston to theaters.

The studio has released the first trailer for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” a biographical drama about the life and times of the iconic singer.

“The End of the F***ing World” star Naomi Ackie has the daunting task of portraying the legendary vocal powerhouse in the film, along with a cast that includes Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown and Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis. Clarke Peters will be playing John Houston, Whitney’s father, and Tamara Tunie will be portraying Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother.

Sony describes “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as a “no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice.” The film recounts the story of a New Jersey choir girl who became one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time.

“My dream? Sing what I want to sing, be how I want to be,...

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” the official biopic of music icon Whitney Houston, is set to be released on December 21, 2022 according to Sony Pictures. London native Naomi Ackie will portray the legendary diva from Newark, New Jersey. The BAFTA-winning actress can now be seen as “The Voice” for the first time in a new trailer released September 15.

Kasi Lemmons directs the biographical musical based on the life of one of the world’s biggest superstars. Lemmons’ previous directing credits include 2019’s “Harriet” starring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo and 1997’s cult classic “Eve’s Bayou” starring Lynn Whitfield and Samuel L. Jackson. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is written by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten, whose previous screenplay credits include “The Theory of Everything” (2014), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) and “The Two Popes” (2019).

The trailer begins by showing the night Arista Records founder Clive Davis (played by Stanley Tucci) discovers the young singer performing in...

Exclusive: CNN will be ringing in the New Year with a film on a music superstar.

CNN Films’ award-winning documentary Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, directed by Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner, will premiere on CNN January 1, 2023 at 9 pm Et and Pt, broadcast with limited commercial interruption.

Warwick got her start singing in gospel groups with family members in New Jersey, and became a pop music sensation when she teamed with the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, beginning with the 1962 song “Don’t Make Me Over.”

“Ms. Warwick’s own velvet-toned voice largely tells the story of her music and life for the film,” CNN Films noted in a release, “underscoring her creative and cultural legacies during six decades of an extraordinary career. The film explores her stunning range of musical styles and versatility.”

CNN Films added, “Her career has soared despite dramatic upheaval within a fickle industry,...

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” the official biopic of music icon Whitney Houston, is set to be released on December 21, 2022 according to Sony Pictures. London native Naomi Ackie will portray the legendary diva from Newark, New Jersey. The BAFTA-winning actress’ previous credits include “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” “Master of None” and “The End of the F***ing World.” The first movie poster for “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” was recently revealed on Houston’s official website.

Kasi Lemmons directs the biographical musical based on the life of one of the world’s biggest superstars. Lemmons’ previous directing credits include 2019’s “Harriet” starring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo and 1997’s cult classic “Eve’s Bayou” starring Lynn Whitfield and Samuel L. Jackson. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is written by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten, whose previous screenplay credits include “The Theory of Everything” (2014), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) and “The Two Popes...

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is the new Sony Picturess musical drama feature, based on the life of singer, actress Whitney Houston, directed by Kasi Lemmons, starring Naomi Ackie, opening in theatres December 21, 2022:

Cast also includes Ashton Sanders as ‘Bobby Brown’, Stanley Tucci as ‘Clive Davis’, Nafessa Williams as ‘Robyn Crawford’, Clarke Peters as ‘John Houston’ and Tamara Tunie as ‘Cissy Houston’.

Click the images to enlarge…...

CNN Films has acquired the domestic rights to the music documentary about Dionne Warwick, “Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over,” which first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.

Dave Wooley produced, directed and wrote the film about the “I Say a Little Prayer” singer, and David Heilbroner also directed.

“Don’t Make Me Over,” which is named for Warwick’s first debut single, will be among the first to premiere on the upcoming streaming platform CNN+, which is launching later this spring.

Warwick became the first solo African American female artist to win a Grammy in contemporary vocal performance for 1968’s “Do You Know The Way To San Jose.” And in the film, Warwick narrates some of her own archival footage and visits or describes other locations that have been key to her life and career, from East Orange, NJ to the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Exclusive: Nafessa Williams has been tapped to play Robyn Crawford in the biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the upcoming feature about the late musical icon Whitney Houston. Williams steps in for Moses Ingram. who recently parted ways with the role.

Also joining the cast are Clarke Peters and Tamara Tunie, who will play John and Cissy Houston. Naomi Ackie will play Whitney Houston in the musical biopic that is being directed by Kasi Lemmons. The screenplay will be penned by Anthony McCarten, and will take audiences on an emotional, energetic journey through Houston’s career and music.

Crawford was Houston’s longtime assistant who would later become Houston’s creative director while also remaining one of her closest friends.

Alongside McCarten’s Muse of Fire Productions, the film is being produced by Pat Houston on behalf of the Houston Estate; Grammy-winning music producer Clive Davis; Larry Mestel on behalf...

Actress Suzzanne Douglas, star of '90s sitcom The Parent 'Hood and more recently the Netflix mini-series When They See Us, has died at the age of 64. A cousin of the star, Angie Tee, broke the news via Facebook on the 6th of July, announcing the death while also speaking of her admiration of the actress and what she achieved in her career. Tributes have also been paid by fellow stars, directors and authors at her passing. Angie Tee wrote in her original Facebook announcement.

"Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today. She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin. I can remember growing up, there weren't very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in Tap starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines...

Sad news out of the TV world today.

Suzzanne Douglas, best known for playing Jerri Peterson on the hit sitcom The Parent 'Hood, has reportedly died at the age of 64.

Suzzanne's cousin, Angie Tee, shared the sad news on Tuesday.

"A beautiful and talented actress made her transition today," Tee wrote, tagging her cousin.

"She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin."

Her post continued, "I can remember growing up, there weren't very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in Tap starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr."

"She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in How Stella Got Her Groove Back," the post reads.

"The Inkwell, Jason's Lyric and so much more the list goes on."

"The world will miss...

Suzzanne Douglas, who starred in Robert Townsend’s WB ’90s sitcom The Parent ‘Hood and most recently appeared in Ava DuVernay’s 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us, died yesterday at the age of 64. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Douglas’ death was announced on Facebook by her cousin Angie Tee.

“Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today,” Tee wrote. “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world…The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever.”

DuVernay remembered Douglas as “a quiet, elegant force.”

“A gentlewoman,” DuVernay wrote on Twitter early this morning. “A gem of a lady. A confident, caring actor who breathed life into the words and made them shimmer. I’m grateful that our paths in this life crossed. May she journey on in peace and love.”

A Chicago native...

Suzzanne Douglas, best known to TV audiences for her starring role as Jerri Peterson on the 1990s sitcom The Parent ‘Hood, has died at the age of 64, TVLine has confirmed.

Douglas’ death was first announced Tuesday in a Facebook post by her cousin, Angie Tee. “A beautiful and talented actress made her transition today,” she said. “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world… The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever.”

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Suzzanne Douglas, best known for starring in the WB sitcom “The Parent ‘Hood” and in the 1989 dance drama “Tap,” died on Tuesday. She was 64.

“Suzzanne Douglas, a beautiful and talented actress, made her transition today,” her cousin Angie Tee wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin. I can remember growing up, there weren’t very many Black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in ‘Tap’ starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back.’ ‘The Inkwell,’ ‘Jason’s Lyric’ and so much more, the list goes on. The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever. Rest in Paradise, my beautiful cousin Suzzane,...

Jim Weatherly, the songwriter behind a string of 1970s hits for Gladys Knight & the Pips, including the destined-for-standard-status “Midnight Train to Georgia,” died Wednesday of natural causes at his home near Nashville. He was 77.

The singer-songwriter’s death was reported by music publisher and friend Charlie Monk to the Nashville Tennessean.

In addition to “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Weatherly wrote the early ’70s Knight hits “Neither One of Us Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye” and “You’re the Best Thing (That Ever Happened to Me).”

“I’m missing Jim Weatherly already,” Knight tweeted. “He was about life and love. ‘Neither One of Us’ and ‘Midnight Train’ – I remember him getting his Grammys for those. We were just made for each other. We grew our lives together. I’m gonna miss him terribly and love him always.”

“Midnight Train to Georgia” became Knight’s signature song, winning a...

Jim Weatherly, the country singer-songwriter who penned the Gladys Knight and the Pips hit “Midnight Train to Georgia,” among other hit songs, died Wednesday at his home. He was 77. Music publisher and family friend Charlie Monk, “the Mayor of Music Row,” confirmed Weatherly’s death to the Tennessean. No cause of death was provided.

Weatherly was a celebrated, championship-winning quarterback at Ole Miss before abandoning football to start a music career in Los Angeles. It was there that Weatherly first recorded his best known track as “Midnight Train to Houston...