Didn’t We Almost Have It All

In Defense of Whitney Houston

By: Gerrick D. Kennedy

Narrated by: Leon Nixon

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

A candid exploration of the genius, shame, and celebrity of Whitney Houston a decade after her passing

On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston was found submerged in the bathtub of her suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In the decade since, the world has mourned her death amid new revelations about her relationship to her Blackness, her sexuality, and her addictions. Didn’t We Almost Have It All is author Gerrick Kennedy’s exploration of the duality of Whitney’s life as both a woman in the spotlight and someone who often had to hide who she was. This is the story of Whitney’s life, her whole life, told with both grace and honesty.

Long before that fateful day in 2012, Whitney split the world wide open with her voice. Hers was a once-in-a-generation talent forged in Newark, New Jersey, and blessed with the grace of the church and the wisdom of a long lineage of famous gospel singers. She redefined “The Star-Spangled Banner.” She became a box-office powerhouse, a queen of the pop charts, and an international superstar. But all the while, she was forced to rein in who she was amid constant accusations that her music wasn’t Black enough, original enough, honest enough.

Kennedy deftly peels back the layers of Whitney’s complex story to get to the truth at the core of what drove her, what inspired her, and what haunted her. He pulls the narrative apart into the key elements that informed her life - growing up in the famed Drinkard family; the two romantic relationships that shaped the entirety of her adult life, with Robyn Crawford and Bobby Brown; her fraught relationship to her own Blackness and the ways in which she was judged by the Black community; her drug and alcohol addiction; and, finally, the shame that she carried in her heart, which informed every facet of her life.

Drawing on hundreds of sources, Kennedy takes listeners back to a world in which someone like Whitney simply could not be and explains in excruciating detail the ways in which her fame did not and could not protect her.

In the time since her passing, the world and the way we view celebrity have changed dramatically. A sweeping look at Whitney’s life, Didn’t We Almost Have It All contextualizes her struggles against the backdrop of tabloid culture, audience consumption, mental-health stigmas, and racial divisions in America. It explores exactly how and why we lost a beloved icon far too soon.

©2022 Gerrick Kennedy. Published in 2022 by Abrams Press, an imprint of ABRAMS, New York. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Outstanding

So I will say I read this because of the details included in the 90 songs that define the 90s podcast - I will always love you episode! So glad i did! Such an amazing piece about so many necessary topics! The way the author writes is easy to get lost in and I love the cultural references as well as education! I remember Whitney but not the details in here. A redemption story to Bobby in my opinion and a beautiful reminder of the work we have to do as a society around loving people rather than shaming them!

Whitney Houston was a fantastic singer with deep roots of troubled circumstances. I wish so much she could have overcome her dem

Whitney Houston was a fantastic singer with talent beyond words. I wish she could have overcome her demons and still be with us. I listen to her music often.

I think we did have it all and we still have it.

I loved this novel on Whitney Houston, truthful, revealing, but not nasty. Just the pure truth of a complex talent. a beautiful young woman who’s voice
changed a whole generation. Thank you for this.

A love letter to Whitney

This books was so gentle and redeeming of Whitney‘a time with us. It really humanized her and takes out of the tabloids and puts her in our living rooms, in our families. As a big Whitney fan, I really appreciate what this author for telling her story with dignity.

Excellent Book!

Excellent Audible Book! A Must Read! Dynamic! Heartwarming! It is a really fast read.

Supposedly in defense of Whitney. More like the author airing his personal grievances

I chose this book because I like the narrator. It has good parts, but the author goes on some serious tangents. Like how the f did we get on the topic of the Star-Spangled Banner being oppressive of Black people? Why are we talking about Colin Kaepernick? I ended up skipping the rest of that chapter. I just want to hear about Whitney. It's less a defense of Whitney, more of the author daring you to take offense at being Black and gay.

I Miss Whitney Houston So Much

We just did not appreciate Whitney Houston enough! 😢 😔 Her Rise was a once in a Lifetime Accomplishment. Opening doors for all women...especially Black women to reach New Heights!!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯💯💯❤❤❤❤

Her VOICE was a precious Gift from God and her Range Unmatched musically!

I miss you Nippy so much! Rest in Peace Dear Whitney. I hope you know how much WE LOVED YOU!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

A political statement packaged as a biography.

A political statement packaged as biography. Both have a place but I didn’t care for mixing the two. I wanted a biography not a look at what maybe wrong with politics today.

It’s giving Wikipedia

This book offered nothing new. There is nothing in here that we haven’t already heard. It is just synthesizing the books and docs that have come out in the last 5-10 years, without giving credit to those who did actual research for those projects. It feels gross to summarize Robyn’s book and make money off of that story with minimal mention of her book as his source. There is no new perspective given, it is just a reflection on Whitney’s impact on the music industry. It does little to give us a feeling of a personal connection to Whitney herself or a unique peek into who she was as a complicated hero in shaping our culture.

Not getting the point of this book

This book started out strong with a forward done by Brandy. It gives you the insight of those who knew her but it transitioned into a fully opinionated piece from someone who repeated that they didn't know her personally and ranted about themself and not Whitney. I was getting everyone else's life story...

It felt like a cash grab I honestly can't finish it