Preloading

Whitney Houston on Feeling Unfulfilled by Fame and Fortune

Aired on 09/14/2009 | CC tv-pg
From the mid-'80s to the late '90s, Oprah says, Whitney Houston was "the voice" of the music industry. But drug abuse, rehab and a tumultuous marriage led to the singer's decline. After a controversial interview with Diane Sawyer in 2002, she virtually disappeared from the limelight. During a 2009 Oprah Show conversation, Whitney opened up to Oprah about how she struggled to find happiness, even with all the acclaim, success and money that her career had afforded her.

"I had the money. I had cars. I had the house. Had the husband. Had the kid," Whitney said. "And none of it really was really that fulfilling. I mean, you know, most of the time I was happy. I was happy, but I needed that joy. I needed my joy back."

Here, the music icon offers a rare glimpse into her thought process during a critical time in her life—and reveals what got her back in the studio.