Reviews
Didn't We Almost Have It All: The Genius, Shame, and Audacity of Whitney Houston by Gerrick Kennedy
bargainsleuth's review
5.0
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Whitney Houston within the context of the times in which she lived. I’ve long had all her albums, and recently added Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits DVD (Amazon) to my collection, which was produced in 2000. Whitney’s music and her videos were part of the soundtrack to my childhood and college years.
Ever since Whitney Houston died, most of the press has focused on the negative of Whitney’s life. Didn’t We Almost Have it All tries to balance that out by focusing on the positives of her life as well. Whitney had a lot to overcome, despite having a voice from God and incredible physical beauty. Her career as a black woman in a 1980’s MTV world that rarely played artists of color just shows how she broke barriers that paved the way for the others that followed.
Not only did Whitney have to fight the white establishment to get air play, she had to fight her own people because her music was pop and not “black” enough for some people like the Reverend Al Sharpton, who called her “White-ney Houston.” Despite those and a myriad of other obstacles, Whitney’s talent overcame those troubles and became a superstar.
The book doesn’t shy away from the dark side of Whitney’s life. The accusations that came out after her death that she was sexually abused by a family member, that her older brothers got her into drugs at a young age, the troubled relationship with her husband, Bobby Brown, no stone is left unturned. Whitney was a flawed woman in an unkind business industry that was unrelenting with it’s pressures on a young woman who lacked understanding family and friends. Her family was part of the problem, if you ask me, always hanging on and asking Whitney for more.
Even though we know all the sad truths of Whitney’s life now, it was still a nice ride down memory lane, with a 21st century context. I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and Abrams Press in exchange for my honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Whitney Houston within the context of the times in which she lived. I’ve long had all her albums, and recently added Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits DVD (Amazon) to my collection, which was produced in 2000. Whitney’s music and her videos were part of the soundtrack to my childhood and college years.
Ever since Whitney Houston died, most of the press has focused on the negative of Whitney’s life. Didn’t We Almost Have it All tries to balance that out by focusing on the positives of her life as well. Whitney had a lot to overcome, despite having a voice from God and incredible physical beauty. Her career as a black woman in a 1980’s MTV world that rarely played artists of color just shows how she broke barriers that paved the way for the others that followed.
Not only did Whitney have to fight the white establishment to get air play, she had to fight her own people because her music was pop and not “black” enough for some people like the Reverend Al Sharpton, who called her “White-ney Houston.” Despite those and a myriad of other obstacles, Whitney’s talent overcame those troubles and became a superstar.
The book doesn’t shy away from the dark side of Whitney’s life. The accusations that came out after her death that she was sexually abused by a family member, that her older brothers got her into drugs at a young age, the troubled relationship with her husband, Bobby Brown, no stone is left unturned. Whitney was a flawed woman in an unkind business industry that was unrelenting with it’s pressures on a young woman who lacked understanding family and friends. Her family was part of the problem, if you ask me, always hanging on and asking Whitney for more.
Even though we know all the sad truths of Whitney’s life now, it was still a nice ride down memory lane, with a 21st century context. I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and Abrams Press in exchange for my honest review.
torrie_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Thoughts
We all know that Whitney Houston's story is tragic, but this book was really a gut punch. Garrick Kennedy points out that if she had survived a decade longer things could have been different.
We know so much more about trauma and addiction. We also give a lot more grace to people who struggle with it. And nobody extended grace to Houston. She was mocked and ridiculed in magazines and papers. There was always a camera in her face trying to catch her at her worst.
This breaks my heart. After reading this I had the same feeling you get after watching Selena. That hurt from someone dying when it seems like it could have been avoided. Someone dying before showing all of their potential.
I don't know y'all this just really broke my heart.
We all know that Whitney Houston's story is tragic, but this book was really a gut punch. Garrick Kennedy points out that if she had survived a decade longer things could have been different.
We know so much more about trauma and addiction. We also give a lot more grace to people who struggle with it. And nobody extended grace to Houston. She was mocked and ridiculed in magazines and papers. There was always a camera in her face trying to catch her at her worst.
This breaks my heart. After reading this I had the same feeling you get after watching Selena. That hurt from someone dying when it seems like it could have been avoided. Someone dying before showing all of their potential.
I don't know y'all this just really broke my heart.
mellomellomello's review
Whitney deserved so much better. From the industry and from the rest of us demanding entertainment. May she rest in the perfect peace she never had in life.
thndrkat's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This engaging and thought-provoking book is less of a traditional biography and more of a series of essays on various themes related to Whitney Houston's life and music; the cultural and systemic forces that shaped, influenced, and hurt her; and her wide, broad, and deep impact on multiple musical artists and genres. It speaks to and about the consumers of her music rather than painting a full picture of her personality, both out of respect for her humanity and out of necessity given her untimely death.
Kennedy, a Black writer who covered Houston as a music reporter during her lifetime, does a lot of soul-searching related to how the Black community and reporters in general talked about her and what that meant in terms of societal compassion, tolerance, and understanding of addiction and abuse.
While I don't identify as a member of the "we" that Kennedy often refers to, as someone who was alive at the time and listened to her hits on the radio as a kid, I could still relate to his musings and regrets. Given the book's structure, the writing is at times repetitive, but it still kept me hooked right to the end.
Kennedy, a Black writer who covered Houston as a music reporter during her lifetime, does a lot of soul-searching related to how the Black community and reporters in general talked about her and what that meant in terms of societal compassion, tolerance, and understanding of addiction and abuse.
While I don't identify as a member of the "we" that Kennedy often refers to, as someone who was alive at the time and listened to her hits on the radio as a kid, I could still relate to his musings and regrets. Given the book's structure, the writing is at times repetitive, but it still kept me hooked right to the end.
claire60's review
4.0
Such an important and interesting book, I really enjoyed the way that this book, reflected on Whitney's life but also the social/political context in which she lived and found success. Whitney's life was incredibly complex, going way beyond the tabloid drama that people love to focus on. The author has a good understanding of that and explores some of the wider issues of the racism and misogyny that was even more toxic and restrictive in the 80's and 90's music business. Not to mention the wider political issues of how life was changing in Reagan's America especially for Black people. All of this adds to the richness of the book, which is a fitting tribute to The Voice of her generation. Highly recommended.
harleighthornton's review
4.0
A must read for any true fan of Whitney. This story is not an exposé on Whitney’s scandals, but rather a deep analysis of how society failed her and how she could not thrive under the immense pressure of stardom that existed during her height of fame. The true tragedy in this book is the unanswered question of would Whitney have survived if she was able to surpass the crushing expectations of her community, of her fans, and of her family.
esselleayy's review
3.0
Not a straight-forward biography, but a series of essays placing Whitney's life in a greater context of what it meant to be a Black woman, Christian, sexually fluid, an addict all in a specific time and place. I loved Whitney as a kid (a white kid at that) and so much I didn't know and never considered. I think the essays here can be repetitive at times, but there's a lot of respectful and loving dialogue to be found. This made for an excellent book club discussion if you need one!