Whitney did a really moving speech yesterday in Manchester at the final show of her "Nothin' But Love" world tour:

"I`m truly thankful, I`m truly grateful for your presence, the love and your support that you have shown me. When I started this tour, I didn`t know I was going to be facing. I was very sick, I got over here and I took time to heal. I was, we were under tremendous amounts of pressure, because the Iceland vulcano erupted and we couldn`t travel, so we got on ferry boats and buses. I continued to do this tour. So I really really love the fact that when you persevere and you have a goal and you keep going, even in the face of adversity sometimes. That just when they think they can count you out, you`re back in, you know what I`m saying? And I believe that God decides. God the Father decides. The Holy One decides who does and who doesn`t. I believe that YOU decide whom you wanna see and whom you don`t. I`m thankful to you very much. To each and every one of you for not counting me out and showing me such love. Cause all I got and all I feel is love. I don`t negate negativity, it thrown out in the garbage where it belongs. You tell me you want me to come back, I`ll come back. You just call. I THANK YOU ALL!"

Rickey Minor is been the music director for the Grammy Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, Super Bowls and countless specials. His clients include Stevie Wonder, Sting and Alicia Keys, but he said that working with Whitney Houston when she sang the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 has been one of the highlights of his career. "That was the turning point, my fondest memory, because that was full of adversity", Minor said.  "That arrangement (with Whitney accompanied by an orchestra) ... no one wanted it and I almost got fired for it … it changed her life and it changed mine", Minor said. Whitney`s rousing rendition of the anthem was later released as a single.

Whitney`s recent concerts in Europe have made it clear that she`s struggling, at least vocally. Minor didn`t have any comment on that, other than to say, "I`d love to get her back."

A short concert review from Michael (Webmaster):

"Friday night`s concert was an event. After six years Whitney finally appeared on stage again in Munich and the crowd did go wild. They stood, squealed her name and applauded Whitney for trying to recover from her fall from grace. The crowd pleasers were "My Love Is Your Love", "Step By Step", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "I Will Always Love You" (of course). 

She came on 9pm and worked the stage as a master as usual. She seemed at ease chatting with the crowd, exchanging frequent “I Love You`s” with her devoted fans, who treated her like family. No other star of her calibre can share herself with the audience like she did. She was funny, energetic, warm and sincere. As for her voice, it`s been 6 years since I last saw her and I forgot how powerful that instrument is. There were definitely some awesome Whitney-moments during the show and honestly she surprised me several times in a good way. She proved that as a post-prime diva she could still blow the socks off plenty of her soul successors by showing off a convincing range of ‘classic Whitney’ as well as Kim Burrell-inspired riffs and runs that made you want to jump out of your seat! Though some facets of her voice have changed or disappeared, she demonstrated that she hadn`t lost the ability to perform and captivate an audience with the stage presence of the worldwide Grammy-winning superstar she is.

She isn`t the Whitney of yesterday but she`s been through so much in her life. She`s been working very hard. So, anyone who bought tickets for the ‘Nothing But Love’ tour expecting to see vintage Whitney is frankly asking for the impossible. To compare her voice as a veteran to her voice in its prime is unfair. This is a point that seems to be lost on the mainstream tabloid media whose critiques have been more sensational than serious.

Whitney, you did a great job and I`m so proud of you. You were everything I could have hoped for and more."

Whitney happily posed for photographs with Simon and Annick in Zurich. "She was very, very kind and attentive and looked me straight in the eyes. I simpled thanked her for all the happy moments and inspiration she gives to people with her music. That`s what it`s all about in my eyes." said Simon.

"It was allergies, not a relapse", says Whitney, who`s now out of the hospital and eager to return to the stage.

Whitney: "I`m feeling great and I`m just ready to move on and continue my world tour."

Hospitalized earlier this week for an upper respiratory infection, Whitney postponed the first four shows of her European tour, fueling tabloid speculation that she`s in a downward drug spiral.

Whitney calls such reports "ridiculous" and says, "At this point, I just don`t respond. I don`t even read it."

Checking into a hospital in Paris was doctor`s orders. "My health is terrific", says the singer, 46. "But this is a time when I get a lot of allergies."

Whitney`s tour will resume on April 13 in Birmingham, England, and will continue through June. "I`m doing what I love to do, which is singing", Whitney says. "The best part is seeing all of my fans around the world."

To celebrate the birthday of daughter Bobbi Kristina, Whitney brought the teen on stage to sing her favourite song – in front of thousands of concert-goers in Adelaide, Australia.

Whitney, 46, serenaded Bobbi Kristina, who turned 17, with the song "Who Would Imagine A King" from the "Preacher`s Wife", which is apparently one of the youngster`s favourites.

Whitney has battled some less than flattering press during her Australian tour, but she was divine rather than a diva when she met fans after her sold-out Melbourne concert.

Whitney happily posed for photographs with Rob Burgio and his sister-in-law Gessie Burgio as she settled in for a post-show meal at Radii at the Park Hyatt on Monday. "She was absolutely lovely and her concert was fantastic", Rob said. "She was delightful, friendly and very obliging to have a pic with us."

But, tonight at Saitama Arena, near Tokyo, her foe is proving to be a formidable challenger. Whitney, a superstar who triumphed over an abusive marriage and drug addiction, is battling an air conditioner. "I can`t do air conditioning", she explains later, in a humidified dressing room. "It takes my top (vocal range) out". To prove it, Whitney unleashes a high note, which, minutes earlier, a cooling system almost silenced. "It`s back now because there is moisture and the air is warm - oh yes", she grins brightly, "it`s back".

Whitney has also returned to centre stage, for the first time in 10 years. She has every reason to smile. Her latest album, "I Look To You", and tour, "Nothin' But Love", are about strength, optimism, gratitude and love. "My intention is – I want the people to feel that it`s coming from my heart", Whitney says. "At one point in time, I almost decided that I didn`t want to be in it anymore. The music had changed, the industry had changed, the quality had changed. And I didn`t like it". However, Houston felt encouraged by two things – supporters pleading for her to get back in the game and a new generation of powerhouse singers. "Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce – they stirred my curiosity about coming back and making a record. But that`s only one part of the industry", Whitney says firmly. "To actually sing, perform and have people come to hear a real voice, a God-given gift, is really important to me". Whitney pulls no punches in her opinion of how the game lacks quality. "It`s almost like we were dealing with an industry that had turned to soft porn", she says. "Instead of listening to a voice, an instrument, a gift from God, we had to watch people take off their clothes constantly. It left nothing to the imagination, nothing you could long for. You couldn`t say, 'Oh, that song, that melody, that voice'". She does not name the offenders, but in citing Aguilera, Hudson and Knowles as inspirations, her hit list is obvious.

There is one polite request for this interview: no personal questions, please. Whitney feels she gave everything about her emotional torment with former husband Bobby Brown, and their drug dependence, to US broadcaster Oprah Winfrey last year. She feels nothing but love on this tour. Backstage, it is free from drama, extravagance and hangers-on. Whitney`s older brother Gary, is a backing vocalist on the tour. His wife, Patricia, co-manages Whitney. "It keeps me happy, supported", Whitney says. "I don`t have the weight of bull.... for lack of a better word. I don`t have the worry about marriage and this and that. As you become older, you have the wisdom to know the difference". Whitney says family and faith are the reasons for her renewed success. "My faith in god is true to me. It helped me in my life", she says. "Everything else I could have experienced failed. Marriage, whatever else I`d been doing, failed. It was not solid. But my faith stayed solid. It helped me get through tough times". Those trials and how Whitney overcame them, are raised, lyrically, in the tour`s opening songs, "For The Lovers", "I Look To You", and "Nothin' But Love".

Whitney`s show is divided into acts – vibrant new cuts, snapshots from the past decade, acoustic versions of her power ballads, a standout gospel moment and dance floor finale. It is sexy and sophisticated, playful and passionate, classy and classic – a reminder of Whitney`s power as interpreter and performer. Her voice – smooth, husky and, at times, raw and intense – is still on point. "It`s grown up", she says of her voice, which the Los Angeles Times once called a "national treasure". "It`s the voice of a grown woman that`s had ups and downs".

Whitney performs at Rod Laver Arena on March 1 and the Plenary on March 6.

"Happy 2010 to all my fans everywhere! First of all, let me wish you the happiest, healthiest and most blessed New Year!

2009 was a great year for me and I am pleased to let you know that my album has sold 2 million copies worldwide and is still going strong! Look for a new single soon.

As you know, this is the year of my first world wide tour in almost 11 years so I hope to see many of you at my shows. The tour is going to be spectacular - we have an incredible brand new stage set and of course a brand new set list, which will cover songs from albums old and new. Hope to see you all soon! Peace, Whitney"

Jay-Z tops the nominees in the music category with five nods, including outstanding male artist and album for "The Blueprint 3". His collaborations with Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Kanye West were also recognized. Rihanna and Keys were also nominated for outstanding female artist, along with India.Arie, Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston. Competing with Jay-Z in the male artist category are Anthony Hamilton, Charlie Wilson, Maxwell and Ne-Yo. The Image Awards honoring diversity in the arts will be presented Feb. 26 and broadcast live on Fox.

Outstanding Female Artist
• Alicia Keys (Columbia Records)
• India.Arie (Universal Republic Records)
• Mary J. Blige (Matriarch/Geffen)
• Rihanna (Def Jam)
• Whitney Houston (Arista Records)

Outstanding Music Video
• “Blame It” – Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain (J Records/MBK Entertainment)
• “Boom Boom Pow” – The Black Eyed Peas (Interscope Records)
• “I Look To You” – Whitney Houston (Arista)
• “Pretty Wings” – Maxwell (Columbia Records)
• “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” – Alicia Keys (J Records/MBK Entertainment) 

On January 26, 2010, Arista Records/Legacy Recordings will release the Deluxe Anniversary Edition of Whitney Houston, the astonishing debut album that catapulted a virtually unknown young artist into the upper reaches of pop superstardom in 1985.

The Whitney Houston - Deluxe Anniversary Edition CD/DVD package includes the international chart-topping original Arista album remastered in its entirety for the 25th anniversary along with five bonus tracks including Whitney`s a cappella recording of "How Will I Know" plus a stunning live performance of "Greatest Love of All".

As an added bonus for fans, the Deluxe Anniversary Edition of Whitney Houston includes a new DVD collection featuring the four iconic music videos from the album as well as her breakout national TV debut singing "Home" (from The Wiz) on the Merv Griffin Show in 1983. Exclusive and newly filmed interviews with Whitney Houston and Clive Davis round out the bonus DVD portion of the Whitney Houston - Deluxe Anniversary Edition collection.

Originally released on Valentine`s Day 1985, Whitney Houston entered The Billboard 200 at #166 the week of March 30. A year later, in April 1986, the album began its first seven week run at #1, then spending three weeks at #2 before reclaiming the top slot for a jaw-dropping second seven week stand. Whitney Houston became a fixture on The Billboard 200 for 162 weeks, including a record-breaking 46 weeks in the Top 10 and 14 non-consecutive weeks at #1.

The strength, beauty and power of the record`s music including four chart-topping singles ("You Give Good Love", "Saving All My Love For You", "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All") have made Whitney Houston one of the best-loved and most enduring albums in pop music history. The planet`s top-selling debut album ever released by a solo artist, Whitney Houston has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide while earning RIAA-certified 13 x Platinum status in the US (in recognition of domestic sales of more than 13 million pieces).

With Whitney Houston earning the artist a "Best Album" Grammy nomination in 1986, Whitney Houston took home her first Grammy that year in the "Best Pop Vocal, Female" category for "Saving All My Love For You". Her performance on the Grammys won her an Emmy for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety of Music Program". Whitney, who currently holds the record for most American Music Awards held by a solo artist (21), picked up her first seven AMAs, and an MTV Video Award, that same year. Whitney Houston topped countless critic`s polls and year-end lists including Rolling Stone, who named it 1986`s "Album Of The Year". Billboard ranked Whitney Houston as the "#1 Album Of The Year" and Whitney Houston 1986`s "#1 popular artist".

"I can`t believe it has been 25 years since my first album", writes Whitney Houston in her exclusive letter to fans appearing in the packaging for the 25th anniversary release of her debut. "I could never have done this without the support, encouragement and unconditional love from my fans all over the world. I love you all!"

Since the release of her 1985 self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston has built and sustained an illustrious career, generating combined worldwide sales of more than 170 million albums, singles and videos. Cited by the "Guinness Book Of World Records" as music`s "most awarded female artist of all time", with an unsurpassed tally of 412 awards including 6 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, 22 American Music Awards and 24 Billboard Music Awards. Whitney Houston remains a singular force in music today.

In August of 2009, Houston`s seventh studio album, the critically-acclaimed "I Look To You" debuted No. 1 in USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, Holland and Switzerland, marking the biggest first week`s sales of her career in both the USA and the UK.