“I’m more comfortable with it now because I think over the years, being a mother, … I have matured in so many ways, and my daughter is my greatest inspiration. She has trained me for this role.”
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston wanted to remake the movie Sparkle for more than 10 years. As a teenager, she saw repeated screenings of the original 1976 version, an opportunity for Whitney to see African American women portrayed on film working in the career that she was preparing to pursue. The project was delayed after the passing of Aaliyah, who was originally cast to play the title role. When Sparkle went into production in late 2011, with Whitney serving as an executive producer, she cast herself as the mother of the three girls. The soundtrack features two Whitney songs — the duet “Celebrate” with co-star Jordin Sparks, and an emotional solo rendition of the gospel classic “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”
Soundtrack: Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack