Dionne Warwick has paid a touching tribute to her cousin Whitney Houston on the tenth anniversary of her death.
The legendary singer admitted that she misses her cousin “terribly”, calling her vocal talent “preordained” as she claimed Whitney had a “voice like no other”.
Dionne, 81, appeared on US television show Entertainment Tonight to speak about her cousin, who tragically died on February 11, 2012 aged just 48.
Whitney passed away when she drowned in the bath.
Her death was ruled a drug-related accidental drowning when a toxicology report found “cocaine and metabolites” were contributing factors.
At the time the coroner also found other substances in her body including marijuana, Xanax, Flexiril, and Benadryl.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
However, it was ruled these did not contribute to her death.
Dionne recalled special moments from Whitney’s childhood as she opened up about her cousin.
She said: “She was around me so much. She was just like the little girl I never had. She was a little devil. She really was. She got everyone in trouble.
“She would start something and everybody else would get blamed for it. She was a very special baby. She really was.”
(Image: ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Dionne then complimented Whitney – who shot to fame with chart-topping hits including I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance With Somebody – on her incredible singing talent.
She said: “It came from a gospel-singing family. They all sang. So, it wasn’t surprising that she would sing. The ultimate was the success that followed her voice. A voice like none other, which is the best part about it.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Dionne went on to admit to missing her phone calls and the silly questions that Whitney would phone up to ask her.
She added: “I do miss her terribly, I do, our conversations. She called me with the silliest questions, and I’d give her a silly answer. And that would be the end of that.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
