In 1969, Elvis had a group of gospel-trained backup singers called the Sweet Inspirations. They were led by a wonderful singer named Cissy Houston, and they sang behind Elvis in Las Vegas and even opened some of his shows.
Cissy only stayed with him for the first couple of months. She wanted to focus on her family and on her own solo career.
But during that short stretch, she brought her little girl along to work one night.
The girl was sitting with her mom in a room backstage when the door opened and in walked Elvis. He had on a real mink coat and his glasses, looking every inch the superstar.
And the little girl froze. She was so star-struck she couldn’t get a single word out.
Years later, all grown up, she described that moment better than anyone could. You can hear her tell it in her own words.
The superstar remembers meeting Elvis as a little girl
So who was that tongue-tied little girl backstage?
It was Whitney Houston. She was only about 6 years old that night, sitting quietly next to her mother while the biggest star in the world strolled past.
And the way she explained it later is just perfect. She said you don’t actually meet Elvis at all. “You don’t actually MEET Elvis,” she said, “you just have to LOOK at Elvis.”
Think about who said that. Whitney Houston grew up to own one of the greatest voices in the history of recorded music. She filled stadiums. She broke record after record. And yet, as a child, one look at Elvis Presley left her speechless.
There’s something sweet about that picture. Two of the most gifted singers who ever lived, in the same little backstage room, one of them a megastar and the other a shy kid who had no idea what she’d become.
Whitney’s mom Cissy was the real link. Her gospel roots ran through everything Elvis loved about music, and for a couple of months in 1969 her group gave his Las Vegas shows their soul.
Whitney carried that night with her. A mink coat, a pair of glasses and a man so famous that a little girl could only stare.
Watch the clip above and let her tell you what that felt like. Some memories stay with you forever, and this was clearly one of hers.