Jennifer Hudson Celebrates Whitney with Love, Style and Passion!
(Atlanta, GA – August 11, 2025) – This weekend, Whitney Houston was celebrated and remembered by family, friends, and fans at The Whitney E. Houston Legacy of Love Gala, which marked the 40th Anniversary (February 14, 1985 – February 14, 2025) of her historic career in music and entertainment on Saturday, August 9th, 2025, on what would have been her 62nd birthday, at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hosted by Kevin Frazier, co-host of Entertainment Tonight and Pat Houston, president of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and the executor of The Estate of Whitney E. Houston, the four-hour gala celebration included a silent auction, video tributes, musical performances, a presentation of the grant award recipient and college scholarship presentations.
After the hour-long silent auction which featured 33 items including music box sets and collections, entertainment and concert events, lifestyle items and sporting memorabilia including Dolly Parton’s personalized autographed sheet music for “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston’s 40th Anniversary Trunk, Julius “Dr. J” Erving signed basketball, Shaquille O’Neal autographed basketball and Jersey, Mike Tyson’s autographed boxing gloves, Scarlett Johansson’s croc-embossed luxury brand Aspinal London designer handbag. Concert packages included Bob Marley Hope Road at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, The Queens Tour with Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, and Stephanie Mills; Barry Manilow In Concert in Las Vegas, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Super Concert Package with twenty (20 tickets).
“The Whitney Houston Legacy of Love Gala was epic,” says Pat Houston. “I know that Whitney would have been pleased with the year-long celebration thus far. Whitney was the best and she deserved the best. There are millions of supporters and fans who celebrate her everyday worldwide and we do not take that for granted. We plan to continue to honor her legacy and support the various platforms that were close and dear to her heart: music, children, young adults, and the global community.”
“We would like to give a special thank you to Jennifer Hudson for giving her love, time, and passion in honor of Whitney and her legacy,” Pat Houston concludes. “We are very grateful to all the talent that was part of this celebration. It was an incredible evening.”
In addition to the in-house gala auction, Julien’s Auctions, now partners with The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and previewed the auction highlights at the gala. The exhibition featured a curated selection of rare and iconic memorabilia that encapsulate Whitney’s enduring artistry. From Grammy Award-winning gowns to significant pieces marking pivotal moments in music history, each item on display reflected the elegance and legacy of Whitney herself. Among the highlights were a stunning, sequin-embellished Casino Jacket designed by Bob Mackie; the personalized, stage-worn Marc Bouwer velour set from “Welcome Home Heroes” concert; a bead and crystal-embellished black catsuit, also designed by Marc Bouwer; and the elegant dress Whitney wore during her appearance on “Dancing with the Star.” These extraordinary items, along with several multi-platinum sales awards and exquisite jewels from her personal collection, rounded out a truly exceptional and memorable display at the gala. Download auction images can be found here.
Guests at the Legacy of Love Gala enjoyed an exclusive opportunity to view these remarkable items and place early bids, ahead of the auction’s official opening at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting scholarships, arts education, supportive services, and youth empowerment programs—particularly for underserved and underrepresented communities. By channeling Houston’s enduring legacy into meaningful action, the gala and auction will help inspired and empower the next generation of leaders, artists, and change-makers.
“It’s an incredible honor for Julien’s Auctions to play a part in preserving and celebrating the legacy of Whitney Houston—one of the greatest voices of all time, says Kody Frederick, Director, Head of Marketing at Julien’s Auctions. “The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation’s work is deeply meaningful, and through this auction, we’re not only sharing iconic moments from Whitney’s life and career with the world but also helping support the next generation of talent and opportunity. We’re proud to stand alongside the Foundation to continue the memory and message of Whitney.” The global auction, presented by the renowned Julien’s Auctions, will officially open at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET on August 11, live from Los Angeles and online at juliensauctions.com.
During dinner, guests viewed a series of heartfelt video tributes by Clive Davis, this year’s honorary chairperson and chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment; along with Whoopi Goldberg, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, and Kevin Frazier, and music and entertainment executives Harvey Mason, jr, CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares; LA Reid, founder and co-chair of Hitco Entertainment; Larry Jackson, co-founder and CEO of gamma LLC; Debra Martin Chase, television, film and Broadway producer; and singer-songwriter Gordon Chambers.
The show opened with a throwback performance by R&B music legend Meli’sa Morgan, who performed two songs, which included Whitney Houston’s 1985 R&B classic, “Thinking About You,” created by the late producer Kashif and written by LaForrest “La La” Cope and Kashif, which Morgan sang background vocals on from Houston’s self-titled debut album that went on to achieve “Diamond Status” by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the album is now more than 14x platinum and counting. Morgan also performed her classic hit, “Fool’s Paradise,” released in 1986 around the same time as Whitney’s debut project.
Following Morgan’s performance, Jimmy Avance, the winner of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation’s Annual Cover Song Competition performed one of his favorite Whitney classics, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.” The second runner up, Eli Greene was acknowledged as a participant in this year’s competition. Southern California native and newcomer Jada Nikole performed a breathtaking rendition of “Run to You.”
There was also a preview performance of the upcoming North America Fall Tour, The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration which featured the 35-piece Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, directed by world-renowned conductor William R. Langley. The performance included an orchestral arrangement of the three-song medley, “I Loves You, Porgy,” “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Have Nothing” that Whitney performed on the 21st American Music Awards in 1997. The other orchestral arrangement was “It’s Not Right but It’s Okay” from Whitney’s My Love Is Your Love album.
As the big moment of the evening arrived, Hudson was introduced and everyone was looking for her to walk onto the stage and she entered the ballroom from the back of the house. The 300-plus guests erupted to applause and nearly everyone stood up and pulled out their mobile device and started filming her performance. Hudson sang a five-song medley including “I’m Every Woman,” “How Will I Know,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), “Saving All My Love,” and then she moved into her Oscar winning performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.
Whitney’s brother, Gary Houston led the finale song, “Where You Are,” from Whitney’s sophomore album, Whitney (1987). The performance included family, friends and artists.
Founder and Executive Director Tige Charity of Kids In the Spotlight was the 2025 grant awardee recipient. Charity accepted the grant on behalf of the organization, whose mission is to empower foster youth to heal, grow, and succeed through storytelling, filmmaking, and career training.
The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation auction and gifting sponsors included Black Momma Brands and Distillery, Barry Manilow, Blaqola Granola, Camille Rose, Chaka Khan, Distinctive Assets, Dolly Parton, Julius Erving II (Dr. J), Ernest Watson, Flour House Cakes & Co., Gaither Music, Gorjana, Harvey Lee Armstrong, Hello Wellness, Instytutum, Johnson’s Popcorn, JOSEPHINENHUTTE, Julien’s Auctions, Legacy Recordings (a Division of Sony Music Entertainment), Legend’s Creek Farm, Marcus Allen, MARION P. Home Collection, Miage Skincare, Mike Tyson, Morningsbird Restaurant, Muse Literary Publishing, Naturopathica, Neue Theory, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Overnight Travel Bags, Oxford Healthspan, Partake Bodycare, Perryscope, Posh Pretzels, Primary Wave Music, Rhino Entertainment, Scarlett Johansson, Shaquille O’Neal, Sony Music Entertainment, The Prince Estate and Paisley Park Enterprises, The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration, U.S. Open, and Windy City Sweets.
In 2020, The Estate of Whitney E. Houston formed The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation to continue the mission and important work by the late global superstar. Her lifelong commitment continues to support youth through various program initiatives and services that reflect the values and needs of our young people. The Foundation also serves as a source of empowerment to help rebuild, repair, and restore the self-esteem of our youth and assist them in living productive lives.
Whitney Houston’s global charitable work was initially established in 1989 as the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children. The organization provided much-needed resources to homeless children, built inner city parks and playgrounds, and provided college scholarships. Known for its world-renowned charitable initiatives and partnerships, the foundation partnered with the Children’s Defense Fund, Childhood Diabetes, The Rain Forest Foundation, Hale House, Special Olympics, United Negro College Fund, St. Jude Children’s Research, and Whitney’s historic South Africa concerts, which a portion of the proceeds benefited local South African children’s charities.
In 1997, Houston’s elementary school was renamed The Whitney E. Houston Academy for Performing & Creative Arts. Originally opened in 1873, the Franklin School is now the oldest building in the East Orange, New Jersey school district.
PR Contact:
Gwendolyn Quinn Head of Publicity and Communications
The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation
The Estate of Whitney E. Houston
917-769-7808