WHITNEY HOUSTON MEETING

Having just heard about the death of singer Whitney Houston, I flashed back to meeting her. I would have said that is was just "a couple of years ago" but as time flies to fast, I got that is was three years back when I was coming back from Santa Barbara, California.

I had taken a Delta airline flight from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles which would connect to New York. There was a few hours time in between and decided to go to the Delta Lounge, which I thought had been arranged. When I got there, the person at the desk could not find the communication. As I was "discussing" this, a group of people walked in with a Delta representative and approached the desk.

I got that there was some sort of arrangement for the group to hang in the VIP Lounge but the woman behind the desk didn't find this on her computer. A woman who appeared to be the "Matriarch" of the group said, "Whitney Houston" 7 people. I didn't want to make it obvious wondering if there was more than one Whitney Houston...I slowly turned my head to view a woman sitting on one of the chairs. She did sort of look like Whitney but I wasn't sure, not being one that searched out her private life. Yes, it was her.

I said to the "Matriarch"...I don't think she'll always love Delta and she smiled. They were sent off to the lounge and after convincing the woman behind the desk that I should be there, I was off too. I took a seat sort of directly in front of Whitney and looked at the rest of the group. Thinking that there would be some snacks I was a bit disappointed. I had several bags of California grown pistachios and offered a bag as well as having a tin of cookies that I offered as well.

I didn't want to acknowledge that I knew who she was, but I'm certainly she knew that I knew. There were two young girls. I got that one was her daughter Bobbi and the other was Bobbi's cousin. I got that they just came back from a vacation to somewhere like New Zealand.

Whitney seemed tired but nothing more. She then said to her entourage, "I lost my cellphone" and after some back and forth got that she must have left it on the last flight. I told her that she could use my cellphone to call and maybe someone would hear it's location. Bobbi had a cellphone. The two had also commented about paparazzi so I was not going to take out my camera.

There was a Giants game on an Whitney seemed to be rooting for the team. I said, "Oh, you're a Giants fan?" She said that she came from New Jersey. I offered information about the New York Sharks and invited her to a game. She said that she lives in Atlanta. Oh well.

They did locate the phone, although Whitney said, "Don't worry, I'll get a new phone". It was time for my flight and I bid a "goodbye" to all. I had run out of cards. I would have wanted to know when she'd be on tour and coming to New York.

As for the "Matriarch"...it was Patricia Houston, her manager and sister-in-law. It was her brother Gary that I gave an extra bag of pistachios to. I'm guessing that Bobbi's cousin was Gary and Pat's daughter.