Whitney Houston’s Friends and Family Celebrate What Would’ve Been Her 60th Birthday at Legacy of Love Gala (Exclusive)

Friends and family of the late Whitney Houston gathered Wednesday evening to pay tribute to the Queen of the Night on the day she would have turned 60 years old.

Houston’s estate and Primary Wave Music, along with Sony Corporation, presented the second annual Legacy of Love gala to celebrate the iconic singer’s milestone birthday. Friends and family gathered at the St. Regis in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate Houston’s continued legacy 11 years after her unexpected death.

Dressed in black-tie, friends, family and industry vets including multi-Grammy Award winning producer Nardara Michael Walden, longtime friend Rickey Minor, CeeLo Green, Terri J Vaughn and Trina Braxton gathered on Aug. 9 to support the Whitney E. Houston Foundation and reflect on the woman who touched so many lives.

David Robinson, Warren Huntley, Trina Braxton and Terri J. Vaughn attend the Legacy of Love Gala on Aug. 9, 2023 in Atlanta.

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In honor of Houston’s favorite color, guests were greeted by a purple balloon wall and a purple red carpet before pursuing the many auction items. PEOPLE caught up with some of the guests who made the trip to Atlanta for this special occasion. While the night focused on Whitney, it was an extension of her legacy and desire to help the youth through her foundation that was the main message.’

“We are honored that so many people traveled to Atlanta to be with us for this monumental and momentous occasion,” Pat Houston said. “Whitney would have been honored by the love and support of everyone. More importantly she would have been proud of the outstanding work demonstrated by our young people.”

Whitney Houston Foundation Legacy of Love Gala on Aug. 9, 2023.

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The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation was formed in 2020 to “continue the mission and important work with today’s youth through program initiatives and services that reflect the values and needs of young people,” the organization said in a statement. 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.”

On Wednesday, the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation presented its 2023 grant recipient, Living Live Foundation, with a donation for its Lighting the Way Youth Mentor program initiative. The Foundation also provided three scholarships to three students studying at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 

The Foundation itself received generous check from Scent Beauty, who worked with them to create the Whitney Houston Fragrance, and included donations from 225 Perfumania and Fragrance Outlet stores, who each donated $5 from every bottle sold.

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The evening was a joyous, beautiful tribute to the legacy and life of Houston, filled with musical performances and tributes to the late superstar. Although the event was filled with laughter and memories, it still felt bittersweet. Sister-in-law Pat Houston addressed the guests, saying, “It takes every ounce of strength to stand before you and celebrate this special woman. It is a bittersweet moment for her family in this moment because it is a special moment, but she is not here to celebrate it with us.”

Pat Houston and daughter Rayah Houston at the Legacy of Love Gala on Aug. 9, 2023.

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And while the singer’s legacy continues to live on through the hard work of the Whitney E Houston foundation and Primary Wave, there is still laughter and light that will always be missed. But older brother Gary Houston chooses to remember her as his little sister Nippy, viewing each day as a breath of fresh air as he remembered his experiences with her. “I cherish it all,” he said.

“The memories won’t fade away, the love and connection, especially now. It manifests itself in so many ways. Look at the turn out tonight — so many people are here for Whitney, and it really is beautiful. Primary Wave and my wife [Pat] and her team are working together. I played basketball, so I think the only way we can win is by working together for the right purpose, the right meaning — no matter who is getting the notoriety, we are all winning. Everyone is going the extra mile to show how much she is loved. And with the right intentions, the right attitude, that’s the only way we can win.”

CeeLo Green, Larry Mestel, Pat Houston and Gary Houston at the St. Regis Atlanta on Aug. 9, 2023.

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He added, “She is proud of all the work being done, and I think I am making her proud now. In fact, she told me today, she wanted everyone to sing her happy birthday. She said she wanted to hear it and I am going to ask everyone here today to do that. She is here. She is listening. She wants to hear us sing to her.”

Longtime friend and Emmy winner Rickey Minor told PEOPLE, “We are here to honor her greatness. I will tell you Whitney is here. Her spirit soul is here. There is no one in this room who hasn’t been touched by her heart and her love and her voice.”

“She was so funny, so silly, such a goofball,” Minor, 63, recalled. “There is the voice and then there is the person. She would do anything and anywhere and so her foundation and helping kids has always been in the forefront. Just based on her on life, she knows that these kids need our help.”

Rickey Minor speaks at the Legacy of Love Gala on Aug. 9, 2023.

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BeBe Winans admitted he had mixed emotions celebrating Houston’s milestone birthday without her, but ultimately was glad he was there.

“We used to talk about these moments. We talked about when she would 60 and when I turned 60. We made a pact that we would celebrate together,” he told PEOPLE. “We made a pact that every special moment, every incredible moment, we would share it together. Today is one of those moments. And I know she is here in my heart, but oh, how I wish she was here.”

Houston and Winans, 60, may not have been blood relatives, but they were family. “She entwined herself — she made sure we weren’t just friends, we were family,” he explained.

“The last time I saw her was about a month before she passed away. It was so unexpected, and I remember exactly where I was. I was driving when I heard the news. Then I received a phone call from [Whitney’s mother] Cissy Houston, so I pulled over and answered the phone. She was calling to make sure that I was OK. Her daughter had just died, and she wanted to make sure I was OK because she said, ‘I know the bond you and my daughter had.'”

Winans added, “That was when the dam broke and I wept. Because here is her mother, she was Whitney’s rock and she is calling to check on me.”

BeBe Winans attends the Legacy of Love Gala at the St. Regis Atlanta on Aug. 9, 2023.

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Songwriter and producer Harvey Mason, Jr. said it was both a sad night for him as well as a celebration.

“I miss her, but I am proud to be here to celebrate her,” he told PEOPLE. “I have all these great memories.”

His favorite occurred in February 2012, just two days before Houston died.

Harvey Mason, Jr. and Whitney Houston.

courtesy Harvey Mason Jr.

“The last session we did was two days before she passed. I was the last person to record with her. But this was the best session we had ever had,” Mason, now 55 and the current CEO of The Recording Academy, recalled.

“Sometimes when Whitney sang, she would blow your doors off. This was one of those times. She sang and crushed the song — the emotion, the delivery, the sound. And when she came out of the room, she said she wanted to hear it. So I put it on and turn it up really loud. We were dancing and smiling and hugging, just having such a great time. That was the last time I saw her.”

Clive Davis appears virtually at the Legacy of Love Gala on Aug. 9, 2023.

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Houston’s mentor and this year’s honorary chair Clive Davis may have put it best, sharing a virtual message that moved the crowd. Davis, 91, said, “There will never be another like her.”

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Source: HIS Education