Talk About Art: Houston

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Jordin Sparks Shares Memories Of Whitney Houston: I Taught Her How To Dougie

First Published: February 24, 2012 7:30 PM EST Credit: Screen Gems

Caption Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in ‘Sparkle’ LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- On Thursday, Jordin Sparks hit the red carpet at the 5th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, speaking publicly for the first time about her late “Sparkle” co-star Whitney Houston. But, in an exclusive, sit down interview with Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson, the “American Idol” shared some of her most memorable off-camera moments with the late superstar.

“One thing folks didn’t realize about her was her sense of humor, that she was really funny. Tell me one of the funniest things that you remember about her or something she said to you,” Shaun asked.

“We did. There was a moment where…. she was blasting gospel [on her iPod] and then for me, sometimes I would put it on and [she said], ‘Teach me how to Dougie!’” Jordin said of Whitney’s request that the former “Idol” winner show her some dance moves.

“[There was] one night where we were all just waiting for the camera change and we’re all upstairs and I put it on and we start moving and we’re getting up and Whitney’s like, ‘OK,’ and she starts Dougie-ing and we’re all Dougie-ing. It was this crazy moment and it was just so funny,” Jordin recounted.

“Was she good at it?” Shaun asked.

“She was, she was very good… It was just so funny and it was it was a kind of crazy, out of body experience because I’m looking at her going, ‘This is Whitney Houston,’ you know, regal, Whitney, and here she is just getting down and it was awesome,” Jordin said. “It was amazing.”

Jordin said she was “awestruck” often on the “Sparkle” set.

“Even after filming for a couple of weeks I was still just in that awestruck stage at moments. Like it would hit me, ‘I’m standing across from her right now.’ And she was always just so sweet,” Jordin said.

“Sparkle” will hit theaters on August 17, 2012.

Jordin Sparks Shares Memories Of ‘Sparkle’ Co-Star Whitney Houston: ‘She Was An Incredible Woman’

First Published: February 24, 2012 11:08 AM EST Credit: Screen Gems

Caption Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in ‘Sparkle’ LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Jordin Sparks paid tribute to her “Sparkle” co-star, the late Whitney Houston, at the 5th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon on Thursday, and she told Access Hollywood she had a few nerves before her performance.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna do in there. We’ll see,” Jordin told Access Hollywood on the red carpet before the event. “We’ll see what happens. If I choke up…

“I’ll get it together,” she continued. “Have to try and keep it in.”

Jordin’s “Sparkle” performance at the ESSENCE event was a long time in the works, but following Whitney’s death earlier this month, it turned into a tribute for the late superstar.

“I was already going to do it and sing a song from the movie and everything like that and then all recent events happened, and now I’m going to be singing a song that she actually sang, but is also in the movie, from the original, it’s called ‘Look Into Your Heart,’” Jordin explained to Access. “She was a part of the Curtis Mayfield tribute album. She actually sang [an] amazing version, so I’m going to do my own little version too.”

Looking back on her time with Whitney, Jordin admitted to being a little emotional as Thursday rolled around.

“It definitely makes me very emotional,” she told Access. “I looked up to her and I sang her songs and then all of a sudden I was in a movie with her and I got to see her face-to-face, and she was so kind and she was so sweet.

“She was an incredible woman and I was very, very blessed to get to know her for the short time that I did, but she was incredible,” Jordin added.

And the former “American Idol” winner is hoping to keep Whitney’s memory alive with the release later this year of “Sparkle.”

“It gives me a lot of excitement to be able to put this movie out because it was her baby, and she was so, so into it and so happy to be doing it,” Jordin told Access. “I’m excited that I get to be a part of it.”

“Sparkle” will hit theaters on August 17, 2012.

For Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson’s exclusive sit down interview with Jordin backstage at the ESSENCE event, tune into Access Hollywood on Friday.