February 22, 1910

Two years ago Whitney Houston’s first tour in 10 years arrived in Australia with a first performance in Brisbane. The singer was promoting her I Look To You album, her first release in six years. Whitney Houston was in comeback mode – well that was the plan.

The tour started quietly, away from the world press in December with two rehearsal days in Russia. That should have removed the cobwebs of inaction. In February the tour – now officially called The Nothing But Love World Tour started properly with a show in Korea, then two in Japan, and on to Brisbane.

BRISBANE

Whitney Houston arrived in Brisbane for today’s opening Australian date amid world press chatter about her fragile state, reports of course dismissed by her representatives and her Australian promoter. After tonight’s performance that chatter turned into concern. Barely moments into the performance Whitney already seemed out of breath. After just two songs she was forced to take a break. She resumed the concert and sang six more songs, reportedly coughing through the tracks, before leaving the stage and calling on her brother Gary to take over the microphone and sing. When Houston reappeared onstage, she sat through some acoustic versions of her hits and ended the show with a below-par performance of her classic hit ‘I Will Always Love You’, pausing midway through the song to take sips of water. The promoter put the problems down to Whitney’s unwillingness to give up cigarettes. He lost 2 million dollars on Whitney’s Australian dates.

The tour continued through to June. There were more disappointed audiences. Some fans were forgiving, considering “everything she’d been through”. Despite everything, the tour grossed over $36 million dollars worldwide. Notionally, Whitney Houston was “back."