Since partnering with Primary Wave in 2019, Whitney Houston’s estate has quadrupled its earnings, with a biopic, music and more on the way.
Ten years ago today, the world lost Whitney Houston. She was 48 years old and on the precipice of a long-awaited comeback that was tragically cut short the night before the 2012 Grammy Awards. But she’s far from forgotten, thanks to the work of Houston’s estate and its partners at Primary Wave Entertainment, who continue to unspool plans that will keep the superstar’s legacy top of mind for years to come. A renewed focus on Houston’s music began as soon as Primary Wave partnered with the estate in 2019, taking a 50% stake in the singer’s music assets in 2019. “It was time to rebuild Whitney’s business and Primary Wave, with its arsenal of industry professionals, were the right fit, a team packaged to elevate Whitney’s legacy to the next level,” says Pat Houston, the late artist’s sister-in-law and former manager who serves as an executor of her estate. “We have massively, over the course of our three-year partnership, improved the earnings of the estate,” adds Primary Wave founder and CEO Larry Mestel. “We’ve basically quadrupled the earnings stream of the estate through a lot of low-hanging fruit: renegotiation of partnerships, focusing on merchandise, digital strategy and social media enhancement — upping the game in general.” The first salvo in the company’s stewardship was a Kygo remix of Houston covering Steve Winwood hit “Higher Love.” The 2019 version reached No.1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart and No.7 on Adult Contemporary radio, not only sparking streaming gains for her body of work, but spurring a series of branding and merchandise opportunities. Mestel sees even greater growth on the horizon, starting with the Dec.23 premiere of the Kasi Lemmons-directed biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Naomi Ackie portrays Houston in a cast that also features Stanley Tucci and Tamara Tunie. The Sony Pictures film was co-produced by Primary Wave with Arista founder and Houston mentor Clive Davis, along with Anthony McCarten, who wrote the screenplay for the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” On the heels of “I Wanna Dance” and its soundtrack, two new Houston albums will arrive in 2023, during a campaign honoring what would be the artist’s 60th birthday, with a Broadway adaptation of the biopic and a Las Vegas tribute show in the works for subsequent years. “Clive will indeed be involved with the soundtrack,” says Mestel. “He is not currently involved with Broadway show or Vegas concept, but he is always welcome to participate in anything we do involving Whitney and her music. He has been a critical partner in the movie project.” Mestel and Primary Wave chief marketing officer Adam Lowenberg both cite the Kygo version of “Higher Love” as the catalyst for the robust array of opportunities that have flowered since. Originally produced by Narada Michael Walden in 1991, Houston’s take had previously only been available as a bonus track in Japan. “From the first day that we partnered with the estate, we set out to have all of the focus be on Whitney Houston’s voice, one of the most incredible assets you could have,” says Lowenberg. “When we first set out and heard all the music in the vault with (sisters in law) Pat and Donna Houston, we came across ‘Higher Love,’ and immediately we knew, “Okay, this is going to be our first foray into making sure everyone focuses on the voice.
