All About Brothers John, Gary and Michael

Whitney Houston tragically died of an accidental drowning in 2012, but her three brothers — John, Gary and Michael — have kept her memory alive.

The music icon, who was born on Aug. 9, 1963, was the youngest in her family. As a child, she grew up with her siblings in New Jersey, listening to gospel music, thanks to Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, who was a professional backup singer. “We woke up and went to sleep to gospel,” Gary told the Associated Press in March 2023.

Like Whitney, Gary and Michael inherited the musical gene, and they went on tour with their sister. Gary sang duets with Whitney, and Michael wrote music with her and served as her tour manager.

In addition to working with her brothers, Whitney shared a special bond with them. In Whitney, the 2018 documentary about the late singer, Michael reflected, “She was sassy, smart-mouthed, always following me.” He called Whitney his “best friend.” (Although John died in 2021, he also contributed to the project.)

During his March 2023 conversation with the Associated Press, Gary revealed that he felt Whitney’s spirit when it rained or when he noticed a bird visiting him. “When the doorbell rings, I think it’s her,” he said.

Whitney’s mom, Cissy, died at 91 on Oct. 7, while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston confirmed. At the time of the announcement, the family took a moment to remember the late singer. “May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney … and other cherished family members,” a statement read.

Here’s everything to know about Whitney Houston’s brothers: John, Gary and Michael.

They grew up in New Jersey

Whitney and her siblings were raised in the Garden State, particularly the cities of Newark and East Orange in New Jersey.

There were positive aspects of their childhood, like their mother’s music playing throughout the house, but the kids also had to navigate a challenging family dynamic.

“We stayed with a lot of different people,” Gary revealed in the 2018 Whitney documentary.

He recalled four or five different families looking after him and his siblings when they were growing up. (Cissy welcomed Gary with her first husband, Gary Garland, and had John, Michael and Whitney with her second husband, John Russell Houston.)

Gary also shared that although his family was “tight-knit” back then, “There were always a lot of secrets in our lives.” He noted, “If you don’t resolve things and you don’t deal with things, they never go away.”

According to the documentary, Whitney’s parents’ marriage also suffered during those years.

Whitney’s brother Gary is a former NBA player

Gary was drafted to the Denver Nuggets during the second round of the 1979 NBA Draft, per the NBA website.

He played one season with the team before dropping out — reportedly because he failed a drug test. Whitney’s brother reflected on the experience in 2018’s Whitney.

“I went to hell,” he remembered. “I was depressed for nine months. Numb.”

But by 1985, Whitney had become a star, and Gary found a new path singing with her. He went on to tour with his sister several times.

Gary and Michael toured with Whitney

Gary and Michael went on the road with their sister: Gary was a background and duet vocalist, and Michael was her tour manager.

“Her music never sleeps,” Gary said about Whitney during a December 2022 interview with Fox 5 New York. “It always resonates with me in terms of my life and being on stage with her.”

He continued, “There’s just so many different memories when it comes to Whitney and especially my mother because that’s where I got all my inspiration from when it comes to performing. It’s great joy that I get every time I hear Whitney’s music.”

In the documentary Whitney, Michael opened up about dealing with a drug addiction while touring. Still, he tried to focus on the different creative opportunities that came his way.

In addition to managing touring logistics, he cowrote music with Whitney, including the 1995 Waiting To Exhale track, “Count On Me.”

Whitney’s brothers became husbands and fathers

All three of Whitney’s brothers started families of their own.

Gary is married to Pat Houston and they share a daughter, Rayah Houston. Pat notably executive produced Whitney, and she also produced the 2022 musical movie based on Whitney’s life and career, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Meanwhile, it appears Michael was previously married to Donna Houston, who was listed in the Whitney documentary as Whitney’s former sister-in-law and former employee. The couple reportedly have a son named Gary Michael Houston, per Good Morning America.

According to his Dignity Memorial obituary, John was married to Barbara Houston before he died, and they welcomed two children together: daughter Katrine and son John IV. John also had a stepdaughter, Mai Leigh.

John died in 2021

John died “peacefully at home” at 77 years old on Jan. 9, 2021.

Unlike his siblings, John didn’t dedicate his life to music. Instead, his obituary stated that he earned a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from Rutgers University and served as founder and chairman of Houston Associates, Inc.

Michael, Gary and John participated in the 2018 documentary, Whitney

Whitney’s siblings appeared in the 2018 Whitney documentary. In it, Gary was vulnerable about family dynamics and his time touring with Whitney, among other topics.

Michael opened up about his close relationship with Whitney and her marriage to Bobby Brown.

John also appeared briefly in the documentary but didn’t share much about himself or his relationship with his sister.

Gary and Michael opened up about dealing with addiction alongside Whitney

Michael has shared that he and Whitney used to use drugs together — an addiction of hers that ultimately led to her decline and death. The coroner’s report ruled that the singer’s accidental drowning had contributing factors of heart disease and cocaine use.

According to Michael, they used a lot in the ‘80s when they were in their late 20s, by which point Whitney was famous.

When Oprah Winfrey asked him if he introduced his sister to drugs during a January 2013 interview, Michael replied, “I would say yeah. We did everything together, so once I was into that, she followed suit.”

He shared that he always felt “responsible” for Whitney and added, “I felt like I should’ve taken better care of her.” Michael was deeply affected by his sister’s death. “I’m living, but I’m not alive without her,” he said.

In the 2018 documentary, Gary revealed that he’d been introduced to drugs like heroin at the age of 10. “I did drugs with Whitney from time to time, but we were in a different room,” he recalled. He explained that they didn’t use together because that would “separate” or “distance” them.

Gary performed at the inaugural gala for Whitney’s foundation

Gary continues to honor his sister’s memory however he can. In August 2022, he sang at the inaugural gala for the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation on what would’ve been the late singer’s 59th birthday.

The foundation, which was started in 2020, is “a continuation of Whitney’s journey to rebuild lives, restore self esteem and repair images through grassroots programs and initiatives,” per its website.

While Gary sang, a backdrop featured him and his sister performing together.