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A Song for You

My Life with Whitney Houston

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A Song for You

By: Robyn Crawford
Narrated by: Robyn Crawford
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About this listen

 The New York Times Bestseller!

After decades of silence, Robyn Crawford, close friend, collaborator, and confidante of Whitney Houston, shares her story.

Whitney Houston is as big a superstar as the music business has ever known. She exploded on the scene in 1985 with her debut album and spent the next two decades dominating the charts and capturing the hearts of fans around the world. One person was there by her side through it all—her best friend, Robyn Crawford.

Since Whitney’s death in 2012, Robyn has stayed out of the limelight and held the great joys, wild adventures, and hard truths of her life with Whitney close to her heart. Now, for the first time ever, Crawford opens up in her memoir, A Song for You.

With warmth, candor, and an impressive recall of detail, Robyn describes the two meeting as teenagers in the 1980s, and how their lives and friendship evolved as Whitney recorded her first album and Robyn pursued her promising Division I basketball career. Together during countless sold-out world tours, behind the scenes as hit after hit was recorded, through Whitney’s marriage and the birth of her daughter, the two navigated often challenging families, great loves, and painful losses, always supporting each other with laughter and friendship.

Deeply personal and heartfelt, A Song for You is the vital, honest, and previously untold story that provides an understanding of the complex life of Whitney Houston. Finally, the person who knew her best sets the record straight. Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Heartfelt Biography

Critic Reviews

“Crawford’s stunning memoir A Song for You, is much more complicated. She pays homage to her best friend with fond, funny, sometimes-tragic anecdotes, from their initial romantic connection as camp counselors in New Jersey to blow-ups with Bobby Brown and Houston’s mother, Cissy, years later. Crawford writes with pathos, clarity, and tenderness while tracing the tragedies that rocked her family and the Houstons."
—Pitchfork, The Best Music Books of 2019

"A superb teaching novel-like book, about love that protects but does not possess. We may think we're not ready for this, but we are....I so admire the dignity of this woman. And her beauty."
—Alice Walker on AliceWalkersGarden.com

“A generous, loving book that has more insight on Houston’s career—the ride, the fall—than any other single source that I’ve encountered...A Song for You is unequivocally worth the wait...Crawford has provided a crucial public service in her lovely, loving book.”
—Jezebel

“The vital, honest, and previously untold story that provides an understanding of the complex life of Whitney Houston.”
—LGBTQ Nation

“[A Song for You] is a story of becoming, of starting over and loving again, of healing in immeasurable ways that are both scarring yet beautiful.”
—She Reads
All stars
Most relevant
Whitney Houston was ultimately just a human being with an extraordinary gift. Subjected to the trappings of fame, addicted to drugs, victim of domestic violence, taken advantage by her family.
Robyn's account is raw and honest and you can at times hear the emotion in her voice as she witnessed the train wreck that was Whitney Houston first hand as it unfolded in front of her.
Most importantly this is Robyn's journey back to who she wanted to be and what she sacrificed to get back to herself. Well done Robyn.

Raw & honest

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I listened to Robyn’s story via audible. I had always wondered about Robyn and how she would have felt after all of the stories and documentaries about Whitney were released following her passing.
Her story is earnest and caring, sad and full of love. I’m glad Robyn has shared her experience.

Emma
Australia

Earnest & caring

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Moving and honest, sometimes hard to bear, but I thank and admire Robyn for making her story available ❤️

A Song well sung.

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I enjoyed listening to Robyn’s story and I am glad she found the courage and strength to share her story with the world and set the record straight after all these years. I think this story can be appreciated by anyone (not just Whitney fans). Robyn shows us what it looks like to be someone who lives with integrity and dignity. She could have been bitter and angry about the way she was treated by Whitney and her entourage but what comes through in this story is love and care and a real sense of strength and dignity. Parts of this story are so sad and tragic (you can hear the emotion in Robyn’s voice) and as cliched as it sounds, this story clearly illustrates the negative impacts of drugs and excessive fame and how it can mess with your perception of reality and ruin your life completely. This story is a reminder that life is short, make the most of it while you can and treasure the people you love.

Moving and heartfelt

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For all fans of Whitney, this is a must read. Even after watching the documentary on Netflix, this was so revealing and I couldn't put it down. I'd actually enjoy driving in traffic while listening to this book.

A must read

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Wow, what an incredible journey. I want to thank Robin for giving an insight to Whitney Houston's life that portrayed her as human. I really wish Whitney Houston was still alive and had the support she needed because the tabloids and media constant bashing of her on top of being abused by family members. Robin was always Whitney's friend as opposed to Whitney's family, Clive and Bobby who saw her as a cash cow and milked her however they could.

Robin correcting media narratives of Whitney

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You can hear and feel the love Robyn had for Whitney throughout - how refreshing to hear from someone who genuinely loved her and had her best interests at heart. I wish it could have been different for Whitney and Krissi. But it is heartening to hear Robyn’s own story also, and I’m so happy that it all worked out for her and she managed to find such love and fulfillment. All the best to you Robyn

Setting the record straight

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This has been an extremely interesting listen. Robyn has great recall. It tells how hard it was to see the decline of Whitney, to see the people that benefited from her fame & wealth using her. It was tragic to hear how Whitney stayed in a relationship that was marred by dishonesty, infidelity, violence, deceit & how it whittled away any dignity & self-confidence she once had. Bobby Brown to Whitney was like Blake was to Amy Winehouse - freeloading losers. Pity those two girls couldn’t see it.

Honest & very interesting & illuminating

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