Mattel has unveiled a collector's Barbie doll to commemorate the 63rd birthday of the late Whitney Houston. The figure recreates the singer's iconic style from her 1987 music video for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
The £45 recreation of the 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' look
The new Whitney Houston Barbie is positioned as a high-end collector's item, priced at £45. According to the report, the doll is a meticulous tribute to the artist's 1987 aesthetic, featuring the signature purple tank dress and statement drop earrings that defined her visual identity during that era. Mattel also included the singer's characteristic sparkly eye makeup to ensure authenticity.
By focusing on this specific moment in pop history, Mattel aims to celebrate what the company describes as a record-breaking career and a timeless musical legacy. The choice of the 1987 look anchors the product in a period of peak optimism and global dominance for the artist.
Pat Houston and the fulfillment of an 'unspoken dream'
The development of the doll was not a solo effort by the toy maker but a close collaboration with the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation. Pat Houston, the sister-in-law of the signer and president of the foundation, played a key role in the project's realization.
Pat Houston stated that the release of the Barbie doll is the fulfillment of one of Whitney Houston's "unspoken dreams." This suggests that the project is less about commercial merchandising and more about a posthumous wish granted by the estate to cement the singer's place in the pantheon of cultural icons.
Four UK number-one hits and the tragedy at the Beverly Hilton
The celebration of Whitney Houston's career is underscored by her immense statistical success, including four number-one hits in the UK. Born in Newark , New Jersey, the six-time Grammy Award winner became one of the most celebrated voices in history, though as the report says, her professional triumphs were often mirrored by personal turmoil.
The legacy of Whitney Houston is inextricably linked to her tragic end. The singer passed away in 2012 at the age of 48 after being found unconscious in a bath at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills. Her struggle with substance abuse remains a central part of her narrative, adding a layer of sobriety to the glitz of the Barbie tribute.
The 2015 loss of Bobbi Kristina Brown
The tragedy surrounding the Houston family did not end with the singer's death. The report notes that the grief was compounded three years later when her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, passed away in 2015 at the age of 22.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the child of Whitney Houston and her ex-husband Bobby Brown,was found unresponsive in a bath in Georgia. The striking similarity between the deaths of the mother and daughter adds a haunting dimension to the family's history, making the current efforts by the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation to focus on her musical light all the more significant.
The missing details on the doll's global availability
While the announcement provides specific pricing in pounds, it leaves several questions unanswered. It is currently unclear if the Whitney Houston Barbie will be available in the United States or other international markets, or if the £45 price point is exclusive to the UK market.
Furthermore, the report does not specify whether a portion of the proceeds from the doll's sales will be donated to the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation. Given the involvement of Pat Houston, the financial arrangement between Mattel and the estate remains a key unknown for collectors and fans.
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