Thursday, 14 August 2008

Can Whitney Houston still sing?

The diva's voice is feared to have been weakened by crack cocaine

Whitney Houston is now dating Ray J

Whitney Houston’s planning a dramatic comeback after 6 years out of the spotlight and the original diva hopes that her drug and relationship demons haven’t ruined her career for ever.

'She’s convinced that she’s still at the top of her game,' a source tells Now.

Snapped on 27 July at West Hollywood club Villa, Whitney, 45, looked happy with toyboy Ray J, 27, and onlookers said she didn’t touch any alcohol.

Her new track Like I Never Left has been leaked on to the web – and some forums suggest that her power vocals have been weakened by years of crack abuse.

One said: ‘It’s not bad, but it’s not good.’ The track was leaked ahead of plans for a new album this autumn and one of the album’s producers is Mark Ronson.

‘She’s got all the top producers involved,’ the source continues. ‘It just depends if her voice can cut it.’

Whitney's putting her notoriously unhealthy 14-year marriage to Bobby Brown, 39, with whom she split in 2006, behind her.

But sources suggest that her on-off affair with producer Ray J is also stormy. She left him last February after a sex tape with his ex, US TV star Kim Kardashian, 27, surfaced, but took him back.

‘They’re on and off so often it’s difficult to keep up,’ a friend tells Now. ‘He’s 18 years younger than her, but he puts up with her erratic behaviour. We’re hoping it’ll be a stable relationship.’

See the full story in Now magazine dated 18 August 2008 - out now!