Gerry Griffith, Who Discovered Whitney Houston, Dies at 87

Gerry Griffith, the former Arista Records A&R vice president who discovered Whitney Houston, died Nov. 5 in Brooklyn at age 87 after a five-year battle with dementia. Griffith first heard Houston perform with her mother Cissy in 1979 and later persuaded Clive Davis to sign her in 1983. He also worked with Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Carlos Santana. A Chicago native and U.S. Army veteran, Griffith held executive roles at Manhattan Records and contributed to soundtracks for "Pretty Woman" and "The Bodyguard." He is survived by two daughters and two sons.