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There’s no denying that Whitney Houston had a powerful voice and was loved by people around the world. As with the passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, her greatest hits are seeing a boost in sales and plays as people commemorate the beloved singer. But as with most successful singers, it’s not the actual singing that earns millions of dollars, but the writing and producing that happens behind the scenes. And unlike Michael Jackson, Houston did not write any of the hits that made her famous.

“They were songs that Clive Davis told her to sing and she did,” a record company insider told a writer at Huffington Post.  “She was broke — her label gave her advances.”

The insider goes on to detail that Whitney had been living off of her advances or loans from the record company for a long time before her death.

The person that wrote one of Houston’s biggest hits, “I Will Always Love You,” is Dolly Parton. And Parton is the one that will reap the writer’s and publisher’s benefits as the song gets overplayed on radio and television stations in honor of Houston.

Most artists make their money from ticket sales, an option that is no longer available for Houston’s estate. According to the article, singers receive an advance from the record company based on anticipated album sales. This adds up to about $2 per album.

“Most likely the estate owes the record company a ton and future sales will be used to pay back that loan before any money goes to the estate,” the insider said. “The songwriters, however, will make a bundle.”

The majority of people who were tuned into the Grammy’s last night simply wanted to see how the award’s show would honor the life of legacy of Whitney Houston who passed away just a day before. Shortly after news broke of the singer’s death, Jennifer Hudson was confirmed to be at least one of the artists who would pay tribute to the singer, and there were also rumors circulating that Chaka Khan would perform her hit “I’m Every Woman,” which Whitney took to a new level when she remade the song in 1993.

But during the ceremony, Chaka Khan sent out a tweet letting followers know she’d pulled out of the performance, writing:

 ”As I grieve the loss of my friend and ‘little sister,’ I don’t feel it appropriate to perform at this time. Continue to pray for the family.”

Still, the show went on, and after much anticipation, Jennifer Hudson humbly took the stage in attire reminiscent of the iconic singer but with an air of reverence as she sang one of Whitney’s biggest hits, “I will always love you.” The pressure on her was enormous and while many on my Twitter timeline felt the tribute was unexpectedly short, I think the show did just enough to pay respect without running the risk of ruining classics that no one in our generation has the voice to touch anyway.

In case you missed it, check out the clip of J Hud’s tribute below. How do you think she did? Should more have been done to honor Whitney at the Grammy’s?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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