Whitney to go on tour next year… as a hologram

A HOLOGRAM of Whitney Houston is going on tour, it has been announced. The show featuring Whitney’s greatest hits will open next year at an as-yet-unknown location in the US and will then tour around the world. Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and head of the late singer’s estate, signed a deal to allow Hologram USA to use the singer’s image and songs in the show. ‘It’s a great opportunity for her fans to see a reinvention of one of the most celebrated female artists in history and to continue a legacy of performances that will not be forgotten in years to come,’ she said. ‘I look forward to the partnership.’ The main beneficiary of Whitney’s estate – her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown – died in July this year after being found unconscious underwater in a bathtub six months earlier. Whitney, pictured left, was found dead in eerily similar circumstances on February 11, 2012 – drowning in her hotel bathtub ahead of the Grammy Awards. Hologram USA CEO Alki David said the tragic death left him ‘heartbroken’. ‘The opportunity to help share her spectacular gifts with the world again is exactly what I hoped for when I built the hologram business,’ said the Greek billionaire. ‘We’ve got technology that’s causing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry, and a wonderful partnership with Pat Houston and the estate – I’m confident we’ll create the ultimate celebration of Whitney’s amazing artistry.’ Whitney is just the latest deceased star to be immortalised via hologram. Last year, Michael Jackson’s hologram performed at the Billboard Music Awards. The company behind the new Whitney show is also developing shows with the estates of Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly and Bing Crosby. The technology has also been used to create live appearances, including beaming an interview with Julian Assange into the US.