Will the real Whitney Houston please stand?

Alicia Keys, Martha Stewart, Diane Sawyer, Gayle King, Dionne Warwick, L.A. Reid, Steve Harvey, Andre Harrell, Vivica A. Fox, Cissy Houston, a gorgeous and slimmed down Bobbi Kristina Brown...and the list goes on. Yes, I'm name-dropping, but with a purpose. On Tuesday night in New York, a laundry list of A-List celebrities, tastemakers, journalists and radio industry execs rushed into the Allen Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center to hear the reemergence of "The Voice." Ms. Whitney Houston. Only a handful of entertainers could garner such excitement and anticipation from a distinguished, discerning room of skeptics. Yes, skeptics...at least at the beginning of the evening. No one quite knew what to expect from Ms. Houston or her album. Clearly, the past years have delivered unexpected after unexpected from the once pristine "Princess of Pop." It was abundantly clear, however, that the room was rooting for Ms. Whitney.

The Allen Room is one of the most beautiful performance venues in the world. The back of the stage is a wall of floor to ceiling windows that look directly onto Columbus Circle and Central Park. It is a breathtaking view. But, Whitney was not to be upstaged by great scenery. As the lights dimmed, a black scrim lowered covering the windows and new images of the redeemed Ms. Houston popped up on the oversized screens flanking the stage. It too was a breathtaking view. The crowd roared as the legendary Clive Davis took the stage to launch the evening. He began by introducing a promo video highlighting her astounding achievements with her biggest hits providing the soundtrack. It was at this moment that it started to sink in - Whitney Houston was back! The anticipation was palpable as Clive continued to speak about his journey with Whitney reminding us why Ms. Houston has no musical equal. Clive was beaming with pride, joy and a slight sense of relief. She had made it through her storm.

Then came the music! It kicked off with a song penned by Alicia Keys, "Million Dollar Bill." From the drop of the first beat the crowd bobbed its head in unison (some slightly off beat) as Ms. Keys videotaped the reaction on her mini-camcorder. But, the elephant in the room provided some tension. How would she sound? And then, Whitney began to sing on the track and by the end of the song the crowd was on its feet applauding Alicia Keys' songwriting (it was a jam) and applauding Whitney's voice. She sounded awesome. And then, on track after track it seemed as if someone had rewound the clock and given her the voice she had ten years ago on "My Love Is Your Love."

It took them three years to make this record. And, Clive and Whitney's patience paid off. The album is not good...it is great. It is stocked full of radio ready hits with Whitney soaring vocally as only she can. Standout up and mid-tempo songs include, "Worth It," "Nothin' But Love" and R. Kelly's "Salute." Anyone who has been following the production of the album has heard R. Kelly demo-ing the song, "I Look To You" and Whitney not only makes the song her own, but she gives a vocal performance that will silence all of her critics and doubters. Clive read a statement that Whitney made about the song and it was the most poignant moment of the night. In it, she speaks of her past issues and how she got through the time by looking to God as her source of strength. It is on this song that Whitney continues to distinguish herself musically. She's not just a great singer. Whitney sings from her soul. The music comes from a place that is pure and genuine making this the logical, appropriate title track.

The highlight of the night came as Clive introduced the final song. He wouldn't say the name of the song, but made it clear that we'd know the song. From the moment the piano began playing the descending scale the audience went crazy. Then, Whitney began,

Her voice sounded effortlessly beautiful. The song was perfectly perfect. And, the night was the launch of what will be the biggest comeback in musical history. After the first few verses of "A Song For You," a hard house beat drops in the song and the ballad turns into a club mix. Surely destined to be her next "I'm Every Woman." With the same exuberance of the song's beat, Ms. Whitney Houston pranced onto the stage looking radiant, triumphant...looking like the real Whitney Houston. In an instant, all was forgiven and forgotten. Whitney Houston is back! And very soon, you're gonna know it too!