Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C.

Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C., were special live concerts by Whitney Houston featuring many of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross.

The concerts were held at historic DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. on October 3 and 5, 1997. The second-night concert was broadcast live via HBO, which was her third HBO special. (First was "Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston" in March 1991 and second, "Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa" in November 1994.) The first-night concert was later broadcast on HBO in late October. Whitney and The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children donated the proceeds, over $300,000 from ticket sales to the Children's Defense Fund, a national non-profit organization devoted to providing a voice for all children of America, particularly poor, minority and disabled children.[1]

Houston said her one-woman show was especially significant because it was occurring during the 100th anniversary of acclaimed opera singer Marian Anderson's birthday. Houston dedicated her performance to Anderson's memory and her historic attempt to perform in 1939 at Constitution Hall, where she was banned by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).[2]