Tonight on 20/20 ` Kimbra ` a Kiwi girl on a rocket ride to stardom. APPLAUSE, CHEERING We're behind the scenes with her as she takes the Aussie music awards by storm. Kimbra. CHEERING This is Kimbra's first ARIA. Congratulations. It was a voice that captured the world. # Yes, I'm saving all my love # for you. # But she was a star out of control. Amid manic hugs and kisses, she urges her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to hug her godfather, Clive Davis. Come see her. We look back at the life and career of Whitney Houston. # ...will always # love you. # And Emma Keeling visits the set of 'The Big Bang Theory' and meets the queens of geekdom. Wow, you really are a genius. LAUGHTER Not really. I Googled how to do that. www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012 Kia ora, I'm Sonia Wilson. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Kiwi artist who's had such a rapid rise to success as our Kimbra. One minute she's one half of the song that turns out to be the hottest tune of the year. Nek minute she's signed up with one of the world's most powerful record labels. So, just what does it take to become a pop star? Charlotte Purdy is alongside Kimbra to find out. POP MUSIC If you haven't yet heard of Kiwi sensation Kimbra, you soon will. # Where do you walk on a Saturday? In just a few months, her first album has already won a swag of awards. And now she's just been signed to the US. She's on a rocket ride to success ` set to be one of our biggest stars. It's, yeah, kind of surreal at points, I think. You're amazing. You're so beautiful, hon. I guess, when you've been recognised, or something, in the streets` And I even got recognised a couple of times in Los Angeles, which was really strange, cos you'd think you'd be quite anonymous in a place like that. (CHUCKLES) FAST DANCE MUSIC Kimbra is now based in Australia. She moved here when she was 17, but she was born and bred in Hamilton. HORN BLARES It's just two months since her album has been released here in Australia, and it's fair to say the bigger population base has helped her success. Could you be doing what you're doing from Hamilton? I mean, Hamilton's really small, you know? I mean, NZ's four million people. I think it's all to do with population, and the reason why things have got to this point is because of, uh, you know... my music has been able to reach a lot of people from, uh, working hard here in NZ and also working hard in Australia. Kimbra loves Australia, and Australia has fallen in love with her. ALL CHANT: Kimbra. Kimbra. Kimbra. What was it like hearing them chant your name before you went on? That was scary, huh? (LAUGHS) That was weird. Because it's not like it's the band name. It's my name, so... (LAUGHS) ELECTRONIC MUSIC Kimbra's getting ready for a performance at one of Sydney's biggest music festivals ` Homebake. When you're playing to those big crowds, do you feel nervous? There's moments just before I go on that I'm a bit scared, but, um, once I'm` once I'm into it, it's just` yeah, it's really great. CHEERING (SINGS) Her high profile here is largely thanks to this guy ` Gotye. # ...somebody that I used to know. He chose Kimbra for his smash hit 'Somebody That I Used To Know'... # Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over. ...a wise decision, by his own admission. Someone told me that that song almost didn't make it on your album. Is that true? Yeah. Almost. Until Kimbra really, you know, made it a... I dunno` Brought it on home. # ...and I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know. Do you think she's got the chops or what it takes to be a big international star? I think so. She's made this incredible record, and she's so sure about, you know, what she's aiming for. And I think they're the things that, yeah, set younger artists apart from those who kind of flounder eventually, or those who can push through a lot of the challenges. So I think so, definitely. Some say that song has launched you. Is that a fair comment? Um, it's provided a really amazing, um, path for me to get my music out there. But, um, before I worked with Gotye, I'd been making the album for nearly three years. I'd already, you know, put out a single. There was definitely, um` The ball was starting to roll. It's just really awesome that that gave it momentum, you know. # Somebody. # The duet with Gotye is the headline act of the Australian Music Awards, and we're backstage with an anxious Kimbra as she gets ready. I'm definitely a little bit nervous about the performance. Once that is out of the way, I'll definitely be able to relax. The ARIAs went to great lengths to get her here tonight. It's her first live TV appearance. I just finished my performance at Queenscliff. And then in order to get here in time, we had to jump on a helicopter ` which is very rock star ` and then it dropped us off at the airport, straight on to the plane, and got here just in time to walk onstage, pretty much, and to do this interview, so... very lucky. But she's not just here to perform. Kimbra's also up for Best Female Artist. And later, Kylie Minogue has requested Kimbra join her for dinner. Kylie's come out in the Australian press saying she wants to meet you. Kylie's come out in the Australian press saying she wants to meet you. (LAUGHS) How do you feel about that? How do you feel about that? That's crazy. It's just these things keep happening. It's so funny. I had Perry Farrell inviting me to this secret Jane's Addiction show, and, like, 'When did that happen? 'When did I picture that in my future?' (LAUGHS) But it's` Yeah, it's really cool. I'm excited to meet her. She's a pretty iconic 'pop diva'. (LAUGHS) Mark Richardson is the man who can be credited with discovering Kimbra after seeing a music clip online. He's worked in the music business for over 30 years, coming from the UK, where he discovered acts like Travis, Neneh Cherry and Jamiroquai. It's fair to say he knows how to spot talent. In genuine terms, she's on par with everything that they had and the ability that they had. You know, at 21, she just wants to make the best music she can. And` and she's not phased by going in to new experience or going to America and meeting, you know, writers that have, you know, had huge catalogues of hits. # You said that you can let it go. It's an expensive business backing a musician, and it can be quite a risk. # You didn't have to cut me out. Mark has paid for all Kimbra's living expenses for the last four years and funded her album. And the Best Female Artist goes to... But it seems like the punt is paying off. ...Kimbra! ...Kimbra! APPLAUSE, CHEERING This is Kimbra's first ARIA. Congratulations. Wow. Thank you so much to ARIA for presenting me with this award. I really did not expect this. Back home, her win is big news. This year it went to a Kiwi. If any country loves an international achievement, it's NZ. I gotta send a big, big, big congratulations out to Kimbra, last night. I think Kimbra's achieving these great successes at the moment cos she is an incredible artist. Radio host Nick Dwyer has been a fan since her early days. She's a Kiwi girl from the small town of Hamilton, and all of a sudden she's up there joining, you know, this long list of great names that have gone on to conquer the world ` Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, your` your Delta Goodrems. It is` It's such a massive thing. Hi, I'm Kimbra,... FAST POP MUSIC ...and one day I'd love to be a pop star. Kimbra's been writing songs since she was young ` very young. Here she is at 11 years old recording a song with Rikki Morris. # When I hear your cry, I will wipe those tears from your eyes. # Her first break came when she took part in the NZ RockQuest. (SINGS) Second place goes to Kimbra Johnson! CHEERING Getting that affirmation from the RockQuest ` and I owe so much to them for the support they showed me, and also NZ On Air for the funding they gave me soon after the RockQuest ` I think getting that confirmation of, 'You're doing something exciting, 'and, um, we believe in you,' you know, was kind of encouraging. It was like, 'Oh, maybe I could do this,' you know? Not only has her music evolved since her singer-songwriting days, but so too has her image. Gone is the guitar and long locks,... # Don't want no other. You're my cameo lover. # ...replaced by a '50s-inspired pop princess, with her signature black bob. So, did you create your image, or was it management or a team of stylists? Of course I created that. (CHUCKLES) Wouldn't let anyone dress me. Oh, I mean, of course I've got good stylists, but, um, I love fashion, and I've always loved, um, shopping ` vintage shopping especially. And I just think fashion, you know, is such an extension of music. # La, la. # # I feel the four become five. # One thing I've noticed about Kimbra is she's very confident for someone so young. At 21, she's certainly calling the shots. She's quite a control freak, in terms of a good way, in terms of knowing how she wants to look. You know, she's front and centre of how she wants to perceive herself visually. So, you know` And all we do is just try and find the best way of translating that and getting her to work with the best people possible. Someone actually said that you're a bit of a control freak. Is that a fair assessment? (LAUGHS) Who said that? I probably said it. (LAUGHS) Um, yeah. I mean, perfectionist is` I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing. It's probably good because you have a lot of attention to detail, and, you know, I'm the kind of person that'll sit, you know, listening to the high hats in the song and making sure that they're EQed perfectly. Um, so it's good in that sense, you know. But in other senses, there are points when you need to know when to let go. And that's been` That's a challenge for me, you know ` to know when to be, like, 'I trust you. You do it.' ELECTRONIC MUSIC Beautiful. That's sensational. It's now been four months since her album was released, and the hype around her is intensifying. It seems everybody now wants a piece of Kimbra. Are you comfortable with all the cameras and the attention? Um, it's not really where I feel most comfortable. I guess some people lap that stuff up, but I'm definitely happier to blend in a bit. (LAUGHS) Um, and I find that part probably the hardest. And so you're not doing it for the fame and fortune? And so you're not doing it for the fame and fortune? That side doesn't interest me. No. And sometimes along with fame and fortune comes drinking and drugs. Is that a part of your world? It's never really been something I've been super drawn towards. Um, I definitely... am excited by supernatural experiences, but I believe that you can get them from places other than just drugs. And so by supernatural experiences, do you mean spiritual? Yeah, I consider myself spiritual. Christian's a very, um, difficult word, cos there's a lot of negative connotations with it, but, um, yeah, my faith is definitely a big part of my life. And I've been very inspired by the teachings of Jesus from what I've read. And I feel grateful that I've got that in my life, you know? So, you're like a Christian vixen. So, you're like a Christian vixen. (LAUGHS) Really? Oh, that's funny. Making his United States television debut with some help from Kimbra, please welcome Gotye. Warner Music in the US have big plans for Kimbra. This year she'll be working with the producers of artists like Adele, Pink and Rihanna, no doubt taking her to another level altogether. So, LA. It's different from the Kiwi culture, isn't it? > So, LA. It's different from the Kiwi culture, isn't it? > Yeah. It is a world away. Yeah. I mean, us Kiwis are so chilled, and, you know, we'll tell people they're good, but we won't, you know` CHUCKLES: We'll keep them on the ground. But the Americans are like, 'Oh my God.' You know, they're just so, um` And that's that whole thing of just, take it with a grain of salt ` any praise that you receive. Just learn to speak their language and... (CHUCKLES) FUNKY MUSIC Six months after her album has been released she's in good spirits, although thoroughly exhausted. And so how are you coping with that? And so how are you coping with that? Um, I dunno. Lots of coffee. (GIGGLES) But, um, no, I mean, I definitely feel really driven at this point and understand this is where the hard work counts, you know. She's just flown in from the US for one performance, before she flies back the very next day. This rock and roll business is hard work. There's definitely some challenging times, and I think it's important that people, you know, acknowledge that, because it's so easy for your friends to just be like, 'Oh,' you know. They just see all the glamour of it. You'll go away on tour, and people are like, 'How was your holiday?' And it's like, you don't understand. The last tour we did in Australia, we were waking up at 4am, and interviews can be hard, and playing shows every night can be challenging. There's always moments where you doubt whether it's what you want to do. But everyone has those moments with whatever job you do, so that's just life. And are you ready for the next level? And are you ready for the next level? Um, am I ready for it? Uh, I think so. Yeah. (GIGGLES) I guess. I mean, it's` Like I said, I've got a great team around me. I'm ready to go and, you know, um, give some joy to the world. I know that sounds so cheesy. But, yeah, I'm excited. How is that voice as an 11-year-old? Amazing. Uh, after the break, hot off the satellite from the US, a 20/20 special on the life and fast times of Whitney Houston. # Oh, I wanna dance with somebody. BOTH: # I wanna feel the heat with somebody. Across the country this week, fans gathered to sing a musical echo ` humble voices harmonising with the voice. # ...love you, ooh, ooh. # a Welcome back. She was, for many, the voice of a generation ` a multi-award-winning singer and one of the world's biggest stars, but Whitney Houston was, it seems, a star burning out of control. Tonight we look back on her career, her family life and that tragic day she was found dead in the bath of her Beverly Hills hotel room. # Oh, I wanna dance with somebody. # I wanna feel the heat with somebody. # Across the country this week, fans gather to sing a musical echo ` humble voices harmonising with The Voice. ALL: # Love you. Oooh, oh. # # Will always... # love you. # They are mourning a fallen star with the voice of an angel. But as Americans sing and pray on the eve of Whitney Houston's funeral in New Jersey, an investigation in California continues, and we are all still left wondering just what happened. Whitney! Straight ahead! Houston was in Los Angeles to celebrate Grammy weekend, a routine she was used to after being nominated 26 times herself. WILD CHEERING, SHUTTERS SNAP But on this year's Grammy weekend, there are signs of trouble. The first Thursday morning at an unscheduled press opportunity in the Beverly Hilton lobby. I see her. She's just walking around, looking lost and` you know, and was just very loud and boisterous, um, so she was causing a couple of head-turns from, um, some of the media there. LA Times music reporter Derek Kennedy sees a fading music giant, a former phenomenon, now in disrepair. Um, her hair was, like, dripping wet. It was weird because the rest of her was completely dry. (SHRIEKS) (SHRIEKS) All of you. That same afternoon, Houston barges into the middle of an E TV interview with her mentor Clive Davis and singers Brandy and Monica. Amid manic hugs and kisses, she urges her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to her hug her godfather, Clive Davis. Come see her. Come say hi to your godfather. The music mogul made her career. It is an awkward moment. But in the next few hours, a transformation. The loud, boisterous Whitney who has been on display is again replaced by the woman with bright eyes and a brighter smile. 8 o'clock Thursday night in her fourth-floor suite, hairdresser Reginald Dowdley is there to help her make magic. And she opened her arms, she greeted me with a smile. She was fine. I saw nothing. She seemed happy, she seemed joyful. And here she is. I'm finishing her look up for that night, and she's smiling, she's happy, she's dressed. A woman who had struggled with sobriety was out partying with her 18-year-old daughter and her sometimes boyfriend rapper Ray J ` 18 years her junior, best known for co-starring the infamous Kim Kardashian sex tape. We gave her a bottle of champagne, and she just sat in her seat and hung out with her friends. She came up on the stage and joined me for that brief moment. She waved to the crowd so they would see her. Um, she told me, 'Give me the mic.' CHEERING (VOCALISES) You are now watching what would be Whitney Houston's last performance. # Loves me. # The world got a last gift in that they got an opportunity to see her perform one last time. But photos taken later that night show Houston leaving the club looking haggard and out of it. There appears to be blood dripping down her leg and scratches on her body,... # They say I'm trouble, and I don't give a damn. # ...perhaps from a confrontation with a former reality show contestant who was seen chatting, some reported flirting, with Ray J. Whitney's friends say they didn't see any of that. It was a great event, and she left sweaty, and I've heard the word 'dishevelled' ` that's about right. Miss Whitney Houston! Who wouldn't leave a club at the wee hours of the morning sweaty and looking that way? The next day, Friday, of what some are calling Whitney's lost weekend, she is seen skipping around the Beverly Hilton lobby, somersaulting at the pool. Again, her clothes in disarray and her hair dripping wet. Her publicist told us Whitney was at the spa, and later we learned that Whitney was actually at the bar. She started drinking early on Saturday as well, but people were in touch with her throughout that day. Saturday afternoon Houston talks by phone with her legendary cousin Dionne Warwick and her mother, Sissy. Moments later she has a burger, a turkey sandwich, a glass of champagne and a Heineken all delivered by room service. She then enters the bathroom to prepare for Clive Davis' star-studded pre-Grammy party. They heard her singing. From what one of the guys said, they heard movement in there. She had her entourage in her suite waiting to fix her up for the party ` uh, hair, makeup, wardrobe. Uh, after she hadn't come out of the bathroom for about an hour's time, they found her, um, not responsive in the bathtub. She died alone, her body discovered at 3.30 in the afternoon by a long-time confidante she called Aunt Mary, who pulled her from the tub and tried CPR. There were 20 minutes of efforts to save her. None of them successful. At 3.55pm this afternoon, Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Prescription drugs, including Valium, were found in the bathroom, and in the bathtub, olive oil in a gravy boat she used to treat her skin. The LA county coroner's office completed an autopsy in a day, but toxicology reports and medical records from her doctors may tell the real story of how this 48-year-old woman died. But for now, Whitney Houston's official death certificate reads, 'Cause of death: deferred. 'Manner of death: pending investigation.' Meanwhile, in the wake of her death with her body still in her suite, downstairs ` unbelievably to some ` the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party goes on. You ended up with this surreal scene where his party's going on where she's supposed to be a guest, and she's dead upstairs at the Hilton. We immediately wondered if we should come, if this would still be going on. It was very odd being there and knowing the police were trying to figure out, 'How do we get her out? How do we handle this in any kind of dignified and respectful way?' You had half the red carpet photographers rushing over to the loading dock, where they would be taking Houston's body out, instead of being on the red carpet, where she would have otherwise been photographed. Nine hours after her death and after the party, Houston's body is finally taken to the morgue. Her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, is rushed off to the hospital to be treated for stress and anxiety. Houston's mother, Sissy, takes control and brings Whitney Houston home to New Jersey. The platinum singer is flown by private jet to an awaiting golden hearse. She will have a church funeral, not a public memorial. After the break ` she grew up in a quiet New Jersey suburban home, daughter to strict, church-going parents. We look back at Whitney's early days. But the choirgirl's fate was about to change and catapult her into the upper stratosphere of fame. Can anyone prepare you for fame? > Can anyone prepare you for fame? > No. I mean, your mother sang, your cousin sang. Can anyone really tell you what it was going to be like? Mm-mm. They can't. And all they ever say to me is, 'So, you wanted to be a star.' (CHUCKLES) And I go, 'Oh God.' a Welcome back. In part two of our special feature, The Voice, we look back on the life of a quiet little choirgirl who was destined to set the showbiz world on fire. The early days through to the Grammy Awards told in Whitney's own words, and those of her close friends. UPBEAT LIVE MUSIC Before she was Whitney Houston superstar, before that voice, that face and now that tragic ending, she was just a little girl singing in the choir of the New Hope Baptist Church. That little girl will come home to the pews and prayers of where her life began. Growing up, I loved church. It was family, and it was always happy, you know? It was always, 'Praise the lord. How you doing? God bless you, child. 'I'm praying for you. How you doing in school?' It was a family thing, you know? It was a sense of belonging, and the singing, the praise, the joyful noise we made unto God was amazing. UPBEAT MUSIC When she born in Newark New Jersey in 1963, the youngest child of John and Cissy Houston, she had music running through her veins. # When you callin' back, my baby? # Cissy was a successful gospel and blues singer, her cousin legendary Dionne Warwick,... # The days that I once knew. # ...and the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, like a godmother. Whitney spoke of those dynamic influences with Barbara Walters in 1993. Did your mother want you to be a singer? She had no choice. I was singing by the time I was 7 years old. Um, I don't think my mother wanted me to be in show business. But she knew it was inevitable. But before she sang a note, everyone knew her as Nippy, a pet name. Her parents would separate years later, but they tried to give little Nippy a normal life, moving when she was 4 from gritty Newark to this middle-class suburban house in East Orange, New Jersey. Home was loving but disciplined. Early on, Whitney dreamed of being a teacher or veterinarian, but when she opened her mouth at age 11 in the church choir, her destiny was clear, as she told Dianne Sawyer in 2002. GOSPEL SINGING I would close my eyes, like this, and sing. I was so afraid, and I'd sing, and when I would open my eyes, the people would be what we call 'Holy Ghost fired out'. They would be in such spirit of praise. I think I knew then that it was an infectious thing... that God had given me. But while singing alongside her mother in concert or belting choir solos or taking voice lessons in Manhattan, she was just a student riding the number 29 bus to Mount St Dominic Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in New Jersey. I was very` very shy and very to myself. I mean, in high school, none of the kids knew I could really sing. I didn't join the glee club, I wasn't part of any chorus. Nobody really was aware of her vocal lessons or the weekends that she was spending in the city. She was very humble and just easy-going and fun-loving. And this is senior picture? And this is senior picture? Yes, it is. And she called you Cher? And she called you Cher? She called me Cher. Cher is Cheryl Falzo, one of Whitney's best friends in high school, where this shy but sweet teen was voted 'most likely to succeed'. Were you aware that she had a good voice? As far as choir, I do not even remember her participating in that ` or theatre. But I don't think it was an unwillingness. I think it was more that she had a direction, and I think she always knew that she was destined for fame. In the early '80s, while still in high school, Whitney caught the eye of a photographer. Did you know that she was modelling? Did you know that she was modelling? I did. She did share with me the Seventeen magazine. What did you think? I loved it. I cut it out. I was like every girl. It's in my scrapbook. Her natural beauty and girl-next-door smile landed her in Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen ` the first black woman to ever grace its cover. Joe Levy is the former executive editor of Rolling Stone magazine. But why she didn't stick with it? Uh, I don't think you need a reason not to stick with modelling. One reason for her not to stick with modelling is ` have you heard her sing? Music was Whitney's passion. By 15 she was already singing backup for acts like Jermaine Jackson and Chaka Khan. When I first started performing, I was very very critical, and it used to really bother me that, (SNAPS FINGERS) 'God, why didn't I sing that?' Or, 'Why didn't I do that?' # There's a boy I know. Whitney Houston had the chance to learn from Aretha Franklin and from her mother, Cissy Houston, and from her cousin Dionne Warwick. These great singers in the R&B, soul tradition. Whitney took from that and built on it. # ...control. Can't seem to get enough. # I thought she sounded good, but I didn't know if she would have what it takes to be in the business. Long before Ricky Minor became the musical director for the Tonight Show band, he was a struggling artist like Whitney Houston, looking for that big break. First time I met Whitney, uh, I got a call from, uh, another musician I knew named John Simmons saying, 'I have this girl singing in my church trying to get a record deal. 'Will you put together a showcase for her in LA?' And we rehearsed, sounded great, and we waited... and we waited. And no one showed up. Many have been fired because they didn't go to that showcase and sign this girl. But the choir girl's fate was about to change and catapult her into the upper stratosphere of fame. Can anyone prepare you for fame? > Can anyone prepare you for fame? > No. I mean, your mother sang, your cousin sang. Can anyone really tell you what it was gonna be like? Uh-uh. They can't. And all they ever say to me is, 'So you wanted to be a star.' (CHUCKLES) And I go, 'Oh, God.' I just wanted to sing. You know, I wanted to do what was in my soul, what was in my heart. This other madness, you know, they say that comes with the territory. Whoo. It's a hell of a territory. FUNKY MUSIC So the one constant through Whitney's life was her daughter, Bobbi Kristina. She's up next. The role of protector was something Whitney spotted early on. Tell me about her. Is she like you? She's a lot smarter than I am. What do you mean? How do you see it? My daughter at about two or three, and she goes, 'Mommy, do you know why I'm here?' I said, 'Well, tell me why.' She says, 'To take care of that beautiful face of yours.' a Welcome back. In the last part of our special feature 'The Voice.' The one thing that seemed to bring Whitney happiness, her daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Caught in the whirlwind that was her mother's life, it seems Bobbi Kristina became her mother's sole motivation and even, at times, her protector. POIGNANT MUSIC For all the questions surrounding Whitney Houston's life, one thing is crystal clear ` nothing and no one mattered more to her than her daughter, Bobbi Kristina. In our interviews, we would always talk about Bobbi Kristina. They were inseparable, going everywhere together. The little girl Whitney called Krissie was the blessing that came after much pain and prayer, as she told Barbara Walters in 1993. I had a miscarriage... during the filming of The Bodyguard. It was very painful ` emotionally and physically. I was back on the set the next day. And it's over. But I had Bobbi Kristina one year later, and I am blessed. And in the public eye she was. Her adorable little girl became a fixture on the red carpet... and on stage, like in this 1997 HBO concert. # Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi, my baby. # My little girl, oh. # But offstage, Whitney was a woman divided. She said, 'You know, I have a conflict, because I want my daughter to live a normal, 'healthy, typical life, but it's very difficult for her to do that with my career.' Concerned about the life Krissie would lead, Whitney passed on what she knew best ` her love of singing. # Can you give me a mic now? # Can you give me a mic, ya'll? # Her daughter thought that she was the moon and the sun, and she wanted to be exactly like her mother. Clap your hands. CHEERING Friends say Krissie never let her parents' fame go to her head. Down to earth, cool, laid back. You know, most celebrity kids have this way about them? She's, like, totally different. Still, she embraced her mother's world without reservation. Her mom didn't pressure her about that. She just took her to singing classes to get her vocals right and then wait for the right time for her to sing to the world. And that time may have been coming soon. Just last fall, Krissie posted this video on her Twitter account ` a rendition of Adele's Someone Like You. # I heard that your dreams came true. # While waiting for her moment to be a star, Krissie was by her mother's side for the high and low notes, seeing it all as no one else would. No, Krissie's just got my back. When I get discouraged and I go, 'Oh, this is wearing me out,' she's going, 'No, Mom. We can do this. Come on, let's do it. Come on, get up.' The role of protector was something that Whitney spotted early on. Tell me about her. Is she like you? She's a lot smarter than I am. She's a lot smarter than I am. What do you mean? How do you see it? My daughter, about 2 or 3, and she goes, 'Mommy, do you know why I'm here?' I said, 'Well, tell me why.' She says, 'To take care of that beautiful face of yours.' But caring for herself would prove a challenge. A year ago, speculation she had followed too closely in her mother's footsteps. In one National Inquirer spread, photos that appear to be young Krissie doing drugs. She fired back on Twitter. 'It's really not what it looks like.' What did she think about the media attention to her supposed drug habits and excessive partying? She was upset. She was upset. She was upset. She was upset. That really made her mad. Her family said, 'She has not been on drugs,' and that they're gonna make sure that does not happen. But while Krissie appeared the picture of health last week in Los Angeles, it was her mother who gave cause for concern. Thursday, that candid moment caught on E cameras ` Houston's last kiss on Clive Davis' cheek. Her daughter just behind her. That night the impromptu nightclub performance and Whitney's final song. Friday, reports of Whitney at the bar acting erratically. Doing handstands, um, you know, just drinking consistently, complaining about her drinks being watered down. Any indication that she was mixing alcohol and drugs that day? She had been taking Xanax and she had been drinking, so she was most certainly mixing on the two, which she had done before. A lot of people tell me this is not something that she just started. Saturday, Whitney is in her suite along with several other people when she decides to take a bath. They had heard her singing. From what one of the guys said, they heard movement in there to indicate that she was still alive. Here is something most people don't know. What was happening in that bathroom was a long-held fear of Whitney's entourage. A former security guard told me when they worked with her, they were very clear she was not to take baths, because they were concerned about her falling asleep. So they insisted she take showers and that they'd check on her every seven to 10 minutes. But on that afternoon, Whitney had been left alone for over an hour. When they knocked, no answer. Young Krissie has been at the shopping mall. She returns to the hotel lobby as her mother is being pronounced dead. The news is too much for the 18-year-old to bear. She was absolutely devastated. Crying fits, you know, yelling, cursing, screaming. Basically, they felt like having a nervous breakdown. Krissie is rushed to the hospital for observation, but returned to the hotel again that night, where despite the news of Whitney Houston's death, a pre-Grammy party is underway. There must have been a strange moment where you see the party where your mother is supposed to attend still going on just hours after your mother died. Just a few floors below, the coroner is removing the body. It was just` The whole scene was surreal. But what is all too real in this very moment is Krissie's pain and sorrow. Hopefully she will hold fast to those mother-daughter memories, the two joined forever by the perfect gift of song. # See, I got my baby. # Next up on 20/20 ` the girls of geekdom. To what temperature must you heat beef in order to kill the prion that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy? Um` Um` Remember, you have to answer honestly. But occasionally there'll be things even that another character says that I will admit I` I Google that, (CHUCKLES) secretly, on the side. Choke on that, sucker. a Welcome back. We all love the movie when the geek gets the girl or boy. let's face it, there's a little bit of geek in all of us, which could be why The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular shows on TV. The show is centred around two brilliant, yet socially awkward, physicists, their geeky mates and a hot blonde chick who lives across the hall. Now into its fifth series, the boys are slowly improving their social skills, and even getting girlfriends. Emma Keeling went to LA to catch up with two of the female stars of geekdom. ALL IMITATE MACHINE GUNFIRE In a show about geeks and nerds,... Good news. I finally have a handle on my idea for three-person chess. ...actress Mayim Bialik is their real-life queen. You're the only one that understands the scripts. Jim Parsons says I'm the only one who understands what everyone says, not just what my character says. Mayim has a PhD in neuroscience and plays Dr Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist. I study the brain ` the organ responsible for Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Bernadette studies yeast ` the organism responsible for blight. AUDIENCE LAUGHS Then there's her inner geek. I was always fascinated with the, kind of, science fiction world and really heavy into, like, superhero movies, uh, now, as an adult. And my husband's family are Trekkies, so it's just, like, nerdville. CHUCKLES: Like, our poor children. They're so cute, but they're just gonna be nerds. FUN MUSIC Before Mayim was a nerd she was a child star in TV show Blossom. < The decision to go to college ` was that to get more normality into your life after being a child star? Once you're a child star, you'll never be normal. That's what happened with that. So, I always wanted to go to college, no matter what. And when I finished Blossom, it was not really an option to go into movies, because no movie producers were casting sitcom actors. So, yeah, I really wanted a normal life, I mean, whatever that would look like. But I wanted to be judged by my brain, you know. On The Big Bang Theory, she can combine her two careers,... To what temperature must you heat beef in order to kill the prion that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy? Um` Um` Remember, you have to answer honestly. ...while the other actors, like Melissa Rauch, need internet access to even read the script. Luckily, Bernadette doesn't have too many lines that are over my head. Um, Amy's character has a lot more, and of course, Sheldon's. Um, but occasionally there'll be things even that another character says that I` I will admit I- I Google that (CHUCKLES) secretly, on the side. Choke on that, sucker. The Big Bang Theory is a worldwide success. Socially inept geeks, clever one-liners,... Oh, there's no need to interact with me. I'm just here to observe. ...and awkward encounters with girls equals a lot of laughs. Wow, you really are a genius. Not really. I Googled how to do that. The first time we all read the script together, the laughter is absolutely off the charts. The cast is amazing, and sometimes I'm watching, you know, them do the delivery of the lines, and I have to step back and bite my lip from laughing. LOUNGE MUSIC PLAYS Who is the funniest`? naturally, the funniest off set? Simon Helberg who plays Howard is a tremendous mimic. And I didn't even know this about him. He does an incredible Nicolas Cage, and he can make his voice anything. Well, that's just wonderful to hear. Maybe on the way out, I dunno, we can stop in the gift shop, but right now I really want to find some rockets! 'K, my turn. Melissa's character, Bernadette Rostenkowski, was brought in for a love interest for Howard Walowitz in series three. And I said you could study me, cos I'm a tiny living thing. It's a joke. It's a joke. Are you sure? When I first got the material to audition with, um, I wasn't planning on doing the voice that I use for Bernadette, but right before I went in for the audition, I was talking to my mother on the phone, and, um, she has a very high-pitched voice, and I just decided there's certain qualities about Bernadette that are very similar to my mother's, so I just decided to use her voice. Mine is the` the New Jersey accent. The show is filmed live. Melissa's been a stand-up comic, so the live aspect doesn't scare her. But the sober audience does. Granted, the audience at The Big Bang Theory, they don't have a two-drink minimum, like they have at most comedy clubs, um, so the writing has to be especially good. You can't get away with some of the stuff I got away with doing stand-up, because I had the benefit of people being a little tipsy. You should do stand-up in NZ, because we don't have any drink minimum at all. You don't? You don't? No, we love our drink. (LAUGHS) So you'd go down really well there. All right, fantastic. Book me a flight. Yes. AUDIENCE GASPS Yes, what? Yes, I will marry you. Yes, I will marry you. You will? You will? You will? I will. She's busy right now, as season five kicks off. Bernadette is engaged to Howard. Which brings me to our next order of business. And Amy and Sheldon might actually hook up. Fascinating. Jim Parsons has won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for his role as physicist Sheldon Cooper. I had never seen The Big Bang Theory. I got the audition the night before that they needed a female Jim Parsons. I said, 'Who's Jim Parsons?' And I Googled him and I watched about 15 seconds of him in his character. And literally I was going for mimicry. Because I was told very specifically they just want him. They want him female. Now before this goes any further, you should know that all forms of physical contact up to and including coitus are off the table. May I buy you a beverage? Amy and Sheldon ` this would have to be the ultimate slow-burning relationship. I'm not even sure if there's an ember. It's pretty status quo kind of relationship. (CHUCKLES) I think that's, sort of, some of the fun, is how little urgency there is to their relationship. And, um, that's some of, I think, the appeal ` is it's not so much, 'What's gonna happen?' as, 'Is something gonna happen?' You're a vixen, Amy Farrah Fowler. You can check out any of tonight's stories again, including that one, by going to our website: You can also email us at: Or go to our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Thanks for all your feedback over the past week. Keep the ideas and the comments coming in. That's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you again next week.