This Whitney Houston No. 1 Might Be Tied to Her Affair With a Certain Jackson Brother

Every great song has a great backstory. I’d like to argue, though, that few are as interesting as the story that allegedly follows Whitney Houston‘s No. 1 hit, “Saving All My Love For You”, which topped the charts in 1985.

The song sings about “saving all your love” for someone who is married and has a family. In her biography, Whitney Houston 1963-2012: We Will Always Love You, Houston admitted that she herself once had “a terrible love affair.” For her, this song hit close to home.

The year prior to that, Houston had been involved in a year-long relationship with Jermaine Jackson. Jackson is known for singing second-lead vocals in The Jackson 5, second to Michael Jackson.

At the time, Jackson was married to Hazel Gordy. Gordy is the daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Apparently, the affair didn’t work out because Jermaine ended up choosing his wife and family. 

“He was married, and that will never work out for anybody,” Houston said of her own experience. “Never, no way.”

It didn’t take long for Houston to drop her version of “Saving All My Love For You” the next year. The song was originally recorded by Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo. However, it was Houston who took it to the top.

Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson Had Several Duets Together

Maybe you’re not convinced that this song is tied to Houston’s own affair with Jackson. However, the music video that accompanies it makes the possibility a bit hard to ignore. It features an actor who looks almost exactly like him. The video even shows Houston in the recording studio with Jackson’s doppelganger, which is interesting because they did record music together.

Jackson recorded and helped produce two duets for Houston’s debut album, “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” and “Take Good Care of My Heart”. For the 1985 movie Perfect, the pair also recorded a duet called “Shock Me”.

Apparently, the studio is where their relationship took place behind the scenes. At least, that’s what sources suggested when the news of their affair came out in 2012.

“In those early days . . . he was smuggled into her hotel rooms, they worked extra late in the studio, and she even had a code name for him. She referred to him as ‘Ji,’” one source shared, according to The New York Post. “The reason it ended was because Jermaine wouldn’t leave his wife — and Whitney was angry.”

Whether it was inspired by her affair with Jackson or not, “Saving All My Love For You” is an absolutely beautiful song, and you can tell that Houston is singing it with passion. That might point to her ability to immerse herself in the music. Or, it might suggest that there was always more to the story.

Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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