Whitney Houston hologram tour planned
In the world of entertainment it seems death is no longer an obstacle to staging a comeback.
Seven years after her death at the age of 48, Whitney Houston is to return to the stage as a hologram to tour with her original backing singers.
Base Hologram, the company behind the laser show extravaganza is also behind the postponed Amy Winehouse hologram tour.
In a statement, the company promised the show would be an “awe-inspiring live theatrical concert that will celebrate her amazing life, work and everlasting legacy”.
Houston will appear as a 3D hologram, with recordings of her vocals backed by a live band.
No dates or locations have yet been announced.
However fans appear divided over the plans judging by comments made online following the announcement.
Ms Houston is regarded as one of the most awarded female artists of all time according to Guinness World Records and remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide.
The star was found dead in the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California in February 2012 .
The coroner's report showed the 48-year-old had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use given as contributing factors.
A previous laser-generated reappearance by Ms Houston was shelved because of a dispute over the hologram's likeness to her.
Her estate backed out of a television duet in 2016 with singer Christina Aguilera after the footage was leaked online and caused uproar amongst fans who did not think it matched the ''flawless'' stage appearance she was once known for.
Pat Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and president of her estate, said: “Whitney prided herself on her family and that included her fans.
"She adored her audiences and that’s why we know she would have loved this holographic theatrical concept.”
Ms Houston will follow in the footsteps of Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa and rapper Tupac Shakur who have all made holographic comebacks.
Base Hologram’s plans for a 2019 Amy Winehouse tour were postponed, after the company faced “unique challenges and sensitivities” in trying to replicate Winehouse in “the most celebratory and respectful way possible”.