Inside the 30-Year Fight to Release Whitney Houston and Brandy’s Cinderella Soundtrack

A confident, poised Whitney Houston and a doe-eyed Brandy Norwood are standing around a grand piano in a wood-paneled recording studio. The year is 1997. The two singers are in the midst of learning the duet “Impossible” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella for their forthcoming televised remount of the musical for ABC. That made-for-TV movie—groundbreaking in the diversity of its cast as well as its decision to make a sixteen-year-old Norwood the first Black Cinderella and Houston her fairy godmother—would go on to become one of Disney’s biggest risks and biggest success stories. Cinderella pulled in 60 million viewers when it first aired on November 2, 1997 and subsequently sold the most home videos of any made-for-TV movie at that time. As a result, Cinderella became an indelible cultural artifact for a generation of fairy-tale-loving millennials.

But, singing around the piano while being filmed by Entertainment Tonight for a behind-the-scenes package about the making of Cinderella, Whitney and Brandy don’t know any of that yet. They’re just trying to learn the damn song.

“This is the note,” Houston says, warmly yet firmly. She’s trying to guide her teenaged costar—who is, somewhat inexplicably, singing the melody an octave below where she should be—to the right pitch. Then, a lovingly exasperated Houston delivers the instantly iconic line, “Why are you down there?” before belting out the notes herself in her singular fashion. Of course, Brandy, a preternaturally gifted vocalist, eventually gets the notes right and she and Houston are able to sing together in perfect harmony.

Thanks to ET, we can still watch the pair sing a snippet of “Impossible” together in the recording booth, trading lines back and forth with each other, grinning from ear to ear as they lay down the vocal for the soundtrack. But that four minute package is all we have from that recording session. Considering the effort that went into recording the album—one producer for Brandy, another for Whitney, reinventing the songs behind Disney’s most famous princess—as well as the massive success of the film, you’d think that it would’ve been a sure thing for it to be released. Well, you’d be mistaken.

Despite enduring love from fans, you can’t buy a 1997 Cinderella CD or vinyl for your niece’s birthday. You can’t stream the soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music. Thanks to warring record labels of the ’90s and industry red tape, the Cinderella album has been lost to time.

“Oh my God, it’s so ridiculous that this album has never happened,” Cinderella producer Debra Martin Chase tells me over the phone. The first Black female producer to land a deal at a major studio, Chase was the engine behind Cinderella (1997), producing the film alongside Neil Meron and the late Craig Zadan. “For Disney purposes, let’s be crass,” she says, bluntly. “It’s money you’re leaving on the table.”

The fact that the Cinderella-cast album was never released was “the greatest heartbreak of Houston’s career,” Zadan, who visited Houston in Atlanta the year before her death in 2012, said in an interview. “It didn’t make sense to her that there was no album, she just couldn’t understand.” The fact that the album was never released, “it’s one of the biggest mistakes, which needs to be rectified,” says Meron.

With the 30th anniversary of Cinderella fast approaching, Houston’s greatest heartbreak may have a chance to be mended. In exclusive conversations with Vanity Fair, key creatives behind the film and recording of the soundtrack say that maybe—just maybe—there’s hope for the album’s release after all.

But it won’t be easy. In the three decades that have passed, the label disputes that buried the Cinderella album in the ’90s have only grown more complex as the music industry has evolved.

Nevertheless, Cinderella’s producers and Whitney Houston’s estate are determined to get the album out to the public. Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law, former manager, and now the executor of her estate, confirmed to Vanity Fair that the lack of a Cinderella album was a great heartbreak of Houston’s career. Releasing the album “would celebrate not just [Whitney’s] voice, but her vision,” said Houston in a written statement to Vanity Fair. “The absence of a soundtrack has devastated many of her fans.”

Impossible things are happening every day!ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

Like Cinderella’s night at the ball, recording the album was a magical whirlwind. For less than 48 hours, the Cinderella team gathered at Capitol Records, the famous studio where greats like Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra recorded their albums. Arif Mardin, the late legendary Turkish-American music producer who worked with greats like Aretha Franklin, The Bee Gees, and Dionne Warwick served as music producer alongside relative newcomer Chris Montan. Montan had already overseen the soundtracks for major Disney hits like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), or The Lion King (1994); and would go on to produce the soundtracks for over 100 Disney movie and television projects.

Mardin, who died in 2006, was the more senior of the two, and worked closer with Houston. Montan was more focused on Brandy. “She said to me, ‘Chris, I’m a little nervous,’” Montan recalls. When he asked her why, Brandy’s answer revealed just how far out of her comfort zone leading a Golden Age musical was: “Well, I’ve never sung opera before,” she said. Houston was a completely different story. “We might’ve done all her stuff in one night,” says audio mixer Frank Wolf, who was in the studio with both Montan and Mardin. Like many divas, Houston had a habit of showing up late, and when she was finished, she was finished. “She said, ‘I’m putting my shoes on,’” recalls Montan. “And I looked at Arif, and said, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ He goes, ‘She’s done. [laughs]. When Whitney’s putting her shoes on, that means you’ve got everything you’re going to get.’”

Going into recording, the Cinderella producers didn’t know which label, if any, would release the album. “We decided that we would record it anyway,” said Meron, “because we thought, who wouldn’t want this album? This is something that will last forever.”

But for something to last forever, it has to exist.

A lot of ink has been spilled about how risky it was for Disney to make Cinderella with a diverse cast and two Black leads. But less has been written about how risky Cinderella was for both Houston and Brandy. They were recording artists in their own right—one at the height of her superstardom, the other just embarking on the journey—juggling their careers with their eyes set on a passion project. Discovered by the legendary late producer Clive Davis, Houston was signed to Arista Records, which Davis founded in 1974. Now an arm of Sony Music, Arista Records was one of the most commercially successful and defining pop labels of the late 20th century, with Davis, arguably the most renowned executive producer of his generation, managing the careers of superstars like Houston, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Toni Braxton, Usher, and Aretha Franklin.

Meanwhile, Brandy was signed to Atlantic Records. Founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, Atlantic Records helped define modern popular music, specializing in launching Black R&B and soul acts into the mainstream—beginning with artists like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, it has since expanded their purview to include artists like Charli xcx, Bruno Mars, and, recently, Miley Cyrus—and became an influential record label in its own right. At the time of Cinderella, Brandy was fresh off her critically acclaimed debut album Brandy and working with Craig Kallman as her A&R rep. (Kallman left Atlantic Records in 2025 and is now the chief music officer of Warner Music Group. Vanity Fair reached out to Kallman for comment.)

Given Atlantic’s reputation for being able to create cross-over, mainstream Black artists, it’s not entirely surprising that Atlantic was more than a bit nervous for Brandy—a rising talent in the realm of R&B—to drop a classical musical theater album. “Atlantic was positioning her as a big R&B singer, and they thought that the album, Cinderella, would hurt her image and her brand as an R&B music artist,” says movie producer Chase. Meron recalls the same tension. “The fear, which put the kibosh on the album, was Atlantic feeling that it would ruin Brandy’s cred.”

Chase takes a deep sigh. “In retrospect, so shortsighted, right?”

Cinderella producers say that, initially, both Arista and Atlantic were hesitant to release the album, like Cinderella’s step-mother forbidding her from attending the ball. But over time it seems Davis and Arista Records were ultimately more amenable to the album being released than Atlantic Records. According to Chase, “Clive really did take it on. We kept going back to Atlantic and asking to reconsider. It never went to real planning stages because it was cut off at the knees with them refusing to participate.” (Vanity Fair reached out to a representative for Clive Davis’s estate and has not received an answer at the time of publication.)

Davis was apparently so gung ho about getting the album out after previously wanting to keep the album away from the public that he was ultimately willing to let a rival label publish the soundtrack. “Clive, bless his heart, could see the big picture. He was like, ‘This deserves to be in the world,’” Chase adds. “He at one point said, ‘It can go on Atlantic, I don’t care. This needs to be in existence.’” But even Davis, a titan of the music industry, couldn’t make the impossible happen. “Atlantic was steadfast and they just refused,” says Chase. “It was kind of down to the wire and they were like, ‘No.’” (Vanity Fair reached out to Atlantic Records and Arista Records for comment. At the time of publication there’s no official comment from the labels. Through her representative, Brandy Norwood declined to comment for this story.)

In the 30 years since Cinderella premiered, it seems other efforts were made to get the album out to the public. “When the VHS tape went on sale, it was gigantic from the first day on which also reignited the conversation for the album,” says Meron. But selling over 2 million VHS by 1999 and becoming the highest-selling video release of any made for television film at the time didn’t push the needle in regards to getting the album released. “Still didn’t happen,” says Meron.

Of course, when Houston tragically died at the age of 48 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2012, the pain of not having the album was more visceral than ever. “Everybody bumped their heads together, and then it was just put to bed for a while,” says Meron. “Whitney passed away, and we kept on thinking, why don’t we have this album?”

The most recent attempt to get the Cinderella album out in the world happened in 2022, around the 25th anniversary of Cinderella. Sources told Vanity Fair that a potential release of the album was apparently close to getting over the finish line in August, and there was even talk of releasing one or two tracks, individually. But another high-profile Houston project, the Whitney Houston biopic Whitney: I Wanna Dance With Somebody starring Naomi Ackie, which was set to come out on December 23, 2022, complicated matters. “They didn’t want it to bump into that Whitney Houston biopic that came out,” said Meron of the Houston estate (VF has asked the Houston estate about this claim but has not received an answer at the time of publication.) There also was another unforeseen road block involving a record label. But this time, in an unexpected twist, it wasn’t Atlantic or Arista complicating Cinderella’s release. It was Disney.

“From what I’ve been told, Hollywood Records has been stopping it,” says Meron. A subsidiary of Disney Music Group, Hollywood Records is a record label devoted to Disney artists and the soundtracks for Disney projects. Meron believes that Hollywood Records currently owns the Cinderella masters and stands to potentially gain the most from the release of the album. A source close to Disney told Vanity Fair that Disney Music Group has never owned the rights or masters to the Cinderella album.

In the ’90s, Disney’s Hollywood Records was considering releasing the album. “At that point, Hollywood Records was going to do it, and Atlantic wouldn’t budge,” says Meron. But as the years went on and the music industry transformed, so too did Hollywood Records’ relationship with the gem of an album they seemed to be sitting on. In November of 2022, the Walt Disney company went through a major shakeup when Bob Iger returned as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, replacing his hand-picked successor Bob Chapek. Iger proceeded to restructure the company, dismantling the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution Division. So maybe at that time, dusting off a 25-year-old album with multiple labels involved wasn’t at the forefront of anyone at Disney’s minds.

What’s tricky about the Cinderella album is precisely how much time has passed since it was recorded. Many of the executives and employees at Arista, Atlantic, and Disney Music Group weren’t around for the label disputes and complex contract negotiations of 1997. Some of them weren’t even born. Multiple sources at the various record labels expressed their wish for the Cinderella album to be released—either then or now—but admitted that they were completely unaware of the drama that had prevented its release in the first place, and weren’t sure what, exactly, would be necessary to get the album across the finish line today.

What we do know is that by the 2020s, there were at least three different labels involved and needing to sign off for Cinderella to ever be released. “I don’t believe Hollywood Records could move forward without approvals from both Arista or Atlantic Records,” says Pat Houston.

But wait, there’s more. A fourth label also has a vested interest in getting this album to the public. Concord, the largest independent music publishing company in the world, purchased the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization in 2017 and now owns the rights to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s entire catalogue. Imogen Lloyd Webber—yes, that’s the daughter of EGOT winner and Broadway icon Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber—is an EVP at Concord Theatrical and oversees the Rodgers and Hammerstein brand for Concord. Meron says that Webber has “made it a mission of hers to try and solve the mystery as to why this didn’t come together.”

“It’s been almost 30 years since viewers were first entranced by Brandy, Whitney Houston and the rest of the cast’s iconic performances in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” said Webber in a statement to Vanity Fair. “We hear the Cinderella fans and know they’ve been clamoring for an album. Concord is at the ready to support Hollywood Records, our partners at Disney, and all involved in this project to finally get the soundtrack released—for the enjoyment of both lifelong fans and those who are soon to discover its magic.”

For his part, Meron told me that he believes the album is “in a vault somewhere” and, what’s more, he has a copy of it. “Of course, I have it,” he says. “Imogen had no idea that there was a completed album. So I sent over the album to them, so they know it exists.”

For those wondering why so much fuss would be made over an album when the movie is available to be streamed, the Cinderella album isn’t exactly the same as the film version. For example: Houston’s memorable high note at the end of “Impossible.” A source told VF that Houston wasn’t thrilled with some of her vocals and intended to rerecord a few moments. Perhaps, the last note in “Impossible” was one of them. “We wanted to grab that note from the TV soundtrack to add to the album,” says Meron. “And then it would’ve been finished.”

Now, 30 years later, all the label drama seems besides the point, for multiple reasons. “From a business standpoint, this is a valuable asset that will make money,” Chase says. “It’s just a gorgeous soundtrack of a movie that now has legacy status that the fans want.” What’s more, there’s also a new generation primed to experience, and they already have a way in. Brandy has stepped back into her glass slippers, starring as Cinderella on the Disney Channel movie Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, which follows the children of beloved Disney characters. What’s more, Brandy’s prince, Paolo Montalban, stars opposite her in the film—now all grown up, as King Charming keeping the legacy of their 1997 Cinderella movie alive.

Although there’s a younger, built-in audience primed for more Cinderella content, Meron thinks that some work would have to be done to update the masters—and to locate where, exactly, Disney might be keeping them—if they have them at all. “We’d have to track down what kind of vault it’s in,” says Montan. “It’s probably in some Disney vault in Kansas City, underground, where they have a lot of that stuff.” And for what it’s worth, Disney has a secure, underground film vault located in the Hutchinson Salt Mine in Kansas. A source close to Disney told Vanity Fair that the record is not currently being kept in a Disney vault.

If anything, the idea of unreleased Whitney Houston vocals—even if they were ultimately unfinished—at the height of her powers should be enough to get anyone with ears interested in getting the album out. Wolf recalls working with Houston “when she was in a little rougher times.” “It was more difficult,” he says, looking back. “But she never wasn’t great.”

But at Capital Records recording the Cinderella album, everything was a dream. “30 years later, wouldn’t this be a cool thing for a next generation of Whitney fans to see her in a completely different light,” says Montan. “It’s all positive. I can’t find any negative on it.” Montan has another wish, along with the album coming out: “I wish we could do a reunion concert 30 years later,” he says, name-checking other Cinderella cast members like Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, and Bernadette Peters. “I know Brandy can still sing it,” he adds. And he even has an idea of who could potentially step into Houston’s shoes for a reunion concert: “Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo.” For what it’s worth, Houston’s estate is more than open to the idea. “I believe the 30th Anniversary Cinderella concert would be amazing,” says Pat Houston.

“It seems like, especially with Whitney being gone, it would be kind of a slam dunk,” says Wolf. “If I were at Disney, I’d say, ‘Let’s aim at getting a record ready to go. Next year is the 30-year anniversary. Let’s air it again and release an album.’” Oh, and there’s one last reason Wolf thinks the album deserves to be heard: “It’s fucking Whitney Houston and Brandy.” And, hopefully, one day they will. “Talk about impossible dreams,” says Meron wistfully. “It has been a quest, on all of our parts, to right a wrong.” Is it impossible that the public will ever hear the Cinderella album? It’s hard to say. But, as a wise woman once sang, impossible things are happening every day.

Brandy Norwood, Whitney Houston, Neil Meron, Debra Martin Chase, and Craig Zadan at the Cinderella premiere in 1997.Courtesy of Debra Martin Chase.