The Whitney Family //
Gallery
The Whitney Family performing on Burt Sugarman's "The Midnight Special" TV show in 1975.
Before there was a "Whitney Family," there was Louise Whitney. Mom Louise had a solo career for many years. She also performed with her brother Jimmy and sister Mary Lee as "Whitney, Whitney & Whitney," and toured with soul giants Solomon Burke and Johnny Otis before forming "The Whitney Family" with her 8 children.
The Whitney Family's first promo pictures. The 3 "baby girls" (as they were called) Cookie (Cozette), Louise and Louanda, were not yet performing with the group. Pictured front row - Ray-Ray, mom Louise and Phillip. Back row - Tracey, Nick and Glynn.
The Whitney Family getting ready for a gig in 1972. Front row: Louanda, Cookie, Louise, Ray-Ray and Phillip. Back row: Tracey, Nick, mom Louise and Glynn.
The Whitney Family getting ready for a gig in 1972. Front row: Cookie, Ray-Ray, Louise and Phillip. Back row: Tracey, mom Louise, Nick and Glynn.
The Whitney Family's promo picture from 1972. Pictured kneeling are Louanda and Louise. Front row standing: Phillip, Cookie (Cozette) and Ray-Ray. Back row: Glynn, mom Louise, Tracey and Nick.
The Whitney Family on the August 1975 cover of Right On! Magazine. It was just one of several issues they appeared in.
The Whitney Family performing live in 1973. Mom Louise is singing lead, and Glynn, Ray-Ray, Phillip, Nick and Tracey are in the background. This picture was used in a Right On! magazine feature spread.
The Whitney Family performing live in 1973. Phillip is singing lead, and Glynn, Ray-Ray, Tracey and mom Louise are in the background. This picture was used in a Right On! magazine feature spread.
The Whitney Family's promo picture from 1973. Pictured front row: Phillip, Ray-Ray, Louanda, Cookie (Cozette) and Louise. Back row: Glynn, mom Louise, Tracey and Nick.
The Whitney Family 1973. Pictured front row: Cookie (Cozette), Louanda and Louise. Second row: Phillip and Ray-Ray and Tracey. Back row: Nick, mom Louise and Glynn.
The Whitney Family performing live in the 1970's. Mom Louise is singing lead.
The Whitney Family performing at The Imperial West club in the early 1970's. They would also to do a Sunday afternoon matinee for kids, who would pack the club to standing room only.
The brother's became the family's band. Nick was the drummer, Glynn and Phillip played guitar, and Ray-Ray (who played the harmonica) would go on to play the bass.
Louise Whitney performed the vocals on the Emmy Award nominated "Early In The Morning" from the 1977 movie Minstrel Man, starring Glynn Turman (who, by coincidence, later married Tracey Whitney's best friend, Jo-An Allen-Turman.)
A Whitney Family promo picture from 1975.
The Whitney Family performing live in 1976. Mom Louise is singing lead, and that's Tracey in the background.
The Whitney Family were featured several times in Right On! magazine.
The Whitney Family recording in for Warner Brother's Records in 1976. Pictured are Ray-Ray, Tracey and Cookie (Cozette).
The Whitney Family promo picture from 1979. Front row - Ray, Louanda, Louise, mom Louise, Tracey and Cookie (Cozette). Back row - Phillip, the bass player, Nick and Glynn.
The Whitney Family toured Hawaii, Korea, Japan and the Philippines in 1981. Here they're waiting to board a plane.
The Whitney Family toured Hawaii, Korea, Japan and the Philippines in 1981. Tracey is singing lead in this picture.
The Whitney Family toured Hawaii, Korea, Japan and the Philippines in 1981. Left to right: Phillip, Ray, Tracey, Cookie, Louanda, Louise, mom Louise and Glynn. Nick is playing drums.
"The Whitney Family" LP cover on Warner Curb records.
The Whitney Family's "Love Is Where You Find It" single on United Artists Records.
The Whitney Family's "Airways" LP on Warner Curb records.
The Whitney Family's "Heaven In My Arms" single on Warner Curb records.
The Whitney Family's "Let Me Be Your Woman" (with mom Louise on lead vocals) was a Billboard Magazine Top Singles Pick on May 21, 1977.
The Whitney Family was featured on the "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars" special. Lou Rawls' mother, Evelyn Beale, was their manager at one time.
The Whitney Family was featured on the Tanya Tucker Special.