Whitney Houston-Brandy Cinderella Soundtrack Still Unreleased as 30th-Anniversary Approaches

When the 1997 television musical Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella hit ABC on November 2, it drew 60 million viewers and became the most‑watched TV musical of its era. The film’s home‑video release went on to become the highest‑selling made‑for‑television movie ever issued at the time.

The picture’s star‑studded cast was historic in its own right. Brandy became the first Black actress to play Cinderella, while Whitney Houston broke new ground as the first Black Fairy Godmother. Houston also served as an executive producer. The supporting ensemble featured Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber and Jason Alexander, adding depth to a story that still resonates.

Despite the broadcast’s success, the soundtrack has never been issued. In 2022, producers Neil Meron and Deborah Martin Chase announced plans to release one or two singles, but the Whitney Houston estate declined, citing a desire not to overlap the 2023 biopic Whitney: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

The original recordings were made for Capitol Records, yet the project was stalled by label politics. Houston was signed to Arista and Brandy to Atlantic at the time. According to Chase, Clive Davis of Arista eventually agreed to consider the album, but Atlantic refused to participate, and the release was halted before any planning could begin.

Hollywood Records, part of the Disney Music Group, has also been cited as a blocker. Meron claims the label “has been stopping it” and that it currently owns the Cinderella masters, giving it a strong incentive to delay the soundtrack. A source close to Disney said the company has never owned the rights or masters to the album, and that any release would require approval from Arista or Atlantic.

Concord, which acquired the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization in 2017, now holds the rights to the entire catalog. Imogen Lloyd Webber, Executive Vice President of Concord Theatrical, has publicly stated that Concord is ready to support a release in partnership with Hollywood Records and the Disney group. “We hear the Cinderella fans and know they’ve been clamoring for an album,” a Concord spokesperson said in a statement to Vanity Fair.

The film’s producers, the involved labels and the Whitney Houston estate remain determined to bring the soundtrack to market. Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister‑in‑law and executor of her estate, confirmed that the absence of the album was a source of heartbreak for Whitney and that its release would celebrate her voice and vision.

The 30th anniversary in 2027 could finally bring the long‑delayed soundtrack to audiences. Until then, the recordings remain in limbo, with no confirmed release date or distribution plan.

In short, the Cinderella soundtrack has been held back by a mix of label hesitancy, estate concerns and ownership disputes. Concord’s willingness to collaborate with Disney and Hollywood Records offers a potential path forward, but no concrete timeline has been announced.