Whitney Houston to return as hologram in 2016

More than three years after her death, Whitney Houston will again sing to millions of adoring fans – in digital form.

A hologram of the late pop singer will arrive next year, Hologram USA and Houston’s estate announced in a joint statement on Friday.

Controversial billionaire Alki David’s Hologram USA will work in partnership with Whitney’s estate to create the hologram.

Houston’s digital likeness will stream live on FilmOn.com and be syndicated to digital outlets, as well as satellite and cable. The live show will open at a major U.S. venue and tour the world.

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Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and president of her estate, said in a statement that the hologram is “a great opportunity for her fans to see a reinvention of one the most celebrated female artists in history and to continue a legacy of performances that will not be forgotten in years to come.”

Created by David’s FilmOn Studios, the show will include Whitney’s greatest hits and will be interactive, incorporating audiences and special guests.

Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly and Bing Crosby are among the deceased icons that Hologram USA and FilmOn are working on to create life-like HD hologram images.

The technology has also been used to beam Jimmy Kimmel into the Country Music Awards, Julian Assange into the U.S. and rapper Chief Keef into the Chicago area before the controversial performance was shut down.

Hologram USA also has a deal with the Apollo Theater in Harlem to make it the first U.S. venue with a long-term hologram stage, which will house performances from the historic venue’s past entertainers. Billie Holiday’s image is expected to be the first to debut on the stage later this year.

Whitney Houston died of a combination of heart trouble and cocaine ingestion the day before the 2012 Grammys and hours ahead of a scheduled appearance at mentor Clive Davis’ annual pre-awards gala.

The years since her passing have been marked by controversy and more tragedy.

Three months to the day after her death, Lifetime announced it had secured “The Houstons: On Our Own,” a reality show that showed her family attempt to work through their grief and pick up the pieces. The show was seen by some as an uncomfortable, intrusive watch that exploited the family’s turmoil.

Last year the same network premiered a strongly contested biopic that chronicled the singer’s highly publicized, tumultuous relationship with R&B singer Bobby Brown from the time they first met during the peak of their fame, to their courtship and through their troubled marriage.

But most devastating was the downward spiral of the singer’s only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died in July at the age of 22 after being found unconscious in the bathtub of her suburban Georgia town home a few weeks before the anniversary of her mother’s death.

“The opportunity to help share [Whitney’s] spectacular gifts with the world again is exactly what I hoped for when I built the hologram business,” David said in a statement. “We’ve got technology that’s causing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry, and a wonderful partnership with Pat Houston and the estate -- I’m confident we’ll create the ultimate celebration of Whitney’s amazing artistry.”

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