Moment of Truth World Tour


The Moment of Truth World Tour was the second world concert tour by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, which supported her hit album Whitney. The tour spanned fifteen months between July 1987 and November 1988, comprising 160 shows across four continents and 20 countries.
Pollstar Magazine's reported that it was the seventh-highest grossing tour in 1987, and the highest grossing tour by a female artist that year. The North American leg tour alone grossed over $20.1 million.
The name of the tour, Moment of Truth, was a track that was to be on the Whitney album and subsequently left off and was replaced with "You're Still My Man". The song "Moment of Truth" was featured on the B-side to the US 7-inch single for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". It was also released on the CD single for "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)".

Overview

Following the release of Whitney, Houston began promoting the album with a world tour. The tour began on July 4 in Tampa, Florida, where she played to over 70,000 people. Houston performed a total of 89 dates during the 1987 North American leg of the tour, returning to Florida, where that leg ended at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on December 8. Most of the North American shows followed the same pattern as her last tour with slight differences and an increasing number of songs, incorporating album tracks such as "Just the Lonely Talking Again", "Love Is a Contact Sport" and her Grammy-nominated rendition of "For the Love of You" along with the two then-current hit singles "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Didn't We Almost Have It All".
In Europe, Houston visited 14 countries and the microstate of Monaco, playing to over half a million fans. The European leg started in April 1988 with four dates at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands. During the shows in Rotterdam, Houston received a call from her mentor Clive Davis, informing her of having set the all-time chart record of seven consecutive number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 after her single "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" topped the chart. During the European and subsequent legs of the tour, "For the Love of You" and "Just the Lonely Talking Again" were replaced by "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" along with two covers of Aretha Franklin songs.
During May 1988, Houston played nine consecutive nights at Wembley Arena in London, then a historic record for a female performer at the arena, surpassing Tina Turner's seven-date residence during her Break Every Rule World Tour. On June 11, Houston cancelled an Italian concert date after agreeing to fly back to London to pay tribute to a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela in support of the anti-apartheid movement at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute benefit concert. Houston performed a set at Wembley Stadium, playing to over 72,000 fans during the event. Following this, Houston resumed her tour in Italy. Following the end of the European leg of the tour, Houston returned to the United States to perform a benefit concert for the United Negro College Fund on August 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which was then followed by an Arista Records party in Houston's honor for setting her consecutive number ones chart record. It was Houston's only North American date during 1988 after playing 89 dates the previous year. The concert raised over $300,000 for the UNCF.
The tour was one of the top ten highest-grossing tours of 1987. The North American leg of the tour alone grossed over $24 million, helping make Houston the second highest-earning female entertainer of the year, according to Forbes. Every date of the European leg of the tour was sold out. In 2025, the magazine Consequence ranked the tour the 46th best tour of all time.

The show

Like her previous tour, Houston again performed on a round stage in the center of the arena or auditorium so that everyone could see her. The seven-piece band was situated below her. There were two outfit changes; no stage props. However, unlike her previous tour, Houston called upon three backup dancers during the uptempo songs. The dance routines were choreographed by Damita Jo Freeman and Khandi Alexander. Jonathan Butler opened for select dates, and Kenny G was featured as the main opening act for the North American leg.
With two albums under her belt, the singer had more material to choose from. She included most of the songs from Whitney, the biggest hits from her debut, as well as the gospel song "He/I Believe". Houston also performed songs from her peers during various concerts, interpreting Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, and Janet Jackson. Like her debut tour, Houston proved herself to be a creative musician. She rearranged most of the songs into soulful jazzy numbers and did a lot of improvisation. The Montreal Gazette said, "Whatever faults the 24-year-old singer has, she is first and foremost a creative musician." The pop hit "How Will I Know" was given a jazzy beginning and gospel-like ending. "You Give Good Love" was slowed down into a steamy and sensual slow jam. Houston often scatted with sax player Jay Davidson on "Just the Lonely Talking Again". Most critics noted "He/I Believe" and "Greatest Love of All" as being the show's highlights.
Despite the praise for her voice and arrangements, many critics noted her lack of dancing and movements. The Richmond Times said "she is about as stiff as a cardboard box." Some noted that she lacked a true personality. Others complained that despite the name of the tour, she followed the same formula as her previous tour. Jon Pareles of the New York Times reviewed her Madison Square Garden concert and said, "Ms. Houston may be a new kind of pop singer for the video era: an encyclopedic, restless virtuoso. She has absorbed the soul and pop styles of everyone from Aretha Franklin to Barbra Streisand to Diana Ross to Al Green; she can deliver a gospel rasp, a velvety coo, a floating soprano and a cheerleader's whoop."

Opening acts

Set list

Notes

Personnel

Band
  • Musical director / piano – John Simmons
  • Bass guitar / bass synthesizer – Rickey Minor
  • Keyboards – Willard Meeks
  • Saxophone – Jay Davidson
  • Guitar – Steve Kelly
  • Drums – Gregory Grainger
  • Percussion – Kevin Jones
  • Background vocalists – Gary Houston, Felicia Moss, Voneva Simms, Billy Baker
Choreography
Dancers
  • Frantz Hall, Leesa Humphrey, Raymond Delbarrio
Tour management
  • Manager – Tony Bulluck

Broadcast and recordings

  • One of the Wembley Arena shows in London was recorded for a Whitney Houston 1988 Europe tour special and broadcast on Rai Uno TV in Italy. Performances from this show—"Love Will Save the Day", "Greatest Love of All", "He, I Believe" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" were featured in the tour special. There were no official recordings released to the public.
  • The show at Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Australia on January 7th, 1988 was filmed. No official recordings have been released to the public.