Exactly what went on in Whitney Houston's Beverly Hilton hotel room on Feb. 11, the day she died, may never be fully known. But at least one person who was present during those chaotic hours has begun to share her story. Tiffanie Dixon, Houston's longtime hair stylist, first spoke with TODAY's Tamron Hall for "Dateline," and then sat down live with TODAY's Ann Curry on Friday to share her recollections and memories of her employer, and friend.
"She was an amazing person," Dixon said, describing Houston as "America's princess." "Outside the music, she was fun-loving ... she loved people unconditionally."
Dixon had been hired in 2006 initially to work on Houston's daughter's hair. Bobbi Kristina had just had her hair done and it hadn't come out right, so Houston rang up Dixon -- a Hollywood hair stylist and image consultant whose clients include Brandy and Mary J. Blige. The results were so impressive that Dixon came on board as Houston's primary hair stylist. On the afternoon of the 11th, she was coming to do Houston's hair when the singer's body was discovered in the bathtub.
"At that moment, all I could think about was, 'Find someone to help,'" Dixon told Curry. "'Cause I didn't know what was going on exactly at all."
She added, "Everything just kind of happened so fast. I was due to report to work, and we were doing a party that evening, and I heard something as I was going in the direction where I needed to go, and I was instructed to call for help, and that's what I did."
She shot down the rumor that she had discovered Houston's body in the bathtub. Instead, Dixon recounted how she saw Houston's body "from afar" and ended up both comforting and being comforted by Bobbi Kristina in the hallway. "Absolutely, she did. She comforted me," said Dixon. "She didn't know what was going on."
It was a real shock, because as Dixon recalled, Houston "was happy that day we were going to go to the party. We talked about looks and what she was going to wear ... and what we would do with that evening. She seemed very happy that day."
For now, Dixon says she's most concerned about Bobbi Kristina. Back in 2006, Dixon was invited into the Houston home to help the young woman look her best -- and she clearly still has an investment in lending a hand in Bobbi Kristina's life, if that's what's needed.
"I'm sure that everything is going to be different," said Dixon of Bobbi Kristina's life. "She's still a baby, she's still a child and she's lost her mom. ... I can just really pray for her and hope she surrounds herself with positive people."
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