POP/ROCK - April 25, 1991

Belting Out the Hits: A Lexington, Ky., man says Whitney Houston’s latest hit landed on his face. Houston, 27, was charged with fourth-degree assault for allegedly punching Ransom Brotherton, 33, and threatening to kill him. The incident occurred Friday night at a hotel and Houston’s brother, Michael, 29, also was charged with assaulting another man, Kevin Owens, 24, of Austin, Tex., in the fray. Authorities said the fight started after some sort of argument and when it was over Brotherton needed 12 stitches over his left eye. In a release, publicist Sylvia Welner said that the singer and her brother were “victims of an unprovoked attack” that began after “Mr. Houston chose not to respond to several racial slurs directed at his sister.”