Written by Dean Taylor | 15 February 2012
Posted in Features - News

Photography: Asterio Tecson

A truly mesmerising voice. That is the way in which Whitney Houston will be remembered.

Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, Whitney Houston was raised among some of the great names in the gospel, RnB and Soul tradition; her mother, the gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin Dionne Warwick, aunt Dee Dee Warwick and god-mother Aretha Franklin were all influential on the young Whitney Houston.

The early signs of her talent and tremendous voice were found and honed in the church – she was a singer trained in the gospel tradition and she often spoke of gospel being her favoured style to sing.

It was at the age of 11 when Houston began to take those tentative steps embarking on a career followed by those around her. Her talent was recognised from those moments and at the age of 15 she was already providing backing vocals for Chaka Khan on I’m Every Woman (which she would later cover herself). It didn’t stop there for the young Houston – she featured as a backup vocalist on albums for Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson.

Then came the big break. In 1983, at the age of 20, an A&R executive for Arista discovered Houston performing with her mother in a New York nightclub. It wasn’t long before Clive Davis (head of Arista) handed her a deal and from then international fame (and notoriety) beckoned.

It was this discovery that saw Houston arrive and indeed, she was lauded as an exciting prospect following the release of her eponymous debut album Whitney Houston. This was the album that planted Houston firmly in the psyche of the public. It peaked at number three in the Billboard 100 chart, with Saving All My Love For You becoming a bestseller, reaching number one in the US and UK charts. It also earned Houston her first Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

But it didn’t stop there for the young Houston. The album was a mainstay in the charts a year after its release, topping the Billboard 200 for 14 consecutive weeks – it went 13 times platinum at the end of 1986. This was a breakthrough.

Her next release Whitney featured the feel-good hit I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) which was a massive hit worldwide. Three other tracks from the album went top of the US Charts, but critics felt that the album didn’t build on and surpass the offerings from her debut release. The weight of expectation was starting to crystallise around Houston and the next few years saw the fans and critics that had excitedly latched on to her feeling disappointed by her offerings after the release of Whitney Houston.

That was soon to change following her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner during the Gulf War in 1991. Rolling Stones commented on the performance, “Her singing stirs such strong patriotism. Unforgettable.” Indeed, Houston was capable of haunting the listener with her voice – it will always be remembered in the way it resonates so strongly.

The next period of her career exemplified Houston’s multi-faceted ‘performer’ moniker as it saw her diversifying into film. With offers being made from Spike Lee, Quincy Jones and Robert De Niro, Houston crossed over into the world of cinema and starred in a number of films including The Bodyguard. She lent her signature vocal to the soundtrack’s lead single ‘I Will Always Love You’, which went four times platinum and was a success worldwide. The album itself for The Bodyguard went 17 times platinum in the US alone and with worldwide sales standing at 44 million

Waiting to Exhale was the next film demonstrating Houston’s acting capabilities and was a box office success. It wasn’t just her singing that reverberated with the listener but her acting. The film depicted women (particularly black women) struggling in relationships and contributed to its success: many women related to her character. The Preacher’s Wife closely followed Waiting to Exhale and the yet-to-be-released Sparkle is another sure to showcase Houston’s cinematographic exploits. She also put her vocals (a duet with Mariah Carey) to the lead single on the soundtrack for The Prince of Egypt – the single spawning an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Having dabbled in film, Houston made her come back to music in the late ‘90s with Your Love is My Love. The album gave an aural painting of Houston’s vocal and musical versatility featuring music not just in the R&B genre but aswell in reggae, hip-hop, urban dance. Featuring artists such as Wyclef Jean, Faith Evans, Kelly Price, the album saw Houston demonstrate a more edgy sound to her voice. The album was a prism through which one could see a raw emotion. It produced the anthemic hit It’s Not Right But It’s Ok, the eponymous title track, and Heartbreak Hotel.

Houston was handsomely rewarded during the course of her career, the awards justly reflecting the work of an artist who had stamped her imprint on the music world. She was awarded six Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards – indeed Houston was the female with the most nominations at the AMAs.

Yes, she had problems. Her marriage to Bobby Brown saw a darker cloud shadowing a promising life and career. Under the media spotlight for most of this relationship, there were allegations of abuse and Houston ran into many legal problems.

In the main, though, Houston will be looked back on as a truly amazing singer: the purity and warmth of her voice had the power to mesmerise and to inspire. Having been shaped by the greatness surrounding her during her formative years, in turn Houston was an influence to many distinguished singers performing to his day. Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and a plethora of female artists have cited Houston as an influential figure in their careers and it is this inspiration that people will celebrate. This is the legacy that Houston leaves behind.

It is yet another tragic loss for the world of music. By her legion of fans, Whitney Houston will be sorely missed.

Comments:

< Prev		Next >