Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012), was definitely my childhood vocal idol and easily the prettiest singer I grew up watching...I mean she just had the perfect face/eyes/nose/mouth/teeth for those video closeups and forever-long held notes. I LOVED her in the late 80s when she had that poofy, more natural hair, but even when she toned down the spunk, she was still so so beautiful. I will always remember how badly I wanted to sing "The Greatest Love of All" during an assembly at Lupelele Elementary in Samoa, when I was in 3rd grade. I would practice the song at home, but never tried out for it because I was so shy. Til this day I regret not doing it (esp because the girl who actually sang it SUCKED). In 4th grade, while on the Laie School Big Island field trip, one of the chaperon Moms put in a cassette tape of her Whitney album and I could remember the whole bus singing to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." And who could forget the memorable Olympic tribute during the 1988 Seoul, Korea games, "One Moment in Time" ? Remember FLO JO? She made me wish I was black and could run like the wind. That year she took 4 gold medals, and her sister in law Jackie Joyner-Kersee took two. I didn't really care for her I'm Your Baby Tonight album, except for the title song, so it was a good thing The Bodyguard helped to bring Whitney back to the forefront. Pregnant and glowing in that music video, her I Will Always Love You reminds me of that akward time in my life, transitioning from childhood into early teens. I didn't know a damn thing about love then, but I sure knew how to sing about it thanks to Whitney. However, by the time Waiting To Exhale debuted, I did know a little somethin-somethin', so Exhale (Shoop) takes me back to the nights Marie and I would be in my room, letting slow jams soothe our souls. LOL. The Waiting to Exhale album is still my favorite movie soundtrack of all time!!! Whitney put out a few more hits, like "I Belive In You And Me", "When You Believe", "My Love is Your Love", and my favorite gospel song of hers, "Who Would Imagine A King", but by the time I graduated high school, Mariah Carey was the new Whitney. (We actually sang "Count On Me" at my high school graduation too.) The rest, sadly is history because I couldn't bring myself to listen to anything she made after 2000. I prefer to remember Whitney the way she was in the 80s when she was still bright-eyed and bushy-haired; still..."Bobby-free". Her amazing career speaks for itself though, and the world can not deny her effortless talent, and the many soulful ballads that filled our homes over the years. So fitting that she really is "free" now, like she sings in this video. Rest in peace, Whitney Houston! May your angelic voice fill the heavens as it did on earth.
Sunday, February 12
Whitney Houston, dies at 48
Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012), was definitely my childhood vocal idol and easily the prettiest singer I grew up watching...I mean she just had the perfect face/eyes/nose/mouth/teeth for those video closeups and forever-long held notes. I LOVED her in the late 80s when she had that poofy, more natural hair, but even when she toned down the spunk, she was still so so beautiful. I will always remember how badly I wanted to sing "The Greatest Love of All" during an assembly at Lupelele Elementary in Samoa, when I was in 3rd grade. I would practice the song at home, but never tried out for it because I was so shy. Til this day I regret not doing it (esp because the girl who actually sang it SUCKED). In 4th grade, while on the Laie School Big Island field trip, one of the chaperon Moms put in a cassette tape of her Whitney album and I could remember the whole bus singing to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." And who could forget the memorable Olympic tribute during the 1988 Seoul, Korea games, "One Moment in Time" ? Remember FLO JO? She made me wish I was black and could run like the wind. That year she took 4 gold medals, and her sister in law Jackie Joyner-Kersee took two. I didn't really care for her I'm Your Baby Tonight album, except for the title song, so it was a good thing The Bodyguard helped to bring Whitney back to the forefront. Pregnant and glowing in that music video, her I Will Always Love You reminds me of that akward time in my life, transitioning from childhood into early teens. I didn't know a damn thing about love then, but I sure knew how to sing about it thanks to Whitney. However, by the time Waiting To Exhale debuted, I did know a little somethin-somethin', so Exhale (Shoop) takes me back to the nights Marie and I would be in my room, letting slow jams soothe our souls. LOL. The Waiting to Exhale album is still my favorite movie soundtrack of all time!!! Whitney put out a few more hits, like "I Belive In You And Me", "When You Believe", "My Love is Your Love", and my favorite gospel song of hers, "Who Would Imagine A King", but by the time I graduated high school, Mariah Carey was the new Whitney. (We actually sang "Count On Me" at my high school graduation too.) The rest, sadly is history because I couldn't bring myself to listen to anything she made after 2000. I prefer to remember Whitney the way she was in the 80s when she was still bright-eyed and bushy-haired; still..."Bobby-free". Her amazing career speaks for itself though, and the world can not deny her effortless talent, and the many soulful ballads that filled our homes over the years. So fitting that she really is "free" now, like she sings in this video. Rest in peace, Whitney Houston! May your angelic voice fill the heavens as it did on earth.
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RIP Whitney....I loved her in the 80s :)
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