Charlie Steiner's M-AD Whitney Houston Primer
Preface: Just about everything I will write about 'The Voice' in this thread is new to me and as such, I welcome anyone else's knowledge and memories not only about Whitney but about the songs as well. I hold all information with an open hand.
I find it impossible to begin talking about Whitney Houston without mentioning her mother first. Cissy Houston has had a remarkable singing career in her own right; as a backing/studio vocalist, she worked with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Lou Rawls, The Drifters, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison (Brown Eyed Girl, specifically), Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix (specifically the song Burning of the Midnight Lamp), and was part of Elvis Presley's accompaniment when he performed live in Las Vegas from July-August 1969, at which time she switched to a career recording instead of touring in order to raise her young family. As a studio artist, she won two Grammys in the Traditional Soul Gospel category. Additionally, she is related to Dionne Warwick and Leontyne Price. With such a wealth of talent running through her veins, I would say that her progeny's accomplished career was inevitable.
Like so many people blessed with singing talent, Whitney began singing as a child in her church and then into high school, though her first brush with fame was as a teen model. It didn't take long for her voice to draw more attention than her face, and she began her music career with her first album in 1985. Though it took almost a year of climbing the charts, it reached #1 and stayed at the top for 14 weeks. More top-selling albums, Grammys and gold records would follow as she not only crossed over from R&B to pop music, she also found mainstream pop culture success on film, starring in multiple successful movies: The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher's Wife and Cinderella. She continued recording and releasing successful albums all the way until the end of her too-short life, of which I have no further comment at this time. Despite the relatively small catalog of music she left behind, it is my humble opinion that she took with her a voice that will never be replaced or equaled in power, purity of tone and ability to make our hearts melt with such ease.
The 31 songs of this countdown will appear chronologically, starting with her very first appearance on vinyl. The picks are mostly chalk, though I believe I have added a couple of lesser known songs as well. I will provide mostly liner notes-type of information, which I've so far found to be an eye-opening glimpse into the making of a pop music sensation. I will use discretion when it comes to the less fortunate moments of her personal life and mention them mainly for context only, because I get so emotional about what happened to her that I would otherwise derail myself with angry ranting.
last night. His set was nearly 2-1/2 hours, and vocal was outstanding. Super-engaged with the crowd as well. Can't recommend highly enough to see him. Well, if you're a libertarian, the show might not be for you.
