The news of Whitney Houston's (non?) shocking death last night however shook me to the core for reasons explainable and unexplainable. Anyone who knows me, knows that pop music is practically my reason for living and breathing. Ever since I bought my first record at the age of 12, I've had a relationship with music unlike any other relationship I've ever had in my life. Family, friends, and "love" interests have come and gone, but music has always been the one constant in my life.
Growing up gay in the '80s there were four pop stars that to this day have defined and made me who I am today. Cyndi Lauper, who showed me it's okay to be "unusual" with her candy colored outfits, sense of humor, and quirkiness; Madonna who beckoned me to "express myself" with her brash, brazen larger than life persona; Janet Jackson who taught me it was all about "control" both on and off of the dance floor; and Whitney Houston who had the "greatest" gift "of all", that VOICE.
When Whitney opened her mouth and sang, it was otherworldly. She was the first singer for my generation that had the talent and power to move people by simply standing there and singing. She wasn't a dancer by any means, but by god that VOICE was unlike anything I had ever heard in my young life. Whitney is the gold standard by which all other pop star's voices are measured. Turn on any season of "American Idol" and I guarantee you that there is a (most likely subpar) auditionee belting out "I Have Nothing", "I Will Always Love You" or "I'm Every Woman". The last two tracks weren't even Whitney originals, but she has become so associated with them, that I don't think even Dolly Parton or Chaka Khan even remember that they recorded them first, decades earlier.
Whitney was a record and trend setter, on both MTV and the Billboard charts. She (along with Michael and Janet Jackson) became the one of the first black artists whose videos were regularly played in rotation on MTV (back when the "M" stood for music). Her second album "Whitney" became the first album by a female artist to debut at #1. She is the only woman to have tallied reigns of more than 10 weeks at #1 with multiple albums. While no other woman has more than one such set, Houston has three: "The Bodyguard" (20 weeks), "Whitney Houston"(14) and "Whitney" (11). She strung together 7 consecutive #1 singles from 1985 -1988, a feat that still remains unmatched. When "I Will Always Love You" wrapped its 14-week run atop the Hot 100 in 1993, the song stood as the longest-leading title since the chart's inception in 1958. To-date, only Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" (16 weeks, 1995-96) has surpassed the reign (also matched by five other songs). Her success in music as well as movies ("The Bodyguard", "Waiting To Exhale" and "The Preacher's WIfe") proved she was a force in both areas, something that eluded both Cyndi Lauper and Madonna (to varying degree). Her subsequent music releases were met with critical and commercial success and she rode high on the charts until the 2000s.
We all know the rest of the story; tabloid headlines reporting of suspected drug usage ("Houston, She Has A Problem" and "Crack is Whack"), a volatile marriage and divorce to Bobby Brown, shocking appearances where her weight loss was obvious signs of substance abuse. She tried to relaunch her musical career, but it seemed to be too late. Her last studio albums, 2002's "Just Whitney" and 2009's "I Look To You" were practically ignored and after a few headline making appearances to promote them, Whitney faded back into obscurity.
I've always held out hope that she would return to reclaim her glory, but now she's gone. Whether it was substance abuse problems or natural causes that she succumbed to, the world has lost a legend, one of whose impact on music has been monumental. Whitney in her prime was classy, remarkable, and stunningly gorgeous. To see all that ravaged by drug/alcohol abuse is a nothing but a depressing cautionary tale. It's sad seeing your childhood icons fall and leave the world a such a young age. I always imagined that celebrities like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston would just grow old and frail then die. The world would acknowledge them in a brief bow of the head and moment of silence (similar to Etta James' passing earlier this year). To see two of the biggest, most talented influences in music die before they had a chance to reform their public images is heartbreaking.
Whitney was the Queen of the Night with the VOICE of an angel. May she find the comfort and happiness she was apparently missing here on earth.
"...I thought that was enough for me. I had the money. I had the cars. I had the house. Had the husband. Had the kid. And none of it was really that fulfilling. For a time, I was happy. I was happy, but I needed that joy. I needed my joy back. I needed that peace that passes all understanding." Whitney Houston to Oprah Winfrey in 2009.
