Whitney Houston

"The singer was discovered in her fourth-floor suite at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, where she had been staying with her inner circle and family."

"She had traveled to the hotel to attend a pre-Grammy party hosted by her longtime mentor and label head, Clive Davis."

- CNN

Her album was the very first thing I ever owned; I remember recording songs onto cassette tapes back when I was just a kid in fifth grade. I used to scribble the lyrics down on scraps of paper, struggling through my broken English just to memorize them. I’d sit there hitting the rewind and fast-forward buttons on my Walkman over and over again, desperate to mimic her voice. Naturally, I sounded absolutely pathetic, more like a screeching toddler than a singer. I spent my days jumping around on my bed and playing her tracks on a constant loop. I even dragged my best friend into the obsession, making sure she listened to Whitney too, and I couldn't stop talking about her to everyone at school. I even remember a classmate handing me a cutout from a magazine—it was a picture of Whitney Houston, though if you look closely, Jon Bon Jovi is pictured on the opposite side.
To me, she was always the undisputed queen of soul and powerhouse vocals; everyone else is just following in her wake. When Leona Lewis showed up and technically managed to nail one of those impossibly difficult pop anthems, I Will Always Love You, all I could think was that she wouldn't even come close to the greatness of Whitney Houston. Whitney wasn't just stunningly beautiful; she possessed a vocal power and a unique tone that was simply unmatched.
Rest in peace.

Betty Hayes10 said:So, what, we’re just supposed to pretend her death didn't happen because we weren't posting about her every single day before she passed? Are we really going to act like it doesn't matter now just because we weren't constant... ridiculous... 🤷

No way...

It really would have been nice if she’d had her own dedicated thread on this forum before she passed...

Rachel Young3 said:Not really.

But honestly, wouldn't it have been nice if she at least had her own thread on this forum before she passed away?

To be blunt, I have no clue what anyone would even bother writing in a thread like that. If you actually recognize her music, you just enjoy it privately; there’s no need to shove something down people's throats that they didn't discover on their own.
There isn't even a dedicated thread for Aretha Franklin, and they only opened one for Nina Simone right after she died.

Usually, threads only get started for bands that are out on tour or trying to break into the mainstream, and stuff like that.

It’s a shame her last album from 2009 went unnoticed, but let's be real—nobody here is praising her deep cuts; they just play her biggest hit, I Will Always Love You. It was actually the complete opposite with Toš Proeski, unfortunately. So many people only started revisiting his albums once he was gone. In the end, because of all those newfound fans and the media circus, people actually started making jokes about his death. It's just disgusting. ☕

I still get full-on goosebumps every single time I hear Run to You, and obviously, I Will Always Love You is right up there too...😍

This might be a bit off-topic, but I'm curious—does anyone actually know who sang the original version of
"I Will Always Love You"
?

Why does it even matter?

Do you really need to know who wrote the lyrics for "Me and Bobby McGee" to realize that Janis Joplin was a total genius?

Or do you have to know that Amy Winehouse's version of "Valerie" is just a cover?

Whitney Houston was an incredible singer—just pure talent and soul, nothing more, nothing less—she was a vocalist. Now, knowing who penned those songs she sang is super important, and major props to those songwriters, but that doesn't take away from her legacy as a performer at all🙂

* — sadly, she hasn't been around for a long time, and maybe that's why she ended up taking handfuls of Xanax... she probably knew deep down she couldn't step onto a Grammy stage anymore without people laughing at her...

Rachel Brooks63 said:Why does that even matter?

Do you really need to know who wrote the lyrics to "Me and Bobby McGee" to believe that Janis Joplin was a genius?

Or do you need to know that Amy Winehouse's version of "Valerie" is also a cover?

Whitney Houston was a top-tier vocalist—incredible range, incredible interpretation—nothing more, nothing less. She was a singer. Now, knowing who penned the songs she performed is extremely important, and hats off to those writers, but it doesn't diminish her value as a performer. 🙂

* — unfortunately, she hasn't been for quite some time, which is probably why she ended up taking handfuls of Xanax; she likely knew she couldn't step onto a Grammy stage anymore without people making fun of her, even at her worst...

Everything stands; I certainly didn't mean to imply that Whitney Houston wasn't a world-class singer.

I was just asking a question out of curiosity—though I'm sure very few people actually know.

Speaking of Me and Bobby McGee, it reminded me of Kris Kristofferson's debut album where that track first appeared. That album flew totally under the radar, even though it features several legendary songs that were later turned into hits by other artists.

Sorry for the slight tangent.

Rachel Brooks63 said:It’s been a long time since she was even in the game, so it makes sense why she would just take a handful of Xanax. She probably knew that even in her wildest state of mind, there wasn't a chance she'd ever step foot on a Grammy stage to sing again. I just hope people don't end up laughing at me later.

What exactly do you mean by that? Was her voice actually losing its edge, or are we just talking about something else entirely?

boldmarlin30 said:Maybe this is a bit off-topic, or maybe it isn't, but does anyone here actually know who sang the original?
Is there anyone actually out there who can listen to "I Will Always Love You" and not feel something?

I was just reading up on Whitney Houston and stumbled upon the fact that Dolly Parton actually recorded the original version. So, I went over to YouTube to give it a listen. Honestly? It doesn't even come close to how Whitney performs it.

Betty Hayes10 said:I just gave it a listen on YouTube, and honestly, it doesn't even come close to how Whitney does it. It’s not half as good.

I just listened to it too, and yeah, I’m with you—it didn't move me one bit. But when I put on a live recording of Whitney (especially I Will Always Love You), I actually get goosebumps.

boldmarlin30 said:I was just posing the question—purely out of curiosity, really—to see if anyone actually knew (though I suspect very few do).

My mother is a massive fan of country music, and alongside her collection of Kenny Rogers records and such, she’s always held Dolly Parton in high regard.

I suppose even those who weren't aware could have found out a few weeks ago by picking up a copy of Gloria, Story, or whatever it was 🤔, where they would have read that I Will Always Love You is her song.

The same logic applies to Tina Turner and the track The Best, which was originally recorded about a year or two earlier by Bonnie Tyler—something truly few people realize, and frankly, it's probably asking too much to expect most folks to know that. Then there's Carlos Santana (Black Magic Woman—originally by Fleetwood Mac), though none of that is particularly relevant right now.

Sometimes a cover version—especially if the arrangement hits just right and the interpretation is stellar (as in the case of Whitney)—can completely eclipse the original. This is especially true if the original wasn't a massive hit to begin with, or if it's primarily known within a specific niche or genre.
Perhaps we should move this discussion over to the Whitney thread 🤔 since we seem to be drifting away from this RIP tribute thread into topics that aren't really relevant here. 😛

Betty Hayes10 said:What do you mean by that? Was her voice just not the same anymore, or what?

Well, quite simply, her voice had changed. She had declined in almost every sense, and her vocals were no exception. By that, I mean her live performances—studio recordings are easy enough to touch up, and she always had time to get her vocals somewhat "into shape." Looking at her final recording (granted, that isn't exactly a perfect metric), her voice was, to put it mildly, in rough shape. I honestly can't imagine how a planned performance would have sounded; it's hard to see how she could have delivered one of those signature, over-the-top powerhouse performances.

Sophia Wells72 said:It’s pretty simple: her voice just wasn't what it used to be. She was spiraling in every sense of the word, and her vocals were no exception. I'm talking about those live performances, because studio tracks are easy enough to touch up—plus she actually had the time to get her vocals back in shape there. Looking at that last recording (I know it's hardly a perfect metric), her voice sounded, to put it mildly, like a wreck. I honestly have no idea what she had planned for her set. It's hard to imagine her pulling off anything truly over-the-top anymore.

You've got a point. I just watched two of her performances from last year, and her voice is definitely a shadow of its former self. 😢
A lot of people are quick to blame drugs and booze, but is that really fair? Even Mariah Carey's voice has weakened, and she's only 42. At the end of the day, it isn't just about substance abuse; it's also about getting older.

Sure, things change as the years go by, but I still think she’s well within those prime years where she can deliver an absolutely killer performance behind the mic.
It’s probably just a perfect storm of everything hitting at once for her. 🤷

Sophia Wells72 said:The same logic applies to Tina Turner and The Best—which was actually originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler a year or two prior. Most people don't realize that, and honestly, you can't really expect them to know. It's the same deal with Carlos Santana (Black Magic Woman — which belongs to Fleetwood Mac), but that’s beside the point right now.

.

I remember when Mariah Carey sang "Without You"—for me, that song immediately triggers the Harry Nilsson version (which was a massive hit, by the way). One girl I was with actually asked, "Wait, is this some new Mariah Carey cover?" I just told her that Mariah probably wasn't even out of diapers when Nilsson released his version. She didn't have an answer for that—though, technically, even Nilsson wasn't the original; that one belongs to Badfinger.
In that instance, it was purely a lack of musical depth; music didn't just start existing alongside MTV and music videos.

P.S. Trust me, any true fan of Santana knows that Black Magic Woman is a Fleetwood Mac track—and I mean the old-school Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green.

Alright, if anyone’s interested, here’s the breakdown:

Back in 1973 - Dolly Parton wrote and recorded I Will Always Love You.

Then in 1975 - Linda Ronstadt covered the track on her album Prisoner in Disguise.

By 1982 - Dolly Parton rerecorded this for the movie Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Fast forward to 1992, and Whitney Houston recorded the song for The Bodyguard soundtrack—her big film debut.

Interestingly, Whitney Houston’s version actually feels closer to the Linda Ronstadt vibe than the original Dolly Parton version—though, fun fact, Dolly originally penned the whole thing after her split from Porter Wagoner.

When it comes to my absolute favorites, I have to go with Whitney Houston and the track star Allyson Felix!

November 10th marks the release of the "Whitney Houston Live: her greatest hits" album and DVD—her producer Clive Davis just announced it.

Have Nothing (Official Video) is such an absolute 🙏 classic 🙏—I mean, seriously, 🙂

Now she’s back in the hospital, according to the news reports.

Ashley Mitchell55 said:have Nothing ( official video) is such an absolute classic, 🙏 🙏 🙂

It's definitely her 👍 favorite