In collaboration with PASSIONS, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in PASSIONS Volume 46 in 2012, we present this eulogy to Whitney Houston, whose impact on music will remain timeless for the next eternity to come.
Dedicated to Whitney Houston (9th August 1963 to 11th February 2012)
A singer with a voice and talent that can only be described as heaven-sent, Whitney Houston was undoubtably one of the greatest artistes of the modern era. During her all-too short a time in the public eye, she was named the Guinness World Record holder of the female musical artiste with the most awards ever – a whopping 415 in total, including 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, six Grammy Awards, and two Emmy Awards. An inspiration for many of the startlets who are wowing the music world of today, the multi-talented Houston also made a name for herself in the modelling and movie world. Music of course was her first love and it is to music that she gave much of herself. Thus PASSIONS joins the world in paying tribute to Whitney Elizabeth Houston – a songbird flown from this world too soon.
Hailed as the queen of pop in the period spanning the mid ‘80s to the late ‘90s, Houston spellbound audiences with her sheer charisma and inimitable vocal style. Her work has been described as a marriage of gospel, soul and the iconic head-bopping, foot-tapping, finger-snapping rhythms that were the signature of pop music. She has been credited for being courageous enough to break away from the gospel-dominated influences of her American-African upbringing, and choosing to break into a market that critics then deemed her foolish for attempting.
Houston’s career saw her singing at a very tender age in church and later performing backup vocals for music stars such as Jermaine Jackson and Chaka Khan. The daughter of gospel sensation Cissy Houston, goddaughter of soul queen Aretha Franklin and the cousin of much-celebrated 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick, it was hardly surprising that Houston herself chose to venture into music. Innate talent coupled with the courage to go the distance marked her as a star destined for brightness, whatever the odds.
Music mogul Clive Davis reminisces about the first time he saw a young Houston performing in her mother’s act at a club. “To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he admitted.
Passion, a soaring aural prowess and a voice that was both rich and sensual soon made America nation sit up and take notice. Houston’s debut album in 1985 carried a series of sensational hits, followed by greater successes and even more awards. As a musical legend, her name will forever live on as inspiration to countless young hopefuls seeking to emulate her musical greatness. Indeed, contemporary pop stars such as Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey have cited Houston as their muse, taking cue from her soaring vocal repertoire to inform their own.
An article by the New York Times is perhaps the most perfect summation of Houston’s impact – her indelible footprint – left on both the music scene and on the hearts of those who knew her through her songs: “(Houston) possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”
A musical maven and a woman who dared to defy the gospel roots of her African-American heritage to make a name for herself in the pop music scene, Whitney Houston is nothing short of a superstar. Her pioneering spirit, courage and persistence have imprinted her name on the hearts of thousands like her who dare to dream. Though gone from this world, her legacy will continue to live on in the minds and souls of millions – burning as hot and bright as her undying passion for music.
