|
 |
WHITNEY HOUSTON BIOGRAPHY |
|
|
| |
Since 1985 Whitney Houston has been the female singer that has
set the criteria by which we judge contemporary pop/R&B. Much
like Aretha was in the '60s and '70s, Whitney is a template, a
touchstone. If you grew up in the '80s, you grew up surrounded
by the mystique and the star power of Whitney. The young
recording star Mya was about five years old when Whitney's
eponymous debut album became the first of a string of Number One
albums, and, lika many, Mya realized her dream in part because
she had an example in Whitney Houston. Offers Mya, "Whitney
Houston is one of the few female entertainers today that
inspires me, because she has such a beautiful gift-her voice-and
has used it to touch people all over [the world]."
Being able to touch people is what making music is all about.
It's the ultimate goal. Whitney touched so many people, became
every woman to so many people, because in her there was
something so identifiable. Something so real, even though the
particulars of her life (famous mother, a face lovely enough to
earn her a modeling contract, family friends that included
Aretha Franklin) weren't exactly your typical girl-next-door
scenario. It didn't matter to the public, though, that for
Whitney stardom always seemed a foregone conclusion, or that her
creamy, agile voice just appeared to pour out of her
effortlessly. Whitney was an idol. Her grace, cool beauty and
unquestionable skills motivated legions of little black and
brown (and, yes, white) girls to pose in front of full-length
mirrors, clutch hair brushes and move their lips along to the
grand and triumphant smash "Saving All My Love For You." Note to
future sociologists and cultural anthropologists: find out just
how many local junior high school talent shows and church
socials featured young women, hair just perfect, with their
Sunday-best frock on, gamely belting out Whitney's penultimate
'80s anthem "Greatest Love Of All." Notes Wyclef Jean, writer/producer
of Whitney's 1999 hit "My love Is Your Love," "Every girl wanted
to sound like Whitney, look like Whitney, dress like Whitney."
Indeed, one could safely say that the careers of many female
pop/R&B singers have occurred both as a reaction to, or as a
result of, Whitney's out-of-the-box, across-the- boards triumph.
It's a credit to Whitney's chops that those who came after her (and,
as in the case of Kelly Price and Faith Evans, have worked with
her) are quick to acknowledge the scope of her talent. "There's
only one Whitney Houston," offers Missy Elliott. "There's
something about her voice that does something to me."
Listening to her voice, especially in the context of summing up
her career thus far, you can hear the growth, both as a singer
and as a woman. Whitney was just twenty when she released her
debut album, and since then we have watched and heard her as
she's matured from a coltish, fresh-faced ingenue to a self-assured,
sexy and experienced mother, wife and superstar. Notes Clive
Davis, "She was certainly stunning [vocally] when I signed her.
To the extent that her first two albums still hold the all-time
record for the best-selling first two albums worldwide, clearly
she astounded the entire musical world and the public. What
happens after that is that you want to explore the soul, depth
and range of an artist, so that over the years, there's no
question that she has shown the enormity of her range, depth,
soul and power."
That range, and the move into more complex material, are most
obvious post the groundbreaking Bodyguard soundtrack. The film,
which was Whitney's first major movie role, became a worldwide
phenomenon, as did, of course, the soundtrack. As Clive explains
it, "We had to find songs that fit the movie roles that Whitney
was playing," in essence allowing Whitney to explore a new, more
dramatic aspect of a vocal persona. Songs like "Exhale (Shoop
Shoop)" and "I Believe In You And He," with their lived-in- but-never-worn-down
wisdom, gave even more glimpses into Whitney's persona.
The growth continued, and the intensity went up a notch or two
as Whitney made forays into the jittery push and pull of hip hop
rhythms; remember, this church girl also grew up in the hip hop
generation. Those moves toward material that was a bit more raw
and a bit more edgy (elements that were frankly absent from some
of her earlier hits) helped to burnish Whitney's once shiny
surface. The progression to songs that allowed Whitney to be
both sophisticated and "street," along with a reputation as a
seriously solid live act, helped mute critics who sometimes
dismissed her as a gifted vocalist but one who needed more depth.
The criticism, it should be noted, often came from those who
held Whitney to some sort of "realness" litmus test. It wasn't
cool back in the early '90s to champion the elegance of a
Babyface track, or to accept the notion that an R&B singer
didn't have to stomp and sweat. Yet while naysayers continued to
question her legitimacy (something the public never had qualms
with), Whitney kept on. Covering Chaka Khan. Covering Annie
Lennox. Covering Dolly Parton. Working with Diane Warren and
Wyclef Jean. Recording a gospel/pop album that took her back to
her roots. Executive producing and starring in a network
production of Cinderella. Stealing the show at the 1999 VH1
Divas Live concert. Solidifying her power by co-executive
producing all of her albums following 1990's I'm Your Baby
Tonight. Growing and fortifying herself as an artist, actress,
executive, mother, philanthropist, live performer, woman. In
control. No doubt. |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
