Music was surrounded in my parents’ home during my upbringing. Many artists constantly stayed ringing in my eardrums. The most remembered were, Janet Jackson, Prince, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton and our beloved Whitney Houston.
As a little girl I would sit in front of our television and watch The Bodyguard thinking of how beautiful Whitney was in this movie and in general. Her songs, I would lip sync and pretend her voice was coming through my mouth. Mom always adored Whitney, I’ve heard many stories of how Ms. Houston’s songs helped my mother make it through a lot before I was ever thought of.
Through her growth as an actress, wife and mother, my heart always went out to her. I remembered the BET Awards when the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to her, American Idol, when a young lady belted her “I Have Nothing”, and so many other remnants of her music .
I would watch “Coming to America” and always think if Whitney watched this and laughed at Eddie Murphy’s rendition of “Greatest Love of All” as Sexual Chocolate …lol. Or if she wanted to curse out Adam Sandler like Damon Wayans did in “Bulletproof” as he butchered “I Will Always Love You” in the shower.
And every time I would hear one of my favorite songs, Bobby Browns “Tenderoni” I was always convicted he wrote that for Ms. Houston.
Though she was not in the musical spotlight in the latter of her career, her music provided and still does provide a timeless nostalgia and you never think of the negative attention you just picture her smile and curly hair and emotion she expressed in her music.
This is why her death, is saddening to me, because she was a part of my childhood. Though I was definitely too young for Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale and not mature enough to grasp the meaning of “Saving All my Love,” I shared a common thread with the rest of her fans, I loved her voice, her beautiful smile and her deserving fairy godmother role in Cinderella with Brandy.
Music is more than words, beats and melody. It’s a culture and community of its own where artists are the leaders. It penetrates from the stereos into our hearts and attaches to moments in our lives like a soundtrack. That’s why Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, Biggie, Tupac, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and a host of other artists who we lost…. troubles anyone who was a fan.
So in closing, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and kindreds of Whitney Houston. Though she’s no longer here, her music will always be imprinted within the human family.
