WHITNEY – ‘WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU’
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine Nolan‘We Will Always Love You’ reverberates in our heads. It is almost one year later and the memory of Whitney Houston is still strong in our hearts.
On Friday evening, November 16, 2012 at 10:00 p.m. EST, a tribute to the celebration of Whitney’s life was televised from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on CBS. The event itself took place on October 11, 2012. It had to be emotional for her family and friends as the camera periodically panned in on Bobbi Kristina, a small teardrop in her eye but a warm and proud smile on her face as she was sitting next to her fiance’, Nick Gordon. Pat Houston was also present to remember and reminisce about her sister-in-law.
This special evening would not have been fully possible if not for the efforts of The Recording Academy. Many of Whitney’s greatest GRAMMY moments flashed across the big screen in the center of the stage. Whitney Houston was a six-time GRAMMY winner.
We saw a young and vibrant Whitney on screen, we watched a candid interview she had given a few years prior to her death and for a moment, it almost felt as if we were right there in the room with her. We witnessed once again the classic performance she gave while singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 and her very first appearance on “The Merv Griffin Show” back in the 80’s.
So many of her talented friends came out to keep the spark ignited for a while longer. The show opened as Halle Berry walked onstage to remember her very good friend and mentor, a woman she admired for her music and her personality. Glancing into Halle’s eyes, you could feel the pain of her loss and realize this was a very difficult moment for her.
The theatre came fervently alive as GRAMMY and Academy Award winner, Jennifer Hudson, rocked the house and gave one of the most powerful performances of her life. She had looked up to Whitney Houston and it was easy to see the influence in Jennifer’s artistic style.
Paying homage to one of the most accomplished artists was GRAMMY winner Britney Spears, actress Taraji P. Henson and two-time GRAMMY winner , L.L. Cool J.
Clive Davis, the man that shaped Whitney’s career and the man who loved her deeply looked back on the life of one the best singers of all time. In just a few minutes, he seemed to say it all so wonderfully. She was a treasured part of his life and there is definitely a void in the entertainment world without her. How unfortunate that Whitney’s world seemed to crumble with so much going for her. Fame and fortune can sometimes become a curse.
Other performers who made it an unforgettable evening with emotional performances were seven-time GRAMMY winner, Usher (I Believe You and Me), five-time GRAMMY winner, Celine Dion (The Greatest Love of All) and ten-time GRAMMY winner, CeCe Winans and four-time GRAMMY winner Yolando Adams giving their rendition of ‘Count on Me’ in a sweet and harmonious way.
The lights faded to the big screen where Whitney Houston appeared singing her award-winning hit “I Will Always Love You” in a beautiful big as life presentation giving the audience goosebumps, I am sure.
This GRAMMY presented evening comes on the heels of the release of the first-ever definitive single disc collection of Houston’s greatest hits, “I Will Always Love You – The Best of Whitney Houston” featuring 18 tracks, including two never-before released songs. This became available on November 13, 2012. Arriving in time for the holidays will be an official Houston Photo Tribute Book called ‘Whitney: Tribute To An Icon’ available on November 27, 2012.
“Whitney! Celebrating The Musical Legacy Of Whitney Houston” is a current GRAMMY Museum® exhibit that explores the extraordinary life and career of the six-time GRAMMY winner and provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Houston’s creative life. Presented in conjunction with the Houston family, the collection features diverse artifacts as well as rare photographs and footage, and includes dozens of items from the private collection of the Houston family. “Whitney!” will be on display in the GRAMMY Museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery through February 2013.
As the show ended on Friday night, November 16, 2012, it had you wishing for more but certainly appreciating all the angelic talent of Whitney Houston that we have been blessed with.
PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images and www.zimbio.com
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