A Letter For Whitney Houston
The Queen Bee Vocalist
Whitney Houston is the single greatest female vocalist ever. She’s at the very top of the pyramid.
It’s her combination of pure vocal power, immaculate control, and finesse that does it for me. Her overall hit list of songs isn’t as prolific as some others, but her voice and talent are unmatched.
I was reminded of this last night at our holiday party when my neighbor pointed out her debut album that sits in first position of our record collection.
Then I switched up the Christmas music for Whitney and played a few of my favorites. First on the docket is always “Savings All My Love for You” of that first album (released in 1985).
Here is the live performance from her first appearance on The David Letterman Show where she sings this song:
At 46 seconds in when she rolls into that first:
“But no other maaaaaaannnnn’s gonna doooooooooohhhooooo, so I’m saving all my love for you!”
Unbelievable. Gives me chills to this day.
Then at 2:44 when she’s belting her “saving all my loves” and powers into that high “yooouuuuuuuuuoooooooooooo” at 2:55.
Just the best.
When the Body Guard album came out I remember my mom buying it and playing it a lot in our living room. We had this awesome 5-disc cd changer hooked up to some decent speakers and my mom would jam on it pretty regularly (A lot of Allison Krauss and James Taylor).
Honestly, this song alone cements her in the all-time pantheon of singers. If she never sang another sone other than “I Will Always Love You” it wouldn’t even matter.
Whitney we miss you and love you. You had a gift that no one could touch, the most beautiful voice on the planet. We all wish you were still with us and sharing that voice.
It reminds me of a few things that are so important in life:
If you have a gift (you do, we all do) share it. If you don’t share it, we all miss out on it. Do your thing. Get it out there. Share it. Let the world and the rest of humanity experience it.
You never know when you won’t be able to share you gift anymore. There is urgency in that statement. The future is uncertain and life is impermanent and temporary.
There is nothing really more important.
Thanks for your gift to the world Whitney, I’m glad I still get to experience it and it brings me joy.
With deep love and appreciation,
-Andrew
MAJOR "W".