r/whitneyhouston

I was 35.

i think the correlation between whitney (and quite literally any artist with her level of fame and then demise) and the way people see her today is really complex and weird. people only view whitney in terms of who she was as “The Voice” and how perfect she was in that aspect, but they still struggle to grasp the fact, that like all of us, she was human and not just a talented singer but had and wanted a true life outside of that. she wanted a family and children, kind people around her, and most importantly, wanted people to know that she was a real person outside of her God-given gift. but people fail to see “her” and just critique her like crazy for mistakes that millions of people make. it’s so sad how the media and society make these people gods in their eyes, so that when you fall in the pit of human imperfection, you fall hard. it must be a lot of pressure, and nobody could be ready for that, much less her.

i am always so saddened by her story, and i wish people would stop idolizing humans like this beyond their incredible talents and gifts.

This song perfectly shows elements that Whitney took from those she was inspired by, such as Aretha Franklin and her cousin Dionne Warwick. Whitney is doing most of the things in this song that she learned from studying them. It also perfectly embodies the singing style of Cissy Houston, her mother who taught her how to sing. (I hear Cissy all over that song. >!However, I believe Cissy may have said that “How Will I Know” was one of her favorite Whitney songs, which is another song I can hear a lot of Cissy’s influence on Whitney in.!<)

Not only that; it’s also one of the main songs in Whitney’s early discography that show where some of the singers who came after her drew inspiration from. While I can’t really imagine anyone singing that song like Whitney, I can see from that song how singers like Monica and Deborah Cox were so motivated by her. With the right accommodations to their voices, I think they could pull it off and sound just as good as the version we have that fits Whitney’s voice the best. (Of course those are just examples.) This song probably can’t be applied to all of Whitney’s protégés, though; I can’t hear Brandy or Kelly Price singing this, but there are other early Whitney selections that would fit better.

Monica was actually discovered singing “Greatest Love of All” in a talent show, but in terms of which songs she could have been inspired by the most, I associate “You Give Good Love” with her more than that one to be honest. She actually sounds beautiful singing that song (there are clips on YouTube), but it’s one of the last songs I would tie to her if I weren’t familiar with her history.

“You Were Loved” and “You’ll Never Stand Alone” are two of the main songs I turn to when I need some lifting up. When I need the spiritual type, I turn to “I Look to You” and “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”, but that’s only when I’m really down.

Sometimes when I need some extra validation for myself, a confidence boost, or a reminder of my worth (we all need these things sometimes, so I’m not ashamed here), I’ll turn on “Try It On My Own”.

When I just need to soak up some positive vibes from an outside source, I’ll play The Preachers Wife soundtrack and take in some of the messages of those songs… especially “You Were Loved”, “Step by Step”, and “Hold On, Help Is On The Way”.

Legit been wondering about this. There’s been many great talents over the years who’ve turned to drugs for whatever reason. But none seem to get bashed anywhere near as Whitney. IDK, maybe it’s just me. But what do you guys think?

Factoring in range, tone, clarity, power, agility, dynamics, technical control, runs, live performances vs studio, etc.

I’m especially curious to hear from those of you who know a thing or two about vocal technique or have seen Whitney perform live, but all thoughts and opinions are welcome!

And for the ones who’ve seen her in person, how would you describe the experience?

That time Whitney wanted to riff a bit on "you gotta believe" and Mariah was having none of it.