Twitter Celebrates Whitney Houston's Birthday

Twitter is remembering the great Whitney Houston today on what would have been her 56th birthday.

The Voice. Not 'a great voice.' THE Voice. Gone too soon.

Instead of her music videos, I love that folks are posting clips from her live performances.

"Find your strength in love." Celebrating and remembering #WhitneyHouston on her birthday. #foreverwhitney pic.twitter.com/fA0dycSUV1

— Dustin Fitzharris (@dfitz80) August 9, 2019

Today we remember the most iconic voice of modern times. She would have been 56 today. Happy birthday to the incomparable #WhitneyHouston.
🎂🎤👩🏿✨💜
This is my favorite live performance of her - the look of genuine delight & amazement on EVERYONE'S faces says it all: pic.twitter.com/e8zylbBeck

— Vince Vicari ✨🌐🎤🕺 (@vincevicari) August 9, 2019

Remembering “The Voice” Whitney Houston August 9, 1963-2012🎤🎼🎬🎭 🎈🎂#whitneyhouston 💞 pic.twitter.com/D7BRjlq7gU

— 🧚🏻‍♀️Annette🧚🏻‍♀️ (@NetterM8) August 9, 2019

Today we celebrate the late great #WhitneyHouston. Help us celebrate her birthday by telling us your favorite Whitney hit! 💖💖 pic.twitter.com/gOUem1i3YF

— BET (@BET) August 9, 2019

Whitney Houston Returns To Billboard Charts With 'Higher Love'

Whitney Houston and DJ Kygo land on the Billboard Hot 100

Pop icon Whitney Houston, who passed away in 2012, lands on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart this week with the newly-remixed version of “Higher Love” by Norwegian producer/DJ Kygo.

“Higher Love” is Houston’s first appearance on the chart since her 2009 single, “Million Dollar Bill,” from her final album, I Look to You.

The track was previously only available as a bonus cut on the Japan release of Houston's 1990 album, I'm Your Baby Tonight.

I wrote about the track when it dropped recently, and it's been on my playlist ever since.

I think it's a spectacular collaboration bringing one of the greatest voices pop music has ever known back to still-adoring fans.

Here's Houston singing "Higher Love" during her Feels So Right tour in Japan 1990.

DJ Kygo Delivers New Whitney Houston "Higher Love" From Rare 1990 Recording

DJ/producer Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (aka Kygo) releases the new single “Higher Love” with the legendary Whitney Houston.

"Higher Love" is the first new Whitney Houston music released in a decade, since 2009’s “I Look To You.”

Previously, Houston's take on the 1986 Steve Winwood hit was available as a 'Japan-only' bonus track on her 1990 album, I'm Your Baby Tonight.

Music industry legend Clive Davis told Rolling Stone the decision to omit the track on the U.S. release was an effort in avoiding her being viewed as a cover artist at that time.

And so, the track has been a prized rarity among hardcore Houston fans over the years.

The Whitney Houston estate presented Kygo with the archival recording of Whitney’s version, and Kygo raced into the studio, thrilled for the opportunity to make music with one of the greatest female vocalists of all time.

“I was honored when the Whitney Houston estate reached out and presented me with the opportunity to work with one of the greatest female vocalists of all time," said Kygo in a statement. "I reworked the song from scratch and am really happy with how it turned out!”

Recorded when Houston was in peak vocal form, the first notes from the diva feel like an old friend walking in the room. That voice - rich, robust, with just the perfect edge - is full of unbridled joy.

The production - thoroughly modern with threads of gospel choir woven in with undeniable deep beats - is fresh and exhilarating. Instead of merely remastering the track, Kygo stripped away the previous production and started from scratch to create a new track around the gorgeous Houston vocals.

“I was trying to make it sound like something that she would’ve done, but also something that’s my style,” he told Rolling Stone.

Kygo will perform the song this Sunday, June 30th, at PrideFestival Utopia in New York City.

Hit play and enjoy.

Pride Music: Matt Alber "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

Part of what the LGBTQ community has had to do over the decades was co-opt popular music for ourselves when it wasn't possible for an artist to be open about who they really were.

I've loved this gorgeous, poignant cover version of Whitney Houston's mega hit, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," by popular out singer Matt Alber for years.

Alber's brilliant reimagining of the tune reflects a universal feeling many young LGBTQs have experienced forever. Let's face it - how many of us thought we'd never find someone to dance with?

The lyrics really are front and center in this thoughtful take on the song.

From the single release notes: "I grew up listening to Whitney on my Sony Walkman cassette player while wandering my apartment complex in St. Louis. No one knew I was gay, and I spent a lot of time alone singing along to Whitney, and this song in particular."

"It's lonely growing up as a teen in the closet and Whitney helped me express the deeply hidden desires of my heart-- I wanted to dance with somebody who loved me."

A portion of the proceeds from the single benefit Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco, an organization directly meeting the needs of homeless LGBTQ youth in the bay area.

Learn more at: www.larkinstreetyouth.org

You can buy the single at iTunes or CDbaby.com

Whitney Houston's Rumored Ex-Girlfriend To Pen Tell-All Memoir

Robyn Crawford, Whitney Houston’s long-rumored lesbian lover, says she will “set the record straight” once and for all in a new memoir titled, A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston, due out November 5.

During their decades-long friendship, both women denied any romantic involvement with each other. But fans have long speculated about the nature of their relationship.

Since Houston’s death at the age of 48 in 2012, there have been two documentary films of Houston’s life – Nick Broomfield’s Whitney: Can I Be Me?, and Kevin MacDonald’s Whitney. Both films addressed Houston’s rumored bisexuality and the women’s speculated relationship.

Crawford, notably, declined to take part in either project.

Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, famously told Oprah in 2013 that it “absolutely” would have bothered her if Whitney had been lesbian or bisexual.

Bobby Brown, Houston’s ex-husband, shared with US Weekly in 2016 that he felt Houston would still be alive today if the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s family had accepted Robyn.

According to the book’s official synopsis, “In A Song for You, Robyn breaks her silence to share the moving and often complicated story of her life and relationship with Whitney.”

Whitney Houston (image via YouTube/I Will Always Love You)

The memoir will follow the years from the women’s meeting in the 1980s, to the singer’s self-titled debut album in 1985, her record-breaking world tours, the success of The Bodyguard, and more.

The publisher of the upcoming book, Penguin imprint Dutton, describes the release as “the vital, honest and previously untold story that provides an understanding of the complex life of Whitney Houston,” and promises that “finally, the person who knew her best sets the record straight.”

The talkers at E! News’s ‘Daily Pop’ discuss the upcoming book below.

Country Hunk Ty Herndon Covers Whitney Classic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

After spending the past few months criss-crossing the country performing at various Pride events, out country music artist Ty Herndon recently hit the recording studio with DJ Little Steve to cut four songs for his dance floor fans.

“I have truly had the time of my life playing Pride festivals across America,” says the hunky country singer. “But, as much as the fans love country music, I noticed that I needed to bump up the party factor a bit.”

Herndon plans on releasing one track each week for the next four weeks beginning with his cover of the Whitney Houston classic, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”

In addition to “Dance,” Herndon recorded to new versions of his own songs (“Living in a Moment,” “That Kind of Night”) as well as the Marc Cohn hit, “Walking in Memphis,” which became a big hit for Cher.

Herndon debuted the dance remixes this past summer at Market Days in Chicago.

It is interesting to note that Herndon says he was inspired by his Pride performances to record the remixes, but in listening to his cover of "Dance," the openly gay artist omits the lyric "I need a man who'll take a chance, On a love that burns hot enough to last."

Instead, he chose to repeat an earlier gender-neutral lyric. Hmm...

Since coming out in 2014, the “What Mattered Most” singer has been a loud and proud advocate for the LGBT community partnering with several organizations, most notably GLAAD.

His annual Cancer for Love and Acceptance fundraiser for GLAAD features out musicians as well as LGBT allies. This year’s concert, hosted by Herndon and out CMT host Cody Alan, featured performances by Ty, country music icons Tanya Tucker and Vince Gill as well as out UK sensation Calum Scott and Michael Ray.

Check out Ty’s cover of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” below.

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#TBT - Whitney Houston & Jermaine Jackson "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful"

(I'm using the GH cover as this version has been remastered)

A little #TBT action as I sit back a relive the days I wore down my cassette tape (!!!) of this duet, "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful," by Jermaine Jackson and a young Whitney Houston.

A bit of history about this recording: Whitney was deemed ineligible for "Best New Artist" in 1986 when her first solo album dropped because this duet with Jermaine had been released prior and she was considered "not new."

Isn't that silly? Anyway...

Everything here takes me back: the oh-so-80s music production, Jermaine's light but shining vocals, and then - my girl.

So much here was a sign of what was to come. So sweet in the beginning, but take note of moments like the 2:40 mark and 3:32. Boom!

My bestie Matt and I rewound those tapes over and over and over to hear the awesome over-the-bar key change and those rocking riffs.

Sigh. Takes me back.

Sit back and enjoy :)

News Round-Up: March 9, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news stories you might have missed:

• This is what happens (above) when you actually work out. #ThenTheresMe

• Outsports will host its third annual Pride celebration in New York City, June 21-24, 2018. The event will bring together LGBTQ athletes, coaches, sports executives, members of the media and fans for a weekend of "the celebration of courage."

• More and more gay men are using PrEP to prevent HIV infection but wide ethnic and racial disparities persist in its use.

• Republican senators have reintroduced the First Amendment Defense Act which would give the federal government’s blessing to discriminate against LGBT people and others in the name of religious beliefs.

• Fox News invited a comedian cowboy on air to proclaim "The worst thing you can be today in America is a white, heterosexual, Christian Male." #OhReally

• Whitney, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary about the life and career of Whitney Houston, will be released July 6 in the United States.

• UK singer/songwriter Calum Scott's debut album Only Human is out today and available to download/stream at all digital providers. You can check out my previous posts about the awesomely talented Mr. Scott here.

#TBT: Donna Summer & Whitney Houston "I Feel My Love Is Your Love" Mashup

My hubby Michael recently found this mashup of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" paired with the Whitney Houston classic, "My Love Is Your Love," and it's been on repeat for a while now.

Feels like they were meant for each other.

Perfect for a #ThrowBackThursday...

Enjoy.

Rosie O'Donnell: "Everyone Sort Of Knew" About Whitney Houston's Same-Sex Romance With Robyn Crawford

During a recent appearance on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, Rosie O'Donnell told Andy Cohen that she knew about Whitney Houston's longtime romance with Robyn Crawford.

"Everyone sort of knew it," said O'Donnell, who also expressed surprise that Houston recording empresario Clive Davis had feigned ignorance about the relationship. “I don’t believe that for one minute,” she said.

Watch below.

25th Anniversary Release Of 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack Features Previously Unreleased Material

In honor of the 25th anniversary of The Bodyguard, a special collection of Whitney Houston live and studio recordings I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard is being released November 17.

The collection will also include special features and events.

Some highlights from the album include:

• an alternate mix of “I Will Always Love You” with spoken word intro of Whitney as "Rachel Marron"

• an acapella never before heard version of “Jesus Loves Me”

• a live recording from The Bodyguard World Tour 1993-1995 of “Run To You”

Plus, film and live versions of “I Will Always Love” You,” “I Have Nothing,” “Queen of The Night” and more.

Originally released on November 17, 1992, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack racked up sales of more than 45 million copies worldwide and took home the top prize of Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

The soundtrack was also the first album verified by SoundScan to sell a million units in a single week.

Look for I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard on November 17.

Track Listing:

1. I Will Always Love You (Alternate Mix)
Spoken word intro as Rachel Marron dedicated to Frank Farmer
The iconic recorded performance of “I Will Always Love You” captured on the first take

2. I Have Nothing (Film Version)
As featured in the scene with Rachel Marron performing “I Have Nothing”

3. I’m Every Woman (Clivilles & Cole House Mix I Edit)
Alternate edit of the Clivilles & Cole House Mix

4. Run to You (Film Version)
As featured in the scene with Frank Farmer watching the video of “Run to You”

5. Queen of the Night (Film Version)
As featured in the scene with Rachel Marron performing “Queen of the Night”

6. Jesus Loves Me (Film Version)
As featured in the scene with Rachel Marron and Nicki Marron at Herb Farmer’s Lakefront Cabin

7. Jesus Loves Me (A Capella Version)

8. I Will Always Love You (Film Version)
As featured in the scene with Rachel Marron and Frank Farmer at the airport and the performance of “I Will Always Love You”

9. I Have Nothing (Live)
Private concert at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei for Princess Rashidah, the eldest daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah on August 24, 1996

10. Run to You (Live)
Recorded at Radio City Music Hall: New York City on September 28, 1994, during 1993-1995 The Bodyguard World Tour

11. Jesus Loves Me / He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands (Live)
Recorded at Estadio Vélez Sarsfield: Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 17, 1994, during 1993-1995 The Bodyguard World Tour

12. Queen of the Night (Live)
Recorded at The Spectrum: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 23, 1994, during 1993-1995 The Bodyguard World Tour

13. I Will Always Love You (Live)
Recorded at Earls Court Exhibition Centre: London, England on November 5, 1993, during 1993-1995 The Bodyguard World Tour

14. I’m Every Woman (Live)
Recorded at Deutschlandhalle: Berlin, Germany on October 14, 1993, during 1993-1995 The Bodyguard World Tour

Official Trailer For Whitney Houston Documentary "Whitney: Can I Be Me"

The new documentary, Whitney: Can I Be Me, offers viewers a behind-the-scenes peek into the life and early death of the late pop music legend Whitney Houston.

Including never-before-seen footage from Houston's 1999 world tour, the documentary provides insight into the final days of the six-time Grammy Award winner.

The pop icon's sudden death in 2012 at the age of 48 left her millions of fans around the world devastated.

The documentary explores, in part, Houston's relationship with her childhood friend, Robyn Crawford, that fueled much speculation about her sexuality.

Whitney: Can I Be Me debuts Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, on Showtime.

Memory: Whitney Houston's THE BODYGUARD Released 24 Years Ago Today

Twenty-four years ago today, Whitney Houston made her cinematic debut in The Bodyguard, also starring Kevin Costner, which went on to gross $441 million worldwide making it the second-highest earner of 1992.

I remember seeing the flick that Thanksgiving weekend on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with my bff, Carlye. We loved her. We loved him. At a particularly climactic moment - when Costner dove through a window to save Whitney, a group of African-American women behind us in the audience screamed and then yelled, "My man Kevin!!!!"

The soundtrack is the best-selling of all time, notching over 45 million copies sold worldwide.

The soundtrack features five songs which were hit singles for Houston: "I Will Always Love You", "I'm Every Woman", the two Oscar-nominated songs, "I Have Nothing" and "Run to You", and "Queen of the Night".

Sit back and enjoy the glorious vocals from the Dolly Parton-penned lead single, "I Will Always Love You," which showcases Houston arguably at her zenith.

Friday Brain-Break: Ariana Grande Tribute To Whitney Houston

Take a Friday brain-break with Ariana Grande's awesome tribute to Whitney Houston on the season finale of ABC’s Greatest Hits.

While it's true we'll never see another Whitney Houston, I do think Ariana's powerful vocals and stage presence makes for a pretty terrific tribute for the artist Ariana has called one of her greatest inspirations.

Bobby Brown To US Weekly: Yes, Whitney Houston Was Bisexual

In the latest issue of US Weekly, Bobby Brown confirms that Whitney Houston did indeed have a longtime secret romance with bestie/assistant Robyn Crawford:

“I know,” Brown, 47, tells Us exclusively of his ex-wife’s relationship with Crawford, 55. “We were married for 14 years. There are some things we talked about that were personal to us.”

Houston and Crawford met as teens when they both worked at a community center in East Orange, New Jersey, and Crawford became her assistant and later creative director, traveling the world with the Bodyguard star.

The New Edition frontman alleges in his new book, Every Little Step, that Houston was bisexual. “I’m a man and she was attracted to me!” he tells Us.

Although the “I Will Always Love You” singer strongly denied the claims, Brown alleged it could have been because her family, including her mother, Cissy Houston, didn’t approve of the lesbian relationship — even insisting Crawford be fired.

Cissy, 82, revealed to Oprah Winfrey in 2013 that it “absolutely” would have bothered her if her daughter was gay, and she would not have condoned it.

“I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown says. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”

(h/t JMG)

Matt Zarley Covers Whitney Houston "I Look To You"

Out singer/songwriter Matt Zarley continues his UnCOVERED series with Whitney Houston's final hit track "I Look To You."

At the end of Houston's career, her incredible gifts were somewhat diminished through neglect or abuse. Zarley's voice soars here as the song finally seems to have found it's true destiny. I fully believe that this is closer to what Houston would have delivered, if she had been able.

You've just gotta love a power ballad for #TBT, don't you?

Available on Amazon.

RIP Bobbi Kristina Brown

Bobbi Kristina Houston with grandmother Cissy and mother Whitney

Bobbi Kristna Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston, passes away at 22.

From CNN:

Brown, the daughter of late superstar Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, died Sunday at the age of 22, a representative of the Houston family said in a statement.

"Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away Sunday, July, 26 2015, surrounded by her family," the statement said. "She is finally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months."

Goodbye little one. It wasn't your fault.

From ETOnline:

"She is finally at peace in the arms of God," the Houston family said in statement to ET. "We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months."

On Jan. 31, Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in her bathtub, and was then taken to North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Georgia, where she was put on a ventilator to assist her breathing. She was later placed in a medically induced coma at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital.

#BobbiKristina, daughter of #WhitneyHouston, has died: http://t.co/KINUatJPPU

— Allison Bourg (@abourg_abc2) July 27, 2015

Celebrities react to the tragic death of #BobbiKristina. http://t.co/jHzGgvJFEV pic.twitter.com/w6fkyCalm5

— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) July 27, 2015

#RIP #BobbiKristina Brown dead at 22. Details: http://t.co/N6JwJzX0rD pic.twitter.com/e28u2XkkPw

— CELEBUZZ (@CELEBUZZ) July 27, 2015

Matt Zarley Covers Whitney Houston's "I Look To You"

Second in out singer/songwriter Matt Zarley's "UnCOVERED" series, he takes on Whitney Houston's last single - "I Look To You" from her album of the same name.

I'm a huge Whitney fan, and loved this song written specifically for Whitney by R Kelly. But while the recording was good, it didn't soar the way you wanted it to.

The album was meant to be a kind of "comeback" for Whitney to show she still had it, but while the voice was still quite the gift it clearly showed wear and tear by years of abuse.

I remember Whitney appearing on Good Morning America to celebrate the album release, and she performed this song. For the first verse, the cameras were close up on Whitney as she sang live, but once the song got going it was clear the recording's vocal was dropped in and the cameras switched to long shots to help hide the lip sync. I think she just wasn't able to handle the song live by that point.

I think the song finds it's "destiny" in Zarley's cover here. It builds and takes off the way you really want it to.

This is a lovely tribute to Whitney.

Whitney Houston's Daughter on Ventilator

A senior producer at CNN has reported that Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston, is on a ventilator and the status of her brain function is not known until sedatives can be safely reduced.

According to reports, Brown was found yesterday in a bath tub unconscious and not breathing.

From CNN:

Brown "was not breathing" when a man identified as her husband found her Saturday morning inside her townhouse in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia.

He called 911 and performed CPR until public safety officers arrived and took over, said police spokeswoman Lisa Holland.

The spokeswoman said when Brown was found, she was "unresponsive, meaning not breathing, no heartbeat."

In scanner traffic, emergency services could be heard describing an "ECHO-level response" -- urgent and life threatening -- with "possible cardiac arrest."

"Twenty-one-year-old female in the bathtub, facedown. PD's (police department's) en route."

Brown was taken to a local hospital, where "she is still alive and breathing. Other than that, I don't know her condition," Holland said Saturday.

Nobody knows what caused Brown's unresponsiveness, Holland said, but police consider it a medical incident at this time. She said investigators had found nothing to indicate it was drug- or alcohol-related.

Whitney Houston's Daughter Bobbie Kristina Brown Found 'Unresponsive' in Bathtub

Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Bobby Brown and the late Whitney Houston, was found unresponsive in her Atlanta home on Saturday.

The Roswell Police, along with Roswell Fire and Rescue, responded to a 911 call reporting 21-year-old Brown unresponsive at 10:25 AM, according to a police press release.

Brown's husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend found Brown unresponsive in a bathtub and began CPR, according to police.

Police took over life-saving measures until rescue personnel arrived.

Brown was then transported to Atlanta's North Fulton Hospital.

According to TMZ, doctors have stabilized Brown's breathing and she is in the I.C.U.

(from Yahoo News)