When I decided to be a singer, my mother warned me I’d be alone a lot. Basically we all are. Loneliness comes with life. ~ Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston died today.
It’s interesting how some celebrity deaths impact you. Or at least me, they do. Perhaps the hardest are the ones who helped me get through a difficult time or moved me deeply enough to make a real difference in my life. Whitney would easily fall into that category. She was a true blue diva, fully blossomed and confident in her talent. She possessed that grand sort of assuredness that so many women strive to possess, myself included. And secretly, I admired her “whacked” side. She made choices for herself and did so unapologetically. Unstable, sure. But always proud.
And that voice. Say what you will about her sad personal trajectory, but her voice was like no other. It was a national treasure.
The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”
Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is a popular writer as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media, a full service media company. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing, thanks to women like Whitney, who gave her the confidence to give it a try.
Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com