Happy Birthday! A Tribute To Whitney Houston

51歲生日快樂!

On August 9, 1963, one of the brightest stars to ever grace a musical stage was born. Whitney Elizabeth Houston dazzled us from the moment she first sang in her church choir to her glorious rise to become one of the most successful and idolized songstresses in music. And though she is no longer with us, SoulTrain.com thought it only right to salute this musical icon on what would have been her 51st birthday with some of her greatest moments.

The World Meets Whitney

In 1985, Houston took the stage at The Merv Griffin Show for her first national television appearance. Belting out “Home,” a youthful, glowing Houston captivated the audience and provided the first sign of the powerhouse singer waiting to be unleashed. At the conclusion of her performance, the following words were uttered: “You won’t forget that name: Whitney Houston.” A truer statement was never spoken.

Grammy Gold

Just a few short years after her performance on Merv Griffin, Houston stole the show at the 1987 Grammy Awards. Performing the classic “The Greatest Love of All,” Houston looked radiant and her voice was as mesmerizing as it was on her record. Though she would fall short in securing a statue that night for Record of the Year, the standing ovation she received for her performance certainly helped to alleviate that blow.

An American Icon

For Super Bowl XXV, Houston was tapped to perform the national anthem in Tampa. But no one would have thought, probably Houston included, that less than three minutes of performing would have such a profound impact. Her performance was so moving that it was released as a commercial single and charted on Billboard’s Hot 100–the only time a singer has accomplished that feat.

Bodyguard Boon

As Houston’s star rose, the number of opportunities–both musical and otherwise—that came her way increased dramatically. But it was her turn starring alongside Kevin Costner in the mega-hit The Bodyguard that truly took her to another dimension of fame. While critics can argue the strength of her acting, there is little dispute over the musical merits of the colossal hit songs that came off the movie’s soundtrack. One of Houston’s most successful and well-known hit songs, “I Will Always Love You,” anchored The Bodyguard soundtrack and ultimately won her two Grammy Awards.

Mashup Perfection

Houston’s performance at the 1994 American Music Awards showed, without a shadow of a doubt, that there was no song, no sound that she couldn’t knock out of the park. Beginning with Billie Holiday’s classic “I Love You Porgy,” seamlessly transitioning into “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)” and capping off her performance with “I Have Nothing,” Houston showed not only her musical range, but her ability to put her own twist on even the most distinctive tracks.

—Amy Diaz

Source:Soul Train