An Evening with Whitney Houston

Leave it to Las Vegas to push the boundaries! Is this a really good idea to honor Whitney Houston with a holograph concert or is this a pure and simple money grab? I just can't decide. The music of Whitney certainly holds up! I mean between her early hits like How Will I Know, and the blockbuster songs I Will Always Love You and I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard and beyond, there's certainly enough music for a full evening. It leads to an interesting question many of us should ask ourselves- "Just because we can, does it mean we should?"

Whitney at Her Best

Whitney Houston in her heyday. The still amazing soundtrack to The Bodyguard may not be a full ten selection set, but it represents the incredible vocalist in her finest moments. From the iconic I Will Always Love You to the finest ballad she ever recorded, I Have Nothing, Whitney shows pure star power and why, at her zenith, no one could stop her. The hit film with Kevin Costner once proposed for Diana Ross and Ryan O'Neal. Imagine how different the soundtrack would have sounded.

If you think in her early days that Whitney's vocals were a trick of the studio magicians, think again- and watch the video below.

Missing Miss Whitney

Wrapping up this season's reality vocal competitions makes me think of what a tremendous loss it is to no longer have Whitney Houston with us. Sure, her life ended poorly, but I find when I watch shows like The Voice and American Idol, I find myself looking for the next version of her. And that will never be.

Mariah Carey sings wonderfully, and Christina Aguilera is a powerhouse, but something is missing when I compare both of them to a young and talented Whitney. There's a charm and wit that she had that cannot be duplicated. And when you put Whitney in front of the camera, she sparkled without having to be blatantly sexual. It had a mesmerizing effect on me... and it still does.

Whether it was I Will Always Love You, I Believe in You and Me or I have Nothing, (three of my favorites), Whitney was believable. If she was just a very good actress, well, she convinced me. Her latter years were filled with mostly mediocre material and relatively poor vocal abilities, yet nonetheless, Whitney will always be firmly implanted in my mind as she was at her peak. Rest in peace, Miss Whitney.

Whitney Houston Dies

Just minutes ago, before I even heard of her death, my wife and I were comparing Whitney Houston's Grammy appearance and performance when she won for "Saving All My Love For You" to the more recent "Million Dollar Bill". With the beautiful "I Will Always Love You", the Dolly Parton written hit from the film "The Bodyguard", Whitney seemed on the top of the world, but drugs and hard living took its toll. Such a loss for her family, friends, and the music world. I pray that she rests in peace.