There are singers who’ve got millions of record sales to their credit and there are singers who own the show in the studios and create chartbusters. But, once in a while comes along a singer who owns the stage like no other. They are the real divas. The voices that captivate the hearts and the presence that enthralls. And, then there are divas that become legends – and Whitney Houston was one of them.
If I look back at my life and try to pick the moments where Whitney Houston’s music had inspired me, I might run out of words and time. If I try to pick out her influences in the music I listen to right now, or the techniques I have blatantly tried to pick from her – the number would run into countless. Whitney knew how to shake up the recording game, and she had mastered the art of creating chartbusters with 80s dance numbers like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”. But, what made her the ultimate diva was the ability to stand on stage and unflinchingly hit those high notes flawlessly each time while her honest smiles captivated her audience. She didn’t need to bring to the stage the dancing skills or the over the top outfits – she was phenomenal just being herself.
And then came the song that immortalized her forever – “I Will Always Love You”. A simple song that was turned into a legend just by her epic execution of it! Even today the best of the singers stumble at those high notes. However, her singing was much more than those high notes alone. Everything Whitney sang had a touch of pathos to it. Her voice coupled with her technique, those perfect vibratos and phrasing, can hardly be replicated. Which is why we might have countless covers of the song, but nothing can compare to Whitney’s version.
Each time I go back to that song, I uncover something new about it. As if I re-discover it at each milestone in my life. It has been the soundtrack to my most heartbreaking moments and it has been the soundtrack to my life’s triumphs. I have fallen in and out of love with it countless of times. It was the only song that helped me get through the tragic moment when I lost someone dear to me. It was the song which replayed in my mind when the world lost Whitney herself.
For me, Whitney Houston will always be around because of that one song. And I am sure there are others like me around the world. Which is precisely why, Whitney Houston will remain immortal to me, because her songs cannot be erased, because her voice shall be etched in our memories and hearts – Always!
