Goodnight,
Whitney
I was having dinner when a
friend of mine sent me a text: songbird Whitney Houston died tonight (02/11/’12).
My food fell out of my
mouth. I dribbled powdered mashed
potatoes, gagging slightly; wondering what brought her to this moment in her
life and eventual death. I remember
seeing her on an LP cover, her gorgeous figure taking me back to being a
nervous, twitching 17-year-old kid in the record stacks at Sears. Then I spied her a few months later and
shelled out $8.99 at TG&Y for the cassette.
“You Give Good Love” and “Saving
All My Love for You”, made an impression on me and I had a slight crush on the
former-model-turned-songstress. A while
later while working downtown, as my taste turned to metal and punk around my
friends, I still crushed on Whitney, buying her second album in 1987 where I
would also buy bootlegs of concerts and filters for a bong I shared occasionally
with a friend of mine who worked downtown with me. She giggled that I listened to Whitney and
Rick Astley, and enjoyed Motley Crüe and Poison with her, trying not to be
pegged into one genre.
When I finally had my own CD
player, a big, bulky thing in the late 90’s, I jumped at Apple Records & LP’s
on San Pedro and bought a used copy of “The
Bodyguard” soundtrack. According to
some legends/rumors, Lawrence Kasdan wrote the story in the late 70’s, hoping
to entice Steve McQueen into pairing with Diana Ross, who was still hot after
her dramatic roles in “Mahogany” and “Lady Sings the Blues”.
As I read “American Psycho”, I
loved the diatribes/thoughts by Patrick Bateman on Whitney’s first album, then
on life in general before chopping people to bits. (I don’t know why but I always saw Casper Van
Diem in the role which was made amazing by Christian Bale. You go over-the-top, get him!) I wish I could go that deep into lunacy some
days.
I never worried about her
acting, as her singing was the money-maker.
I remember seeing her making men swoon on an episode of “Silver Spoons”
as she sang to attorney Franklin Seales.
Her singing on the “Waiting to Exhale” CD, made me smile to no end as it
was an amazing Christmas gift.
Somewhere along the way she
married Bobbie Brown, who’s claim to fame was a tour called “Humping Around the
World”. She also gained a drug
addiction, a horrible marriage, and a lifestyle that would make Hunter Thompson
wince. It made me sad and I shelved all
my old feelings for Whitney.
Now she’s gone.
None
like her again.
She
grew up and old with me, and she died too soon.
Goodbye Whitney.
God bless and rest you. This world drank your soul and your talents,
and others drank your spirit and your life even before Death came calling.
I just recently acquired a case of Mr. Pibb (which is called Pibb Xtra) from a friend of mine who just wanted to bitch about the good old days.
“You Give Good Love” and “Saving
All My Love for You”, made an impression on me and I had a slight crush on the
former-model-turned-songstress. A while
later while working downtown, as my taste turned to metal and punk around my
friends, I still crushed on Whitney, buying her second album in 1987 where I
would also buy bootlegs of concerts and filters for a bong I shared occasionally
with a friend of mine who worked downtown with me. She giggled that I listened to Whitney and
Rick Astley, and enjoyed Motley Crüe and Poison with her, trying not to be
pegged into one genre.
As I read “American Psycho”, I
loved the diatribes/thoughts by Patrick Bateman on Whitney’s first album, then
on life in general before chopping people to bits. (I don’t know why but I always saw Casper Van
Diem in the role which was made amazing by Christian Bale. You go over-the-top, get him!) I wish I could go that deep into lunacy some
days.
Somewhere along the way she
married Bobbie Brown, who’s claim to fame was a tour called “Humping Around the
World”. She also gained a drug
addiction, a horrible marriage, and a lifestyle that would make Hunter Thompson
wince. It made me sad and I shelved all
my old feelings for Whitney.
