Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Greatest Love Of All

Today they bury Whitney Houston. What an absolute shame, this loss of such a talented life.Late yesterday afternoon just as it was getting dark, Ed and I drove through Newark planning to pass the New Hope Baptist Church, where the services for Whitney Houston are taking place today. My master plan was to park the truck somewhere in the area and then get as close to the service as I could. A semi-truck in Newark, as big as it is, is ignored. And I doubt anyone suspects the driver of an 18-wheeler to be stalking a celebrity funeral. Odd as it may sound, we went unnoticed in the truck - probably more so than if we were trying to get close in a car. Hanging out the window of a car with a camera? Total sore thumb. Scoping out the scene from the seat of a big rig? We blend.

The great thing about the truck is you can see everything from the height of the cab seats. But its sheer size certainly creates a challenge when trying to creep through the tiny streets of Newark, circling Rutger's University, trying to get close to the block where a spectacle was going to be taking place. But Ed was behind the wheel and if there's one thing I know about Ed - he can do anything.

Since this area is pretty truck friendly (unlike miserable California), there were no restrictions prohibiting us from being on those surface streets. Speaking of California - the odd thing about this week is that we were there when Whitney died, thirty miles from her hotel in Beverly Hills. And then yesterday, we delivered our load nine miles from where her funeral service is going to be. On the trip here, I listened to Whitney songs on my iPod, as if I were traveling along with her.

Too many artists I've listened to - mostly R & B - have died in the last few years (Teena Marie, Amy Winehouse, Teddy Pendergrass, Nickolas Ashford, Michael Jackson). But Whitney was different for me. She meant more to me than Michael Jackson, believe it or not. Oh sure, Michael Jackson was an iconic and his music filled my childhood, but Whitney's music filled my teen years and my early twenties...where memorable events often had a Whitney Houston soundtrack to them.

I was twenty-five when The Bodyguard came out - that movie has one of my favorite soundtracks. Of course, I Will Always Love You is an incredible ballad, done like only Whitney can do it. But I also happen to love the song in the following video, I Have Nothing. That voice.




This next song was undoubtedly sung by many women who found their man stepping out on them. And you know what? She's right. We made it anyway.





And who thought Whitney could do Chaka better than Chaka? This next song is an anthem. It's empowering. Inspiring. I love those little girls dancing. I love that part of it is filmed in black and white. I love that Whitney is pregnant. And I love that Chaka Khan, Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson, T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli from TLC, and her very own mother Cissy Houston appear in the video.




Pure Whitney. A beautiful woman. A talented woman. A loveable woman. A troubled woman. A memorable woman.

Every woman.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 YEAR AGO:
Step It Up
2 YEARS AGO:
It May Not Be EVERY Day You Learn Something New, But It’s Certainly True Of THIS Day
3 YEARS AGO:
Dreams Of Do-It-Yourself Dolloping Come True
4 YEARS AGO:
Rest In Peace Sweet Green Eyed Beauty
5 YEARS AGO:
George And Ira
6 YEARS AGO:
Zip It Up!

1 comment:

Belledog said...

Condolences, Salena. Glad you can be there.

I hope Bobbi Kristina comes out of this wiser and stronger, in addition to sadder.