A Tribute to Whitney - I Will Always Love You

February 16, 2012

For many years, Whitney's #1 Hit "I Will Always Love You" has been one of my favorite songs to sing. So I will sing it in tribute to her now, just like Jennifer Hudson did at the Grammy Awards and Mercedes did on GLEE (except I'm a white girl singing in my home). Whitney Houston made all of us want to sing. We miss her...

Click Play to listen to me sing this fabulous song to you while you read below about beloved Whitney's life.

As we all know by now, Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills Hotel room last Saturday, the day before the 54th Grammy Awards. Her death saddened the nation, and brought us back to the time when she was in the height of her career; when she was America's pop sweetheart. It was a time when we couldn't get enough of her songs, when only Whitney could have preformed that amazing rendition of our national anthem at the 1991 Superbowl to inspire a nation at war in the Persian Gulf. One of Television's Greatest Moments, bringing solders and families together through song.

Only 48 when she left this world, Whitney lived more than most people (even the Stars) in her short life. Because her death came right before the night we honor all those in the music industry the Grammy's became both a celebration of this year's musical accomplishments and a celebration of Whitney Houston's life. As it should be, Whitney received a memorial celebration to match her iconic status; honoring the the influence her style and music had, not only on the music industry, but on all of us. Whitney changed the face of pop music for women. Her talent, both as an actress and singer, was an inspiration to everyone.

When talking about Whitney Houston, the struggles she had in her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, and her addiction to crack cocaine cannot go unmentioned. Still, even though she lost some of her vocal range through her years drug abuse, Whitney came back to sing again. How many people are able to do that?

Making her first public appearance after years of being out of the spotlight on Oprah in September 2009 for a tell all interview and to sing again, Whitney made a smashing comeback. Her last album "I Look To You" debuted at No.1 on several charts across the world. With 304,801 units sold within the first week of its release in the US, this was Whitney's biggest first week sales of her career, and the best selling album in its first week by any female artist in 2009.

At the Grammy's, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the this Iconic Star by singing Whitney's greatest hit. It seemed an appropriate choice since Whitney had presented Jennifer with her first Grammy in 2009 for best R&B Album.

Whitney Houston's funeral will be held at noon on Saturday February 18, 2012, in the church where she first sang as a child. Her family will remember her in a small private service at Newark's New Hope Baptist Church, which seats somewhere between 300 and 1,500 people, depending on what you read. They have no plans nor wishes for a public memorial service. We will each honor her passing in our own way...hopefully with a song.