WHITNEY HOUSTON WAS VERY SPECIAL
I was privileged to work with Whitney Houston twice and whilst I certainly do not imply that I knew her well - I found her to be a very lovely person and a fine artist. What happened to Whitney is such an appalling tragedy - what a waste of a life - a waste of an extraordinary powerful and yet angelic voice - the loss of a mother and a truly decent and kind person.
I was approached by an old colleague and personal friend Jillie Bushell, who runs her own successful event business to try to book and contract Whitney for a major event to be held in Barcelona for Toyota and the launch of a new super car. Booking major stars for clients is one of our specialities and it happened that I knew her agent in Los Angeles who was working for the world famous agency William Morris.
After fairly lengthy negotiations we contracted Whitney, her musicians and singers to perform for two nights and to fly from Los Angeles to Barcelona where this major event was to be held. I was thrilled to have secured this great artist, but will admit that I was inwardly concerned to make sure there wouldn't be any problems.
Of course, I had read about her drug and home problems and yet whenever I listened to that incredible voice, I found it hard to relate that marvellous singing to the stories that were prevalent at that time.
The venue was a massive exhibition centre in the heart of Barcelona and a big stage was built for the artist and around us there were tables for the guests - huge screens for the presentations - cars spinning on specially built turntables and so forth - all the things that you would expect from a multi national corporation like Toyota.
We were all pretty tense as the days crept closer to the first of the two event days - we heard that Whitney had boarded the plane to Paris where she would stay one night and then fly into Barcelona - so far so good. The musicians, singers and technical crews had all arrived - the stage was built, sound and lighting systems installed - all the back-line instrumentation had been brought in - drum kit, cymbals, timbales, keyboards, guitar and bass guitar amplifiers - specialist microphones - you name it - they were all there and waiting for lift off!
The day of the first show arrived and with baited breathe we waited - and waited - and waited - but no Whitney!!! She had apparently been taken ill during the night and felt she couldn't fly to Barcelona. Well you can imagine the scene back at the ranch - senior Toyota executives were going ballistic - Jillie Bushell and her team were trying to keep the lid on everything and I was trying everything I could to get Whitney on that damned plane. No such luck - Whitney did not leave Paris that night and we had to tell Toyota that she wasn't well enough to travel to perform. Disaster - a massive international car launch - thousands of executives flown info the occasion and no Star Artist! Somehow we got through the evening, but it wasn't easy...
I was on the phone to Paris very early the next morning and by mid morning thank goodness - with huge relief, Whitney and her family and personal team were on the plane....They landed and we whisked them through to the waiting limousines and off to the hotel - PHEW!
Whitney was friendly and her mother Cissy Houston was also there - I was trying to remember whether her aunt Dionne Warwick was there, but I don't think so. Things were moving very quickly - rehearsals and sound check on stage and we were quickly into the evening event. Whitney received a tumultuous reception and gave a good fast moving show, BUT those gorgeous high notes that we were all waiting for, especially on "I will always love you" were not there - Bless her, Whitney did her very best and it was good - but the joy of that extraordinary voice that we all loved so much had largely gone, at least in the top range.
I must confess I felt a wide range of emotions as I watched and later spoke with Whitney - she had a beautiful aura about her - I felt kindness and gentleness, but also a strange aloofness - almost as though she wasn't really there - but, looking at everything from a great height. I am not sure I am expressing myself very well - one thing I do know is that I felt deeply honoured to be in her presence and that I wanted to surround her with love and compassion. That last statement must sound a bit odd especially as some artists you just want to run a mile from them - but Whitney was (I felt) vulnerable, maybe that is the word I was looking for.
Whitney left and we all sighed huge sighs of relief - Jillie Bushell and her team had done a great job (as always) and I felt I had done a good job too.
This photo of Whitney was taken on stage during the second show that I contracted and worked on in 2008 - this was for the Caudwell Children's Trust "Butterfly Ball" - a wonderful charity that helps disabled children and their families - this show took place at a venue in Battersea Park in London - and what a night it was! Whitney was on great form - she looked happy and genuinely pleased to be there. The show was similar to the one she performed in Barcelona - the songs were great - the energy and fun was there - but we were still missing those startling high notes, that earlier in her career would have taken the roof off the venue.
I find it hard to think of that ebullient and happy Whitney, with the image of her passing at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills in California on February 11, 2012. Found in a bath, drowned with heart failure and with cocaine and other drugs in her body - Whitney, dear Whitney, be at peace now - we read of drugs and Bobby Brown her husband - we read all kinds of stories and now we learned of the awful news regarding her daughter found in a similar state - how can these things happen?
It is difficult to rationalise any of this - the drug route is a tortuous one and one that has destroyed the lives of many an artist's and their careers. Is it the pressure of fame and of always having to deliver night after night on stage? Is it the temporary highs and low's that inevitably affect an artist at the height of their fame? - Adulation; Wealth; Doubt; Worry; Will I be good enough tonight? These pressures can be enormous.
I don't know why Whitney Houston has left us - I do know she gave us great joy and happiness - the Guiness Book of Records cites her as the most awarded female artist of all time. She is one of pop music's best selling artists ever - An estimated 170 to 200 million records sold. Seven No.1 chart singles in Billboard's Hot 100. "I will always love you" is the best selling track by a women in music history.
Thank you for your music Whitney - I feel honoured to have met you and worked with you. RIP - May you be at peace
Thanks for reading
Peter
Of course, I had read about her drug and home problems and yet whenever I listened to that incredible voice, I found it hard to relate that marvellous singing to the stories that were prevalent at that time.
The venue was a massive exhibition centre in the heart of Barcelona and a big stage was built for the artist and around us there were tables for the guests - huge screens for the presentations - cars spinning on specially built turntables and so forth - all the things that you would expect from a multi national corporation like Toyota.
We were all pretty tense as the days crept closer to the first of the two event days - we heard that Whitney had boarded the plane to Paris where she would stay one night and then fly into Barcelona - so far so good. The musicians, singers and technical crews had all arrived - the stage was built, sound and lighting systems installed - all the back-line instrumentation had been brought in - drum kit, cymbals, timbales, keyboards, guitar and bass guitar amplifiers - specialist microphones - you name it - they were all there and waiting for lift off!
The day of the first show arrived and with baited breathe we waited - and waited - and waited - but no Whitney!!! She had apparently been taken ill during the night and felt she couldn't fly to Barcelona. Well you can imagine the scene back at the ranch - senior Toyota executives were going ballistic - Jillie Bushell and her team were trying to keep the lid on everything and I was trying everything I could to get Whitney on that damned plane. No such luck - Whitney did not leave Paris that night and we had to tell Toyota that she wasn't well enough to travel to perform. Disaster - a massive international car launch - thousands of executives flown info the occasion and no Star Artist! Somehow we got through the evening, but it wasn't easy...
I was on the phone to Paris very early the next morning and by mid morning thank goodness - with huge relief, Whitney and her family and personal team were on the plane....They landed and we whisked them through to the waiting limousines and off to the hotel - PHEW!
Whitney was friendly and her mother Cissy Houston was also there - I was trying to remember whether her aunt Dionne Warwick was there, but I don't think so. Things were moving very quickly - rehearsals and sound check on stage and we were quickly into the evening event. Whitney received a tumultuous reception and gave a good fast moving show, BUT those gorgeous high notes that we were all waiting for, especially on "I will always love you" were not there - Bless her, Whitney did her very best and it was good - but the joy of that extraordinary voice that we all loved so much had largely gone, at least in the top range.
I must confess I felt a wide range of emotions as I watched and later spoke with Whitney - she had a beautiful aura about her - I felt kindness and gentleness, but also a strange aloofness - almost as though she wasn't really there - but, looking at everything from a great height. I am not sure I am expressing myself very well - one thing I do know is that I felt deeply honoured to be in her presence and that I wanted to surround her with love and compassion. That last statement must sound a bit odd especially as some artists you just want to run a mile from them - but Whitney was (I felt) vulnerable, maybe that is the word I was looking for.
Whitney left and we all sighed huge sighs of relief - Jillie Bushell and her team had done a great job (as always) and I felt I had done a good job too.
This photo of Whitney was taken on stage during the second show that I contracted and worked on in 2008 - this was for the Caudwell Children's Trust "Butterfly Ball" - a wonderful charity that helps disabled children and their families - this show took place at a venue in Battersea Park in London - and what a night it was! Whitney was on great form - she looked happy and genuinely pleased to be there. The show was similar to the one she performed in Barcelona - the songs were great - the energy and fun was there - but we were still missing those startling high notes, that earlier in her career would have taken the roof off the venue.
I find it hard to think of that ebullient and happy Whitney, with the image of her passing at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills in California on February 11, 2012. Found in a bath, drowned with heart failure and with cocaine and other drugs in her body - Whitney, dear Whitney, be at peace now - we read of drugs and Bobby Brown her husband - we read all kinds of stories and now we learned of the awful news regarding her daughter found in a similar state - how can these things happen?
It is difficult to rationalise any of this - the drug route is a tortuous one and one that has destroyed the lives of many an artist's and their careers. Is it the pressure of fame and of always having to deliver night after night on stage? Is it the temporary highs and low's that inevitably affect an artist at the height of their fame? - Adulation; Wealth; Doubt; Worry; Will I be good enough tonight? These pressures can be enormous.
I don't know why Whitney Houston has left us - I do know she gave us great joy and happiness - the Guiness Book of Records cites her as the most awarded female artist of all time. She is one of pop music's best selling artists ever - An estimated 170 to 200 million records sold. Seven No.1 chart singles in Billboard's Hot 100. "I will always love you" is the best selling track by a women in music history.
Thank you for your music Whitney - I feel honoured to have met you and worked with you. RIP - May you be at peace
Thanks for reading
Peter
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