Whitney Houston RIP

Another talent lost to us, Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48.

Whitney Houston’s voice and presence will not be soon forgotten. While I hadn’t originally considered her one of my musical influences, I now remember spending many hours singing along with Whitney’s debut album when it came out (on vinyl – yes, I’m dating myself ;-)) Night after night, after my parents had gone to bed, I’d belt her songs into a hairbrush in the family room. Whitney’s voice then had power, range, and emotion, and learning from her records was one way I learned to sing before I began formal voice lessons. And her music was the soundtrack of many life experiences, so she was like a big sister, always there.

Here’s a video of “The Greatest Love of All” performed by Whitney Houston, the song that introduced many of us to that voice.