A Fond Farewell to a Fallen Giant

Just when I’d won my wrestling match with the fact the Don Cornelius from Soul Train was gone, I find out about Whitney Houston’s death while I’m out having dinner with friends. It immediately became the topic of the table, peppered with memories, regrets, dreams and opinions. We even got caught up in a conversation with the maitre d and the waiters. The doorperson at the entrance voiced her opinion as well. The one common string in the conversation was the greatness of Whitney as a singer and a performer. There’s no denying we all had at least 3 favorite Whitney songs on our playlists, and we all agreed that Whitney’s performance at the 1988 Olympics song “One Moment in Time” and her Star Spangled Banner performance at Superbowl XXV was the best singing we’d ever heard.

It was tough to dismiss it as another tragedy. Even though her life played out on the home screen, and through various tabloids, I was always able to pull a sense of pride from listening to her songs. There’s no denying her greatness nor her contributions to the music industry. Despite the stories that may surface in the next few weeks, some good, some bad, I won’t allow those statements to cloud the joy I’ve experienced from listening to Whitney sing from the heart. Rest comfortably, Whitney. I will always love you. Peace.