The world has never seen and will never again see a talent as great as that of Whitney Houston. The tall and slender little girl from Newark, New Jersey rose through the ranks in the industry to become the standard of what vocal excellence is and will continue to be. she may be the queen now, but as amazing as Beyoncé is, she doesn’t even hold a candle to Whitney Houston in her prime.
With what would have been her 50th birthday coming up later in the week, August 9, we decided to honor the vocal powerhouse by remembering some of her best live performances. There were plenty to choose from, which means somebody is going to have my head on a silver platter if their favorite live Whitney performance isn’t on here. Either way, reminisce with us about our favorite pop diva, Whitney Houston.
10. “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” Moment of Truth Tour (1987)
“Didn’t We Almost Have It All” is a sweet song about loss and regret, but you let a church-bred singer like Whitney Houston run free on a song like this and watch the sparks fly! Whitney was out here singing so hard she almost sang herself out of that wig!
9. “Greatest Love of All” Nelson Mandela Concert (1988)
Every time someone tries to remind us that Whitney Houston was just a mere singer rather than a singer-songwriter, Houston loyalists bring up this performance. Despite the studio version making us say it, we really had to ask, “George Benson who?” after Whitney Houston got finished putting her stamp all up and through this ballad.
8. “One Moment In Time” Grammy Awards (1989)
In 1989, Whitney Houston was just beginning to come into her own as an artist. She had recorded two successful albums and completed two profitable world tours. although she’d tasted success, she was still looking for that one defining moment. that moment came in 1989 when she performed the official Summer Olympics song, “One Moment In Time” at the 1989 Grammys. everyone knew Whitney could sing, but just listen to her hold that last note and you need not wonder any further about her talent!
7. “A Song For You” I’m Your Baby Tonight Tour (1991)
When you try to sing a Donny Hathaway song, you better come correct. And come correct Whitney did! She sang the hell out of “A Song For You” and brought back to life to slay it again! Damn Whitney, don’t hurt ‘em.
6. “I Will Always Love You” World Music Awards (1994)
1994 was the pinnacle year for Whitney Houston after her star turn in her feature film debut “The Bodyguard.” Although she always tore up the stage when it came time to stand and deliver Dolly Parton’s classic love song, her performance at the World Music Awards sent chills down everyone’s spine. And she did it with so much ease that you wanted to roll your eyes and call her a showoff!
5. “This Day” VH1 (1996)
What’s better than the greatest singer in the world singing one of Edwin Hawkins’ gospel classics? The only thing better than this would be seeing Jesus in the afterlife. Hallelujah!
4. “Why Does It Hurt So Bad” MTV Movie Awards (1996)
The first time I saw this performance, my exact words were, “She must have just had a fight with Bobby because she is sanging for life!” This is my favorite performance by Whitney, but in the interest of fairness, I’ll place others above this.
3. “Home” The Merv Griffin Show (1985)
If there were ever a single performance to announce the future Queen of Pop, it was her debut on “The Merv Griffin Show.” The future superstar took an ordinary Broadway showtune and turned it into an epic piece of pop balladry. Judging from the effortless manor she sang the hit song from “The Wiz,” Whitney knew she would be taking residence in our hearts for eternity.
2. “The Star Spangled Banner” Super Bowl (1991)
The world’s best singer singing our national anthem in a time of war was just the comfort our worried citizens needed during The Gulf War. This rendition was so great, it went to number one on the pop charts. It even made a reappearance at the top of the charts when 9/11 happened ten years later.
1. “Broadway Medley” American Music Awards (1994)
While she was riding “The Bodyguard” wave of success, Whitney Houston decided to show fans and industry insiders that she could sing the damn phone book and it would sound amazing. Whitney Houston gave a class on technical singing when she sang some of the most vocally challenging songs in music with ease. starting with the classic “I Loves You, Porgy, ” Whitney then slid into the “Dreamgirls” showstopper “And I’m telling You I’m Not Going” before torching the place with “I Have Nothing.”
Share some of your favorite live performances by the late pop diva Whitney Houston.
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