The tragic, accidental death of Whitney Houston did, at first, threaten to overshadow her vast catalog of essential material, but the passage of time has restored at some measure of balance to her public perception. Still, though, it will never really be the same. Many of our greatest singers led lives laced with sadness and self-harm, while a few–Joplin, Winehouse, Billie Holiday–are forever defined by it. Despite all the rumors and gossip and jokes, which did as much to help shorten her life as the alcohol and drugs did, Whitney’s demons never really constituted the true existential threat that they did for so many others, but still they killed her.
All the same, Whitney Houston’s legacy remains one of joy, and that is what will be celebrated by the Jax Symphony at Jacoby Hall, inside the Times-Union Center, on Friday and Saturday nights, March 18 and 19. The band will be led by Assistant Conductor Daniel Wiley, who also serves as Music Director of the Jax Symphony Youth Orchestra. Stepping in for the legend, behind the microphone, will be N’Kenge, who has performed with the Jax Symphony in the past, notably in “LEGENDS”, a Diana Ross tribute, presented in March 2018.
With a background that includes extensive work in pop, opera and soul, N’Kenge has already been nominated for the Emmy and the Grammy. She’s a Broadway veteran, most recently earning praise for her work in “Caroline, or Change”. She’s performed all over the world, including that holy trinity of New York concert halls, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Madison Square Garden. She’s also been a featured performer with symphony orchestras in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Seattle, to name just a few, in addition to working with jazz legends like Wynton Marsalis and Ornette Coleman. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, hsa called her “the most versatile artist I know”, which is rare praise from a man not known for loose talk about such things.
Younger readers may not be acquainted with Whitney Houston, beyond just the hits, but a deep dive into her back catalogue can be quite fun.Blessed with an almost genetic predisposition for success in the music industry, Houston (1963-2012) took one of the most pure voices of the modern era and paired it with top-shelf production, much of which was directly overseen by Clive Davis himself. All seven of her studio albums went at least gold, and most went platinum, with the first three hitting #1 on the album charts; her seven consecutive #1 singles remains an industry record that will probably never be broken. By the time her first decade in the spotlight was over, she was already established as one of the all-time greats. The next decade saw Houston surpass achievements that were already unprecedented.
Houston was only 27 when she sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV. It remains arguably the definitive version of perhaps the most performed and (thanks to TV) most recorded non-religious song in the history of the world; of course, you partisans for Jimi Hendrix and/or Marvin Gaye do have very strong cases to make. She followed that by co-starring in “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner in 1992. Is the movie great? Nope, but it’s good. Both stars were at the peaks of their powers, and the chemistry was positively palpable.
“Bodyguard” is notable for being a very rare instance of a major US pop star making a major movie that wasn’t clearly awful, and that is an achievement that sets her apart from almost all of her peers, aside from Prince, Beyonce and, most recently, Lady Gaga. It made over $400 million worldwide, on a budget of just $25 million, so there’s that. Also, the soundtrack sold 45 million copies. One of the songs was a Dolly Parton cover called “I Will Always Love You”, which most human beings have heard at least once.
How many American female artists can exceed Whitney Houston, in terms of sheer clout? Aretha Franklin, Beyonce and Madonna are the only ones indisputably in her league, in terms of record sales, awards, longevity, crossover appeal. We could name plenty of others worthy of discussion, and time will render its own judgment on that, but it’s currently unclear if anyone will ever top her run in the 1980s and early ‘90s. And all those who try will be operating from a playbook that was largely developed by her. Houston thankfully lived at least long enough to know how much she was valued by her fans, and occasions like this concert provide an opportunity to experience her music in a pretty interesting new context.
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