She is on her way to the big Apollo up high by Kiana Douby, staff reporter
According to The New York Times, Houston was considered by many to be a “singer’s singer” who had an influence on countless other vocalists, both female and male. Similarly, Steve Huey from All music wrote that ‘the shadow of Houston’s prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singer – male or female – in her wake, and spawned a legion of imitators.’
Her biography featured in Rolling Stone stated that Houston “redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey toBeyoncè.” Essence ranked Houston the fifth on their list of 50 Most Influential R&B Stars of all time, calling her “the diva to end all divas.”
In 2008, Rolling Stone listed Houston as the thirty-fourth of the 100 greatest singers of all time, stating, “Her voice is a mammoth, coruscating cry: Few vocalists could get away with opening a song with 45 unaccompanied seconds of singing, but Houston’s powerhouse version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is a tour de force.”
“I was surprised that a beautiful singer would stoop that low and do drugs. I would definitely remember her by her singing. Of course I think Bobby Brown was the cause of her death because he was the one that hooked her up on drugs,” said junior, Talitha Forbes.
Houston’s vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. She has been called the ‘Queen of Pop’ for her influence during the 1990s. Elysa Gardner of the Los Angeles Times in her review for The Preacher’s Wife Soundtrack praised Houston’s vocal ability highly. “She is first and foremost a pop diva – at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star – not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone, and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama.”
“I believed she was an icon to many and paved the way for many other women, especially those of color, to become inspired and pursue their dreams,” said educational assistant, Ms. Douggan. “I knew Whitney before her ‘downward spiral,’ and that was the Whitney that I will always remember. I like to stay positive and look at the best in people. No one is perfect in this world, although she had some major issues and was criticized for them, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that she was a great singer and should always be remembered as such.”