The girl sang Houston in her voice. Whitney Houston: a voice of five octaves is an unbearable burden

The words "Whitney Houston is dead" appeared on the screen of my BlackBerry.

Like many of us living in the era digital technologies, I learned about the death of a pop diva from SMS. The news sent by my 25-year-old daughter shocked me, and soon brought back precious memories of the days when she and her younger sister sang Houston's latest hit on the radio. They gave free rein to their voices in that gleeful, exuberant manner that only teenage girls could. (Imagine "and I-eee-I-eee-I will always love you" at a ridiculously deafening volume.)

Some high notes were not, of course, readily available to my girls in their spontaneous interpretation. But they were passionate about emulating Houston no matter what.

I've been hearing about a lot of Houston's problems throughout the week. But despite her struggles with drugs and alcohol, many people still have good memories of her and her songs.

Houston had the perfect vibrato. This effect was enhanced by its deceptively effortless aperture support. Houston sang chorus after chorus in hit after hit with a chesty, powerful voice, demonstrating iron-clad control over this part of her singing arsenal. And the amazing stamina to achieve this aspect of the singer's prowess separates the imitators from The Real McCoy.

You never noticed it, right? It's because she was so good at it.

Houston was famous for her wide range. Some of her songs cover quite a large vocal territory- from alto to the highest soprano. What was outstanding was that she almost never got out of it by switching to falsetto: you know, this is such a noisy-headed sound that men make when they poorly imitate female operatic singing.

Houston seemed to have no natural gaps between the high and low registers of her instrument. This unique quality stood out because when she switched to "head voice" she presented it as a delicate decoration, a precious design element in a phrase.

Her impeccable intonation is one of the reasons why her version of the American anthem "Star-Spangled Banner" became epic - it instills "confidence" in listeners. When every note is sung perfectly clean, as it was in the classic Houston performance, we relax and surrender. true beauty music.

She was more than just gifted with an instrument. Musicality Houston combines supernatural ability handling the material given to her with such experience and attention to detail that the song begins to belong to her and only her.

Her sense of musical balance allows her to choose the frequency of key passages of a song just "just right" before moving on to the next structural part of the song. And while her work became more melismatic as her career grew, she never overused the technique as some of her countless imitators did. She mostly performed them in intricate turns at the end of phrases or casually inserted between simply put melodic expressions. This allowed many of us to sing along to her full voice, for example, in a car. (And of course we've all done it)

And she made us feel.

By using musical structure and powerful performance, Houston was able to elevate a song, whether it be a long live version or a four-minute recording. Her sophisticated beauty along with her "come here/don't take another step or you'll be sorry" demeanor in front of the camera intrigued us.

What charisma she had! Of course, this infectious combination of beauty and talent was at least one reason why my youngest daughter- now aspiring operatic coloratura soprano - chose life path long dresses and tall notes. Miss Whitney's omnipresence in the media has made it a dream come true for many of the young women she has hypnotized.

Houston became a pop star the old way - not through male videos on YouTube or participation in "American Idol".

Her talent was discovered, she was given a record contract, she was provided with material, and the rest was hard, endless work. Now that she's gone, there's nothing we can do but remember: she and The Voice seemed like two different entities. Remember how she presented this voice; how she allowed us to witness what she obviously enjoyed herself.

Whitney Houston(August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012) went down in history as one of the world's best singers. According to many, she became best voice America ever born. Houston's two-decade career was marked by the recording of iconic singles with virtuoso performances that will forever be sewn into the fabric of American and world culture. That's why when the singer was found dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel room on February 11, 2012, the public outcry was so great. Such talents are too rare and the feeling that we will never hear her voice live has become too painful.

Below are ten interesting facts from the life of the queen of soul, the owner of a unique voice in 5 octaves of Whitney Houston.

drugs

In 2002, Whitney Houston, in a television interview with Oprah Winphy, admitted that she used drugs, alcohol, and psychotropic drugs. Soon the singer called this addiction big stupidity. In the spring of 2011, Whitney was included in the rehabilitation program.

Houston fan

In 1993 in London, an ardent Houston fan, 20-year-old Helen Stevens, was imprisoned for a week, who haunted her neighbors with the loudly played song I Will Always Love You, which bothered them even through soundproofing.

Hymn

In 2002, Saddam Hussein made "I Will Always Love You" his campaign anthem.

It is curious that when she first read the script for the film "The Bodyguard", Houston categorically refused to shoot in it, saying that the heroine of the picture is "hysterical" and that she would never behave like that. Kevin Costner, director and producer of the film, had great difficulty in convincing Whitney to play the part.

Choir soloist

At the age of 11, Whitney became a soloist in the choir at the church. After that, people began to come to church not so much to attend the service as to listen young talent.

Whitney Houston's hit I Will Always Love You, which gave her lifelong fame, was written by country singer Dolly Parton in 1974. Elvis Presley intended to re-record this song, wanting to buy half of the rights, but Parton refused him. After the hit was performed by Whitney Houston in the film "The Bodyguard", Parton earned $ 6 million on the rights alone. This soundtrack became the best-selling of all soundtracks - 43 million copies.

WHFC Charity Foundation

In 1989, Houston created her charitable foundation, WHFC. On the collected funds organizations built city parks and playgrounds, and held Christmas parties every year. Getting married in 1992, the singer asked all her guests to donate to WHFC instead of gifts.

First album

Her first album, released in 1985, became the most successful debut female album in the history of music - in just a year in America, it sold 13 million copies and stayed at the top of the prestigious chart for 14 consecutive weeks.6 1

field must not be empty From the moment Whitney Houston first opened her mouth to sing, it became clear that she was just made for vocals. The daughter of Sizzy Houston, a well-known rhythm and blues singer in her circles, young Whitney grew up in musical environment. She was a regular member of the church children's choir, dreaming of working "on vocals", like her mother. However, by the time she was eleven years old, it became clear that vegetating "on vocals" was not what was destined for her. When Whitney one day took the stage to sing a solo part, the power and expressiveness of her singing made many parishioners burst into tears. Despite her shyness, the successful combination of her exceptional natural beauty and her unusually pleasant modulated soprano predetermined her success. solo career Whitney. Houston first began performing professionally as a supporting vocalist for Chuck Khan and Lou Rawls. At the same time, Houston worked as a model in teen magazines, flaunting on the covers of publications such as Seventeen and Glamour. She continued to study dance and acting, making several television appearances and occasional concert appearances. But these performances were only the first test of strength before the start of a brilliant career destined for Whitney by fate. This was understood by herself and her inner circle. A few weeks after she turned eighteen, Houston signed a contract with renowned manager Gene Harvey. Under his guidance, Houston continued her modeling career, increased her acting and dance classes, and intensified her voice work. After a couple of years, which were devoted to the formation of her vocal skill and networking in music world, Houston was already ready for a big job. In 1985, she signed a contract with the record company Arista Records. The firm's president, Clive Davis, had a reputation for being patient in selecting the best repertoire for his players, not to mention giving them plenty of time to perfect their art. Two years passed before Whitney released her first LP (long-playing record). She advertised for herself speaking to bosses. music business, appeared in television shows, helped her consultants in the selection of repertoire and, of course, worked on her voice. Houston's first self-titled album produced three top singles at once: "Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "The Greatest Love of All". With 13 million copies sold, Whitney set a sales record debut album for a solo artist. (It was beaten in 1996 by Alanis Morissette and her album Jagged Little Pill.) "Saving All My Love for You" won Houston her first Grammy Award (for a total of this moment there are five), and she spent the next two years on the road supporting the album. More greater success anticipated her next album, Whitney, released in 1987. Not only was it the first album by a woman to reach No. 1 on the charts, but it also made Houston the first female artist in history to reach the top seven of the charts at once, surpassing the former record of the Beatles and the Bee Gees. dance lessons and acting skills also paid off, giving her the opportunity to create dynamic clips on MTV. To promote Whitney, Houston went on tour again, and 1990 saw the release of I‚m Your Baby Tonight, a more danceable, technically advanced album. Meanwhile, Whitney began to accumulate fatigue. Five years of continuous touring began to make themselves felt. Houston decides to take a vacation and finally get acquainted with his acquisition - an 11 millionth villa in New Jersey, as well as put his personal life in order. After short romances with J. Jackson, Eddie Murphy and Randall Cunningham, Houston is seriously interested in rhythm and blues performer with a bad reputation Bobby Brown. In 1992, in the presence of eight hundred guests, their wedding took place. Many of those present were skeptical, but could do nothing to help. By the time of the marriage, Brown already had some baggage: three illegitimate children from two women. Nevertheless, despite many public scandals almost from the first day of the wedding, Houston continues to love her husband. Recently, she said this about him: “He a real man. He takes care of me. Now I don’t have to be afraid of anything, because I know he will give a good kick to anyone ... just try to hit him and you will be in trouble. Brown's constant love affairs and hooligan antics, not to mention occasional conflicts with the law, make Houston, in the eyes of some observers, worthy of pity and sympathy. Others note that she herself is a woman with whom it is quite difficult to get along. Whitney has a reputation capricious prima donna. Suffice it to recall the unpleasant episode when Houston arrived two hours late at dinner party in the White House in honor of Nelson Mandela, saying in his defense only: "Oh, I just got back from tour," - although last concert was with her four days ago. Since 1990, Houston has been able to consistently maintain its popularity, although it has significantly reduced the number of public speaking. It cannot be said that Whitney spends time in idleness: constantly overcoming the difficulties that haunt her in her personal life, the singer managed to become a mother, giving birth to a girl named Christina, and conquer the world of cinema. Her first picture, "The Bodyguard", brought the creators of $ 400 million and the most successful soundtrack that has ever been released. The number of copies sold reached 33 million, thanks in large part to the unusual interpretation of Houston classical theme Dolly Parton "I Will Always Love You" In 1995, the singer continued her acquaintance with cinema, starring in the drama Waiting To Exhale, a film about a successful black woman looking for a life partner. Houston's third and so far last film was The Preacher's Wife. This picture did not become a box office champion, but the soundtrack for it showed that the pop diva has not lost touch with her roots, which lie deep in gospel music. Houston makes a great contribution to the charitable movement, participates in various foundations and organizations. The singer also established her own children's fund. Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, non-profit organization, whose activity is to help homeless children and children with cancer or AIDS. On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The singer was found unconscious in the bathroom of her hotel room by her aunt Mary Jones. They tried to bring her back to life with the help of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but to no avail - death was registered at 15:55 US Pacific Coast time. The police rule out the violent nature of the death. The 54th Grammy ceremony was dedicated to Houston.

And iTunes. Such a rise in sales cannot be called a surprise; rather, it is a natural consequence of the rising wave of interest in the singer's work.

In 1987, Houston received her first Grammy Award for Saving All My Love For You, and her superstar status was cemented by the 1992 film The Bodyguard, in which she co-starred and sang the song "I Will Always Love You". " (I will always love you). This composition, which has become a worldwide hit, opened on Sunday. Whitney Houston entered the history of music and as a performer who has a record number of major music awards.

I Will Always Love You

The last song that Houston performed in public was "Yes, Jesus Loves Me", a spontaneous performance of the singer took place at the Tru Club in Hollywood on the evening of February 9, two days before the tragedy. The voice of incredible range and purity, the appearance of a top model and the charm of a girl next door made Whitney the idol of millions, and her marriage to rapper Bobby Brown became a tabloid heroine.

The relationship between Brown and Houston, which was constantly accompanied by trips to rehabilitation centers, rumors of infidelity and problems with the law, just got out of hand in the fall of 2005. “They fought like a cat with a dog. They could argue over what to eat for dinner and who would wash the dishes. Because of all sorts of nonsense. But always with screams,” familiar couples told the press.

Since the 2000s, the name of the singer has increasingly begun to appear on the pages of the press, primarily in connection with drug use, and not with musical activities.

The "yellow press" for a long time relished stories about the singer's addiction to drugs, as well as gossip about her difficult family life, beatings that she got from her husband. In 2005, they starred together in the controversial TV show Being Bobby Brown, which ended with Whitney leaving her husband.

This was followed by a long and painful divorce (officially Houston and Brown have been divorced since 2007). From the consequences of this divorce, Whitney apparently was never able to fully recover. Last May, the media reported that Whitney Houston was undergoing outpatient treatment.

The singer's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is taking the death of her mother very hard. Sunday morning from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Whitney Houston died on Saturday, the cause of hospitalization was the effects of severe stress.

Bobby Brown found out about the death of his ex-wife on Saturday before his concert, and, going on stage, he said: "I love you Whitney. The most difficult thing for me was to go on this stage." Later, the rapper told the media that he was very saddened by the death of Whitney: "At this moment, I ask that you do not disturb us, especially my daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I appreciate all the condolences sent to me and my family at this difficult moment."

Should be released in August 2012 last movie with Whitney Houston - the musical drama "Sparkle" (Sparkle), where she plays the role of the mother of three sisters participating in the successful musical group forced to deal with the consequences of fame and drug addiction. Whitney Houston also served as the film's producer and contributed several songs to the soundtrack.

No words! Just tears

The singer wrote on her blog: "No words! Just tears" - "No words! Just tears."

Whitney Houston was born in the family of religious singer Sissy Houston. Singer and TV presenter Dionne Warwick was her aunt, and she was baptized by soul music queen Aretha Franklin. Rotating in such an environment is very conducive to the development of talent, and the singer's own debut took place when Whitney Houston was 11 years old - at a speech in a Baptist church.

It seemed that the Lord himself was patronizing her talent: the first album of the singer “ Whitney Houston"(1985) brought the singer the first award - "Grammy" in the nomination "Best Female Pop Vocal", and the Guinness Book of Records calls Whitney Houston"Most Awarded Performer".

World fame and superstar status came to Whitney Houston in 1992, thanks to the film, the song from which “I Will Always Love You” [“I will love you forever”] instantly became famous. The role of the bodyguard in this film was played by Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner. This song spent 14 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and is still considered the most commercially successful female pop single in history. The album has been certified double platinum since 2009. Whitney Houston"I Look To You".

Whitney Houston can be safely called a “ploughman” from music - over her more than 30-year career, the artist has released more than 170 million discs, her discography includes 53 singles, 6 studio albums, 5 collections and 3 soundtracks, and filmography - 5 films, filming in three TV series, producing 5 films. The singer traveled six times Earth with a world tour.

It seems that life Whitney Houston- work, work and work again, however, a singer of this magnitude had enough time for her personal life: Whitney Houston She was married to Bobby Brown, a singer from the R&B group New Edition. In 1993, the couple had a daughter, Christina Houston-Brown (died in 2015).

Whitney was not only beautiful in face, but also slender: height Houston was 1 m 73 cm, and weight - 64 kg.

The fact of excessive drug use by the singer is widely known. What led the owner of a luxurious voice of five octaves to drug use, in fact, no one can know. It is known that the singer had to face such a problem in her life as disappointment in a failed marriage. herself Houston said that “the biggest problem in my life is myself”.

In 2013 Whitney Houston would have celebrated her 50th birthday, but she died on February 11, 2012 in a room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. What happened to her? Owner of the most beautiful voice in the soul genre on the planet…mixed alcohol with antidepressants. Biography Whitney Houston counted such a number of conquered peaks of success, and her life was cut short so prosaically ...

It turns out God's gift for a person can be an unbearable burden? ..

One of the most famous hits Whitney Houston- "I Will Always Love You"