I remember a specific summer when "I Want To Dance With Somebody" (still my favorite of her songs) was a colossal hit. I was staying over at my best friend's house. It was a Sunday morning and we were on the back stoop of the house, listening to Casey Kasem's Top 40 via a small portable radio. It was a lovely sunny day and when that song was played it was as if it was written and recorded for that singular moment. The warm sun in its mid-morning arch, the birds in the trees, the fun and laughter, the dancing. That song still takes me back there whenever I hear it. It makes me smile.
It's funny what we believe about stars when we are young. Jem & The Holograms might as well have been reality TV to my way of thinking. I once believed that all rock stars were friends. As if they lived in this big condo somewhere and always had broad smiles on their faces, because how could life be bad when you're a rock star? Rock stars, movie stars, and the like were all there to make us regular folk happy. How could their lives be anything but joyous? They were immune to problems.
In my head, I imagined that Whitney, Cyndi Lauper, and the Queen of Pop, Madonna were best friends and hung out together at malls, dressed just as they did in their videos. Cyndi, of course, was the kooky one. I imagined Tina Turner and Bette Midler would occasionally join them. In truth, that has probably happened, though with drag performers playing the parts. Such are the thoughts one was allowed to have before Entertainment Tonight turned from entertainment journalism into tabloid trash show and began reporting who said what about who, exposing the insecurities of the rich and famous.
Whitney Houston was an undeniable talent, but her star faded for me long before any of her drug issues. I don't really know why. That said, I respect what she gave to me. A Sunday morning on the back stoop of a house in Kentucky with my best friend. You have to respect anyone who writes a song just for you.
4 comments:
You know, Eric, she was my first fan crush I ever had. Not Madonna, not Cindy, not Tina Turner (though I love all of them) her two very first albums were the best in the 80's about pop with her unbelievable voice and beauty. But after those albums I lost any interest for her, except for one or two random songs. Though, I still care about her because se gave me such brilliant moments in my fifteen and sixteen years.
She will be missed, thanks for this post.
R.I.P.
That is easily my favorite pop song of all time, I could listen to that song anytime and it would make my day.
I love it when comes on at the gym, definitely perks me back up.
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