Whitney. Bobby. Splitting up. I think the dialog went something like this:
Bobby: I'm your baby tonight.
Whitney: Didn't we almost have it all?
Bobby: Whatchulookinat?
Whitney: It's not right, but it's ok.
Bobby: Exhale. I wanna dance with somebody.
Whitney: It isn't, it wasn't, it ain't never gonna be.
Bobby: I have nothing.
Whitney: My name is not Susan.
Bobby: Fine.
Whitney: Where do broken hearts go? How will I know? Gonna try it on my own. It's one of those days. I'm queen of the night.
Tasteless, perhaps. But the Whitney and Bobby saga that has been more than public for so many years is finally cresting. No one really knows what's going on between the two of them, but selfishly I'm hoping Whitney will produce a church album as a result of all this mess. Come back to the fold gurl, we're here for you.
I can still clearly recall the first time I heard 'Saving All My Love For You.' I was eight and had a major crush on one of the boys I knew in school. Some years later, my very first boyfriend played it on a cassette tape in his Ford Escort while we were parked in the forest preserve near my parents house. That track still evokes so many good memories for me.
When I was nine, 'How Will I Know' came out. Why any of us thought paint splattered shirts and those hideous elastic waist-band pants were stylish at the time is beyond me. But I wore them along with everyone else. My oldest sister had the same perm as Whitney in the video. Weren't we Dirty Dancing that same year?
When I turned ten, and eleven, and twelve, and thirteen, and damn near every year until 2003, there was a Whitney Houston song that became a part of the soundtrack of my life. 1999's 'It's Not Right But It's OK' still blows my mind when I hear it. And she tore it up remaking 'I Will Always Love You.' Whitney's version is still my favorite recording of that track ( sorry Dolly ) .
Despite her lifestyle choices, Whitney Houston gets every bit of love and respect that I can give her. We all have problems, but few of us have solutions. Let's hope that the next chapter in the life of Whitney Houston brings us more good music, and more milestones by which to mark our lives.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com
