My Almost Whitney Houston Moment

Sometimes we have an opportunity to see or experience someone right at the precipice of superstardom. 

For me, it was 1985, Atlanta. Whitney Houston was to appear at The Moonshadow Saloon. Admission was $6. 

It was all over the radio that a week or two later, she would be a household name.

Knowng it was a rare opportunity, I nevertheless decided not to go so I could work on a special project for work.

Even so, Whitney has always been a friend [in my mind – as talk show host Wendy Williams would say.] I never forgot that missed concert. Indeed, a short time later she burst onto the music charts and became a no. 1 artist with songs that fans instantly learned the words to, such as "Saving All My Love for You."

In exchanging text messages with a friend on the news of her death, Saturday evening, a friend wrote, “It’s just crazy. When will it end?”

Meaning, these deaths are jolting. As disorienting as it is to suddenly have to accept her unexpected death, my faith tells me she is at peace and singing joyfully with God.

Hopefully, she will be remembered less for her struggles, and more for what she brought to music and entertainment.