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Have I no control?
Is my soul not mine?
Am I not just man?
Just to be defined
Never to be ruled
Nor held to yeild
Not Heaven or Hell
Just the land between
Am I not man?
Is my heart not weak?
No law, no God, no hate, no pity, no pain, just me.
Comprehend how to learn
Some of us die just to choose our way
Never to be ruled
Nor held to yeild
Nor Heaven nor Hell
Just the land between
And am I not man?
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I love and why do feel that I carry a sword through a battle field?
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I fight and why do feel that I carry a sword through a battle field?
Like a path to Heaven or a road to Hell
Our choices are our own consequence is mine
We are the kings of wisdom the fools as well
We are the Gods to many, we are humbled man
We will build great works just to break them down
We'll make our rules so we never fail
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I love and why do feel that I carry a sword through a battle field?
So why do I love when I still feel pain?
When does it end, when is my work done?
Why do I fight and why do feel that I carry a sword, that I carry a sword through a battle field?
She hides her sadness
In the liquids that she drinks
Consuming everything in her reach
She hides her moral
Behind a wall of bloodshot eyes
Leaving reasons as a faint and vague idea
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
And all her friends
That used to hang around her house
Are gone along with her self respect
Her mind was shattered
By the coincidence of life
And she's now beyond redemption in the dark
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
She feels no joy
From the bottom of her well
She sees no light
In every corner of her world
itsumo kuchi kara de makase bakkari shabetteru
IESU, NO- docchira demo nai koto mo aru deshou
itsu datte sekai wa watashi wo tanoshiku sasete
itsuka ugokanaku naru toki made asonde ne
shakushaku yoyuu de kurashitai yakusoku datte mamoritai
dareka wo aisu koto nante hontou wa totemo kantan da
zuibun tooku made nagare nagarete setsunai n' desu
taisetsu na omoide sae wasurete yukisou desu
tashika na kimi ni aitai hyakunen saki mo soba ni itai
donna ni hanarebanare demo futari wo tsunagu jumon wa J.O.Y
kashi no ki ga yureru hi wa, sugu ni omoidashite ne. watashi
itsumo kuchi kara de makase bakkari shabetteru
unmei wa hitsuzen ja naku guusen de dekiteru
itsu made tattemo wakannai yakusoku datte yaburitai
dareka wo aisu koto nante tokidoki totemo konnan da
tashika na kimi ni aitai hyakunen saki mo soba ni itai
donna ni hanarebanare demo futari wo tsunagu jumon wa J.O.Y
shinu made DOKIDOKI shitai wa
shinu made WAKUWAKU shitai wa
I got the joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy (3X)
Down in my heart (2X)
Down in my heart to stay
(repeat)
I got the light, light, light, light, light, light (3X)
Down in my heart (2X)
Down in my heart to stay
(repeat)
I got the love, love, love, love, love, love (3X)
Down in my heart (2X)
Down in my heart to stay
(repeat)
the Lone Ranger sold his wardrobe
the Lone Ranger sold his bad dog
well you saw him and you could hardly know
cos times change.... I know
some days he's more than humble
on some days he's cold and mad, mad as hell
well you saw him and you can hardly know
it's so strange.... and well I, I know
those lakes of golden water
those lakes of gold are all running out
well you saw him and you could hardly know
it's so strange... and well I, I know
joy, joy, joy
work, work, work harder
sure as the hours
joy, joy, joy
work, work, work harder
you say
[Yubin]
Nugudo nal ihe mothe niga negen saraganun iyurangol machi
Orejonbutho urinjonghejyo issodon unmyong gathi
Naegen nomani piryohe naegen nomani tugbyorhe
Orenshigani hurundahedo naegen nomani sojunghe
[Woohyun]
Narul keunun hessalsoge dalkhomhan hyanggiga nukkyojyo
Jal jaradon ni ibsul ajig ne gyothe inundud
[Youngwon]
Kumul kunungon anigeji nege gideo usumtin sajinsoge norul ango murobwa
[Woohyun]
Irohge hengboghedo doenungonji nan gakkumsshig duryowo
Orinaichorom solleida nol ashwiumsoge deryodajugo doraoltemyon
[Youngwon]
Saranghandago marhejwo sehayan gu songirul ne pume mudgo sesang modu nal tonado
Nomanun nawahamke issulgorago uri onurun yagsoghe duriso maju anja chodburul kyogo
Soro jichigo himdulte isungan gioghamyo usulsu ige urisarang
[Donghwa]
Noui misonun achim hessalchorom nege tumyonghan malgun
Semmulchorom gure onjena negeman boyojwo
Na yogshi nol bomyon hengboghe
[Jumin]
Machi orinai gathun misoro ije noege ne gajin modungol jugesso
Da yagsoghagesso naui unmyongkajido nege golgesso
[Youngwon]
Bogoshiphdanun noui umsong bamse durodo hengboghe norul mannal neiri gidaryojyo
[Woohyun]
Irohge hengboghedo doenungonji nan gakkum duryowo
Orinaichorom solleida nol ashwiumsoge deradajugo doraoltemyon
[Youngwon]
Saranghandago marhejwo sehayan gu songirul ne pume mudgo sesang modu nal tonado
Nomanun nawa hamke issulgorago uri onurun yagsoghe duriso maju anja chodburul kyogo
What dem ah defend man
Yo from uno deal with the righteousness
rise yuh hand lemme see uno hand
hmmm mmmm yea man ah just...
Well I say let Jah rise and all his enemies be scattered
and let them not also fight and flee before him
mmm mmm mmm oy dem wah destroy ah we joy all ah the joy
Ah the joy, them cyar destroy ah we joy
the ghetto youths them full them up ah joy
Ah we joy, them wah destroy ah we joy
cyar touch we joy
Well then ah the joy, them cy...
Well ah the joy
Well the ghetto youths nah mix up inna wrong dealin
and is them wisdom them keepin
good herbs ah bun herbs we deh smokin
You come and buss yuh gun and yuh button beatin
Me nah trouble you with yuh pretty girl sleepin
Me nah trouble you when you got yuh food eatin
So 'low the ghetto youth you sight them strivin
Me go see say yuh defile and yuh sin
Well then ah the joy, them wah destroy ah the joy
cyar touch we joy
Oy ah the joy, them wah destroy ah the joy
cyar touch me joy
Well me nah business bout the big guns what yuh keepin
And me no business if yuh carry bad feelin'
Me no matter if you drink no tea this mornin'
Be free when is people yuh greetin'
Me no business bout yuh politics meeting'
Me no business the religeon wheh yuh seekin'
Inna the ghetto youth business you deh peepin'
Yuh dis the ghetto girl well then ah lightnin'
Ah we joy, them wah destroy ah we joy
cyar touch we joy
Yo ah we joy, them wah destroy ah we joy
cyar touch me joy
Well youths burn and the ghetto youths lootin'
Table turn and the ghetto youths shootin'
Ghetto youth say them tired of the sufferin'
and them nah wah no leader whey dah take counselin'
Them use them money and build up them big buildin'
and wuk the people them from mornin til evenin'
Pastor ah laugh 'cause him collect all the offerin'
and the church sister ketch them grinin'
Well then ah the joy, them wah destroy ah the joy
cyar touch we joy
Yo ah we joy, them wah destroy ah we joy
cyar touch me joy
When the giddeon buss then what a thing
When Stone Hill people them start to fling
pon PJ, Seaga and Bruce Golding
The mad man say this year him want some upful livin'
Him tell PJ say him nah wah nyam outa rubbish bin
Him bun mister Lo mister Wong and mister Ching
You put the youth pon chalk line put them inna ring
Yo them go nyam off Jah Jah doh ___
So me hide the cow them and me hide the pigeon
Yo ah the joy, them wah destroy ah the joy
whole ah the...
Ah the joy, them wah destroy ah the joy
Ah the joy
Well then ah the joy them way destroy ah we joy
cyar touch we joy
Well then ah we joy them way destroy ah we joy
cyar touch me joy
Well, the youths nah inna no wrong dealin
good herbs ah bun chalice we deh smokin
You bring yuh gun and yuh button beatin
Togetherness vibes we keepin
Yo me nah trouble you with yuh girl sleepin
Me nah molest you when you got yuh food eatin
So 'low the ghetto youth you see them all prosperin
Me go see say yuh defile and yuh sin
Wooaahh! yeah
on top of the world
Yeah, that's how my seeds got me feeling' right now
on top of the world
Yeah, you ever felt like you could do anything, (Yeah)
on top of the world
(?) I'ma hold y'all down for real, (Gotcha!)
It was 1996, 4th of July, looking off in the sky
dealing with thoughts inside, when something caught my eye
It was a silhoutte of a beautiful woman, bright with life
carrying my first seed, looking like she gone bear fruit tonight
We at the African street festival, and she walking around
talking about the midwife said, that bring the baby down
I'm about to be a father, the sights and sounds, seem brighter around me
and for starters, I know I'ma work harder, word
We got home at three in the morning, I was beat
them contractions started coming as soon as I fell asleep
3:05, like every five minutes, then the water broke
we on the go, yelling at the cabbie, cause he's sort of slow
You know them hospitals all trying to get paid, no questions
hear come the doctor's with they drugs, trying to do c-sections
But my baby stay's strong, in labor for yay long
eight-pound baby boy, to carry my name on, joy!
Huh, yeah
I know how you feel, Kweli I know how you feel
(That's the sound of joy)
See my brother, I know how you feel, Kweli, I know how you feel
(That's the sound of joy)
So when you, have a seed, come in the world, say dog that shit's real
(That's the sound of joy, y'all)
Huh, Kweli, yo I know how you feel, Kweli, yo I know how you feel
My baby girl
June 10th, 1999, I been on the grind
since the birth of my son, it's been about, way more then rhymes
Baby on the way, my lady glowing today, at least
that's what the midwife said, on the phone
Anyway, the music got me going away
Like everyday, but it's a blessing, so I gotta have patience
and she got pregnant on a Jamaican vacation
So it's all good, this time well have the baby in a house
I went the hospital route, I know what they all about (Never again)
So I'm out on tour, in Baltimore
get the call around four, when the water hit the floor (Damn!)
I gotta rock my show, but I gotta go
got second thoughts about her not going, to the hospital
I left the show early, Mos held me down, good looking (No doubt)
call the car service, like, take me straight to Brooklyn (Uh huh)
Got the news in the car, stayed sorta calm
but I cried tears of joy, when they put my daughter in my arms, how precious!
Huh, huh
Said I know how you feel, uh, said I know how you feel when you
(My precious joy)
Said I know how you feel, uh, Kwe I know how you feel
(I know you do, huh, my precious joy y'all)
Huh, uh, said I know how you feel (yeah), said I know how you feel
(My precious joy)
Huh, man I know how you feel (yeah), said I know how you feel
I do it for the seeds y'all, in they formative years when they need y'all
we gotta believe, in what we conceive y'all, it's deep y'all
I give them the truth, so they approach the situation, with ammunition
I keep nothing away, they hear everything, cause they know how to listen
Teach them the game, so they know they position, so they can grow
and make decisions, that change the world, and break old tradition
They put kids in jail, for a life they ain't even get to start
that's murder too, and it's breaking my heart, it's breaking our nation apart
We gave the youth all the anger, it's just
we ain't taught them, how to express it, and so it's dangerous
You can't talk to them
Unless your language is relating to what they going through
so busy ignoring them, you can't see what they showing you
And you wonder, why we called baby-daddy's and baby-momma's
when we grow up, we can't act like adult mothers and fathers, yo
I'm so blessed to have a boy and a girl, everyday they bring joy to my world
Huh, yeah
I know how you feel, Kweli I know how you feel
(That's the sound of joy)
Brother Kwe', I know how you feel, Brother Kwe', I know how you feel
(Baby girl, my precious joy)
Kweli, I know how you feel, say bro' I know how you feel
(Fela, be my joy, yo)
Huh, if you know how the people feel, let me really know how you...yo
Joy was her name
A life un-wed
Thirty years old,
Never danced a step
She would have left these red hills
Far behind if not for her condition
Would have left these red hills
Long ago if not for my condition
Pitiful joy
She looked away
Into a hollow sky
Came face to face
With her own innocence surrounding her
Until it never was a question
Innocence so suffocating
Now she cannot move, no question
No hope for joy
No hope or faith
She wanted to go blind
Wanted hope to stay
";I've been believing in nothing since I was born
It never was a question";
No !
Joy was her name
A life un-wed
Thirty years old
Never danced a step
She would have left these red hills far behind if not for her condition
"Would have left these red hills far behind if not for my condition"
Pitiful Joy
She looked away
Into a hollow sky
Came face to face
With her own innocence surrounding her until it never was a question
Innocence so suffocating, now she cannot move, no question
No hope for Joy
No hope or faith
She wanted to go blind
Wanted hope to stay
"I've been believing in nothing since I was born, it never was a
[instrumental]
Sabes bien que tus palabras saben como confundir y como hay que escapar, pero no tienes salida estamos frente a frente aquí a dónde crees que vas? Se acabo no existe otro remedio ven acá ahora es el momento.
No quiero tres deseos, ni océanos de dinero yo quiero que me quieras lo demás que más me da . No quiero las estrellas, ni el azul del mar si estás siempre a mi lado el mundo entero me da igual.
Sabes no me importa el tiempo que me tenga que esperar, te quiero escuchar necesito esas palabras que me expliquen la verdad y que no esperarán.
Se acabó no existe otro remedio ven acá ahora es el momento.
No quiero tres deseos... ...
yo me muero en tu paz.
Se acabó no existe otro remedio ven acá...
No quiero tres deseos...
No quiero las estrellas ni el azul del mar. What what!
Written by: Harry Nilsson
Vocals: Harry Nilsson
Piano: Nicky Hopkins
Pedal Steel Guitar: Red Rhodes
Drums: Barry Morgan
Bass: Klaus Voorman
Acoustic Guitar: John Uribe
Electric Guitar: Peter Frampton
Percussion: Ray Cooper
The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said come here,
I'm gonna make you my joy boy
Well, things went good and things went bad
Now everytime I think of Joy
It makes me sad
It makes me... sad
The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said Roy!
I'm gonna make you my joy boy
Well, she took me for a ride
Sort of a joy ride
Now everytime I thik of Joy
I get all weird inside
Oh, Joy to the world
Was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow
Now--if you haven't got an answer
Then you haven't got a question
And if you never had a question
Then you'd never have a problem
But if you never had a problem
Well, everyone would be happy
But if everyone was happy
There'd never be a love song
Joy was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow
The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said, Come here,
I wanna make you feel all clammy inside
Things went good good and things went bad
Things went good... things went bad
Good, bad, good, bad, good, bad
Joy to the world
Was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow
Oh, Joy to the world
Was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow
Joy, I know you're out there
Joy....
Chorus: Joy is in the ears that hear
Let it's song succeed
Laughter is the bane of fear
And all the hope we need
1. Let all who are most serious
And fearful on this day
Take lessons from our Giant friends
Or children at their play
For ever in the midst of woe
It helps if we recall
That laughter is a medicine
More potent than them all
Chorus
2. When all our banners dragged the dust
And all our hands were chained
In haunted caverns of the earth
Our laughter yet remained
And ever as we lost our dreams
The joy would bid them nigh
Until at last we left the dark
And laughed beneath the sky
Chorus
3. Though ever in this darkling world
Our enemies grow strong
It helps us to remember
That their reign cannot be long
And though it seems forever
As we hold them still at bay
It helps to know that laughter
Yeah, I poisoned myself but I survived the thrill of life
I altered my state of mind so I could fly, mmm
Yeah, travelled beyond my pedestrian ties
My innocence, yeah, and those sweet lies
I rode in that car as far as it would take me, take me
I don't need no gun
I walk into the sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
Fun into the sun
Find what's going on
Your velvet tear rolled down my back
Your arms wrapped tight around me
I felt so good knowing that you could let go with me, yeah
I don't need no gun
I walk into your sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
I don't need the sun
To find what's going on
Crazy hippie girl
Soft lips make me swirl
More than I can feel
Mystery to me
Yeah-hey-yeah
Joy d'vivre, yeah
Mysterious life, what do you hold for us in your cloak?
I begin to shake, your horses, they are frightening me, well
I don't need no gun
I walk into your sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
I don't need the sun
To find what's going on
Crazy hippie girl
Soft lips make me swirl
More than I can feel
A mystery to me
Had my child son
I'm a young king now
Hey mysterious life
Holy criticised
Yeah-hey-yeah
Yeah-hey-yeah
Joy d'vivre...
Listen to the music
The sound of the angels
Come and see the child
Who can make you whole
Lying in a manger
Away from harm and danger
Oh joy in my soul
Oh joy, joy down in my soul
Sweet beautiful soul saving joy
Oh joy, joy, joy in my soul
Joy, joy, joy in my soul oh
He sent from up above
This special gift of love
More precious than silver or gold
He was sent this holiday
To take our pain away
Go tell it on the mountain
Shout it from a valley
Tell about the baby in swaddling clothes
Men in every nation
Join the celebration
Way down deep joy
Joy, joy, joy
I've got joy
Way down deep inside my soul joy
Unspeakable joy
Hey, hey, hey
There is a joy in a sweet word that's been spoken
And the joy in a dream that's come true
There's a joy that I get when I'm watching you baby, hey
And the joy that I get watching the skies of blue
And then there's a joy,
Oh my darling, of a crying baby
And the joy of a child that's born to you
Then there's a joy of a beautiful lady and the joy of the morning dew
It's something like the joy of loving you baby
Joy of dancin' too
It's something like the joy of lovin' you baby, yeah
Joy of being with you
Oh my darling, I'll overcome the darkest nights
Just to see your love's allright
I've got a love to give
You know I love to live
There's something 'bout the joy of lovin' you baby (repeat)
You gave your heart and got no love in return
He left you wanting and with nowhere to turn
You hid your feelings, kept a smile on your face
You fooled some people but not me
But now you're living alone, pretending that's what you want
When really loneliness grows
Before you give up on love, try one more time 'cause I know
That I can restore your hope
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
You say you're moving slow 'cause you have been hurt
I understand 'cause when you go through you learn
I'll take each step with you to make sure it's right
I know it's gonna work this time
But don't begin to compare, sincerity and intent
While holding on to the past
I'll love you body and soul, commit my life just to show
Why don't you give me a chance?
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
If you just open your heart to me
And let me show you how good true love can be
When you give your all
There's nothing in the world that can ever
No never tear us apart
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
No girl, you can't resist
I'll bring you joy and so much happiness, love and tenderness
(feat. Mike Jones)
[1:36 long skit precedes the actual song]
[Elliott] Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
[scratch] Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
[Elliott] Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
[Speak'n'Spell - vowel sounds]
[Elliott] Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
[scratch] Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh - so sick!
[Elliott] Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
[scratch] Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
[Speak'n'Spell - vowel sounds]
[Missy]
Timbo, what they do
They try to be like Missy but they have no clue
On how I'm spittin over beats the way I move
I move so smooth in my shell toe shoes
Now put the needle on the record, show'n'prove
Since ninety-two I came to win and never lose
They try to stop a chubby chick from comin through
My belly out and sellin out these venues
My skills, will fulfill, those who drink booze
My attitude is super cool like I'm subdued
And those who fake I take on you and your dudes
I rule the streets I break 'em down with no tools
And Misdemeanor give the finger to y'all fools (HOLLA!)
Whoever doubted that I'm 'bout it check the news
And if you snooze on me this year your ass will lose
Cause I will bruise, my loose screws is like ooh
When I come out get your release dates moved
[Chorus: Missy]
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
I break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
[scratched] This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep, when I
break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin (BIG SHOUT OUT TO TIMBERLAND)
This year you hear a real MC, when I
[slowed up] break break b-b-break break break...
[Missy]
I flow over a beat that make a chick weave blow
And those who try to compete to the wall I throw
So I drop it low, 808 kick low
Like oh oh-oh oh, oh oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Mr. Mos', this beat he compose
While I kill the track, leave your ears decomposed
Fake rappers, this year your lies will be exposed
Like oh oh-oh oh, oh Missy steal the show-ow-ow
Spit on breakbeats, make rappers lose sleep
Make labels unable drop they artists on leak
I keep 'em knee deep, need me, be me
Hardly, and basically, I do it nice and slow-ow-ow
[slowed]
I'm slowin, the track down, so you don't miss the shit
that Misdemeanor talkin like that chronic get you super high
[Chorus: Missy + (Mike Jones)]
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
I break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
This year you hear a real MC
[scratch] Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep, when I (MIKE JONES! WHO?)
break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin (MIKE JONES! WHO? MIKE JONES!)
This year you hear a real MC (GEYEAH!)
Break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
[Mike Jones]
See I'm a pimp that's on my grind, I hustle like all the time
I speak what's on my mind, my teeth'll make you blind
My heat'll lay you down, whenever you come around
Forsaken out there mistreated your life'll be deleted
Cause I don't play dat, you know I don't play dat
Wherever you talkin noise is where you gon' lay at
I'm "Supa Dupa Fly" like Missy Missy
Before the fame majors used to diss me
But now I'm on top, I'm hot I can't stop
Before my deal came my shows was sold out
House been on the hill, diamonds been in my grill
I'm trill like U.G.K., you know I keep it real
I'm who, Mike Jones, WHO? Mike Jones
WHO? Mike Jones and I can't be cloned
2-8-1, 3-3-oh, 8-zero-zero-fo'
That's my cell phone number, hit me on the low
I got
[Missy]
Hold up, I see a lot of folks in here sittin 'round like your shoes too tight
If you wear a size 10, don't cram yo' shit up in a size 6 ladies
Be proud of yo' big-ass feet
We came to party up in this bitch
Listen to the music
The sound of the angels
Come and see the child
Who can make you whole
Lying in a manger
Away from harm and danger
Chorus:
Oh joy in my soul
Oh joy, joy down in my soul
Sweet beautiful soul saving joy
Oh joy, joy, joy in my soul
Joy, joy, joy in my soul oh
He sent from up above
This special gift of love
More precious than silver or gold
He was sent this holiday
To take our pain away
Repeat Chorus
Go tell it on the mountain
Shout it from a valley
Tell about the baby in swaddling clothes
Men in every nation
Join the celebration
Way down deep joy
Joy, joy, joy
I've got joy
Way down deep inside my soul joy
Unspeakable joy
Joy in my soul
Chorus:
Joy, joy, God's great joy.
Joy, joy, down in my soul;
sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy,
oh, joy, joy in my soul.
Verse 1:
Early in the morning, before the break of day,
I asked the Lord to make me whole.
He holds me and the Lord keeps me;
oh, joy, joy in my soul.
Verse 2:
When I get weak and I can't go on,
I feel all my hope, all my joy is gone.
Late in the midnight hour I talk to my God
and He gives me joy, joy in my soul.
Verse 3:
One of these ol' mornings, it won't be very long,
You just might look for me, but I'm going on home;
I'm going up to glory where I'm gonna sing and shout,
oh joy, joy in my soul.
Bridge:
Oh joy, joy in my soul.
The Master's joy.
My Savior's joy.
The lilly of the valley, joy.
Alpha and Omega, joy.
In the midnight hour, joy.
He gives me strength and power, joy.
No food on the table, joy.
I know that He is able, joy
Ending:
Joy was her name
A life un-wed
Thirty years old,
Never danced a step
She would have left these red hills
Far behind if not for her condition
Would have left these red hills
Long ago if not for my condition
Pitiful joy
She looked away
Into a hollow sky
Came face to face
With her own innocence surrounding her
Until it never was a question
Innocence so suffocating
Now she cannot move, no question
No hope for joy
No hope or faith
She wanted to go blind
Wanted hope to stay
"I've been believing in nothing since I was born
It never was a question"
No !
Sup party people, how y'all doin'?
Me and Magoo gonna chill on the track
Let my man Ginuwine bring it in like this
I know I sound bold, yeah
(What's your favorite position?)
Not every player's cold, no, baby
(That's a superstition)
I'd like to take a hold of you, baby
(Ask me for permission)
I won't even tell a soul, oh
(Once you feign submission)
Well go on an isley track, yeah, yeah
(Would you like that production?)
And I'mma massage your back, baby girl
(That's called my seduction)
I'm headed down this life soon
(Listen up my instruction)
Baby, you need to relax, sit back
(Sit back)
'Cause I wanna bring you joy, joy, baby
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
Every day and every night, joy
(Joy, joy)
Yeah joy, c'mon, I wanna give you joy, baby
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
Joy, c'mon, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
I'll say it's lost when you're fast, girl, c'mon now, girl
(You can't have your perfection)
Baby, don't close your eyes, lady
('Cause you see my reflection)
And even though I know your shine
(Make no signs of reflection)
I see that you're willing to try
(You're headed in my direction)
I wanna bring you joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
You hear me, baby, I wanna bring you joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
In the morning, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
You're joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Out of all my candy coated cooters, you my almond joy
You can be my boy, my little toy, I'm a freakazoid
I can't fight the feelin' 'cause the feelin' got me fightin' fast
Gimme twenty minutes, I'mma be to see that ass
'Cause after the last time we started fightin' fire
You be my queen, fiend-da-deen-deen, I'll be your supplier
This ain't no carbon copy, hoe, this is the real thang
Young mack on the attack, girl, you can't complain
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
Yeah, yeah
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be)
(Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
It's gonna be
(It's gonna be
Be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be so live)
Somebody say joy, joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy)
All about joy to you, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy in the morning, in the evening, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Late in the midnight hour, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy)
Joy, joy
(Joy, joy, joy)
Joy all the time y'all, joy, joy
Joy that you can feel, joy, joy
All that we even need is joy y'all, joy, joy
(It's gonna be)
Just a little bit, just a little bit of joy, joy
[ chorus ]
joy makes me horny, oh baby...
makes my vagina thorny, oh baby...
'cause the rose from my bush...
grows some thorns on my puss..
joy is when you get fucked in a truck..
but they guy is so small you scream FUCK
but you like it anyway..
'cause its free.. no pay..
[chorus]
joy is when your dog humps your leg..
you love it so much you scream hey!
not my leg- how bout my WHAT!?
or maybe even up the BUTT!
we're only made of water sand and stone
we're made of joy and make believe
we're only made of sky
sky, and its true
if you still believe in joy
even if the world is full of hate
we can blast away inside, way inside
you can stil believe in joy
even when the world is loss and pain
you can blast away inside, way inside
its no secret we have this little blue world
do you still believe in joy
and blast away at confusion and pain
no matter what you look like, or feel like
One-two, one-two, one
One-two, one-two
T get off my stuff
I'm not playing man
Alright (oh)
You gon take this one
Alright
1 - I get joy, joy thinking about
What He's done for me
I get joy, joy thinking about
What He's done for me
It's in my hands, my feet
I'm talking about
What He's done for me
I get joy just thinking about
What He's done for me
Oh how I wonder when my soul looks black
How I ever made it through my sinful, wicked past
I did everything that I though I wanted till it brought me down
Then God reached out to me
So I'm here to tell you now
I get joy
Repeat 1
I've seen the bottom of the mountain
I've had my share of pain
I've been through so many struggles
I thought I'd never breathe again
So I prayed that God would help me
I couldn't handle it no more
Then He lifted every burden
And that's why I get joy yeah
Repeat 1
Repeat 1 in background
Repeat 1 (2x)
I know what he's done for me yeah
You don't know like I know
What He's done for me
I've been talking about it
What He's done for me
I can go, no yeah
Repeat 1 fade out
joy ....joy
gods great joy
joy....... joy
down in my soul
sweet beautiful songs they mean joy
ohhhhh joy joy in my soul
joy ...joy
gods great joy
joy....... joy
down in my soul
sweet beautiful songs they mean joy
ohhhhh joy joy in my soul
early in the morning
before the break of day
i asked the lord to make me whole
he holds me and the lords keeps me
ohhhhh joy joy in my soul
when i get weak and i can't go on (fank you jesus)
i feeel all my hope all my joy is gone
late in the midnight hour i talk to my god
and he gives me ohhh joy joy in my soul
one of these old mornings it wont be very long
you just might look for me but im going home
im going up to glory oh yes i am where im goin to sing and shout oh joy..oh joy in my soul
can u help me say
joy ...joy
gods great joy
joy....... joy
down in my soul
sweet beautiful songs they mean joy
ohhhhh joy joy in my soul ( x 3 )
ohhhh joy ( x4)
the masters joy
my saviours joy
the lily of the valley joy
im from jamaica joy
in the midnight hour joy
he gives me strength and power joy
no food on the table joy
i know that he is able joy
hey hey hey joy
ohhhhhh joy
heyyy joy
the masters joy
my saviours joy
the lily of the valley
hey hey hey joy
ohhhh joy in my soul
Careful what you're wishing for
You just might get your heart's desire
Is what you want exactly what you need
I don't think so
'Cos you and I
We know what's going on
You and I
We got the viva las blues
Germ free attitudes in my food
Really make me horny
Looking out for God and money
That's evolution for you
You and I
We know what's going on
You won't see me cry
I'm gonna take you to the other side
For a little joy
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
Careful what you're living for
You just might set your house on fire
Is what you want exactly what you need?
I don't think so
'Cos you and I
We know what's going on
You and I
Gonna take you to the other side
For a little joy
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
Though your head is out of style
You know there's really nothing to it
Feeling really messed around
But you cannot put your finger on it
No one laughs and no one cries
No one want to reach and touch the sky
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
Can you feel it?
When you feel the night come on
Can you feel it?
Yeah I think it's coming through
Can you feel it?
Yeah I feel it coming on
Can you feel it?
Yeah I feel it coming through
You and I
We know what's going on
You won't see me cry
See you on the other side
For a little joy
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
For a little joy
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
For a little joy
A little joy
For a little joy
Want a little joy
Goodbye my darling
I'm ready to die
Goodbye my darling
I'm ready to die
Goodbye my darling
I'm ready to die
I never meant to make you cry
A fool I was, I never meant to say goodbye
Can't you feel the pressure drop?
Can't you see the pressure's off?
Heaven's here in front of me,
I can't breath and I can't speak
Baby, I never realised....
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
I know I'm wrong, I know I was so blind
and worst of all I saw the tears, I saw you cry
Can't you feel the pressure drop?
Can't you see the pressure's off?
Heaven's here in front of me,
I can't breath and I can't speak
Baby I never realised.
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby, I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
And you can build walls to surround you
but I'll tear down this world till I've found you
you're a treasure, believe me, I need you, come home.
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
And as time rolls on,
I've been fighting since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Baby I never realised
Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh - so sick!
Joyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Timbo, what they do
They try to be like Missy but they have no clue
On how I'm spittin over beats the way I move
I move so smooth in my shell toe shoes
Now put the needle on the record, show'n'prove
Since ninety-two I came to win and never lose
They try to stop a chubby chick from comin through
My belly out and sellin out these venues
My skills, will fulfill, those who drink booze
My attitude is super cool like I'm subdued
And those who fake I take on you and your dudes
I rule the streets I break 'em down with no tools
And Misdemeanor give the finger to y'all fools (HOLLA!)
Whoever doubted that I'm 'bout it check the news
And if you snooze on me this year your ass will lose
Cause I will bruise, my loose screws is like ooh
When I come out get your release dates moved
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
I break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep, when I
break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin (BIG SHOUT OUT TO TIMBERLAND)
This year you hear a real MC, when I
break break b-b-break break break...
I flow over a beat that make a chick weave blow
And those who try to compete to the wall I throw
So I drop it low, 808 kick low
Like oh oh-oh oh, oh oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Mr. Mos', this beat he compose
While I kill the track, leave your ears decomposed
Fake rappers, this year your lies will be exposed
Like oh oh-oh oh, oh Missy steal the show-ow-ow
Spit on breakbeats, make rappers lose sleep
Make labels unable drop they artists on leak
I keep 'em knee deep, need me, be me
Hardly, and basically, I do it nice and slow-ow-ow
I'm slowin, the track down, so you don't miss the shit
that Misdemeanor talkin like that chronic get you super high
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep
I break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
This year you hear a real MC
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This year y'all gon' all lose sleep, when I (MIKE JONES! WHO?)
break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin (MIKE JONES! WHO? MIKE JONES!)
This year you hear a real MC (GEYEAH!)
Break 'em off somethin, break 'em off somethin
See I'm a pimp that's on my grind, I hustle like all the time
I speak what's on my mind, my teeth'll make you blind
My heat'll lay you down, whenever you come around
Forsaken out there mistreated your life'll be deleted
Cause I don't play dat, you know I don't play dat
Wherever you talkin noise is where you gon' lay at
I'm "Supa Dupa Fly" like Missy Missy
Before the fame majors used to diss me
But now I'm on top, I'm hot I can't stop
Before my deal came my shows was sold out
House been on the hill, diamonds been in my grill
I'm trill like U.G.K., you know I keep it real
I'm who, Mike Jones, WHO? Mike Jones
WHO? Mike Jones and I can't be cloned
2-8-1, 3-3-oh, 8-zero-zero-fo'
That's my cell phone number, hit me on the low
I got
Hold up, I see a lot of folks in here sittin 'round like your shoes too tight
If you wear a size 10, don't cram yo' shit up in a size 6 ladies
Be proud of yo' big-ass feet
Joy, you better watch her
Scattered her heart on your heroes
With joy, you better let go
Oh joy love you bring
Oh joy make my heart sing
And I drove across the desert
I was in my four wheel drive
I was looking for the Buddha
And I saw Jesus Christ
He smiled and shrugged his shoulder
And lit a cigarette
Said jump for joy
Make some noise
Remember what I said
My soul is a like a ruby
And I threw it in the earth
But now my hands are bleeding
From scrabbling in the dirt
And I look up to the heavens
And a light is on my face
I never never never
Thought I'd find a state of grace
Hey joy
Love you bring
Oh joy
Make my heart sing
Oh joy
Joy in everything
Joy joy joy oh joy
Joy joy joy oh joy
I was drowning in the darkness
As I drove down to the sea
Joy joy joy oh joy
And I looked up to the mountain
And the light burst over me
Joy joy joy oh oh joy
You make me sing
Oh joy
The love you bring
You make me sing
Oh joy
In everything
In everything
Everything
Jump for joy
Jump for joy
I don't want you anymore 'cause you took my joy
I don't want you anymore, you took my joy
You took my joy, I want it back
You took my joy, I want it back
I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I'm gonna go to Slidell and look for my joy
Go to Slidell and look for my joy
Maybe in Slidell I'll find my joy
Maybe in Slidell I'll find my joy
You got no right to take my joy, I want it back
You got no right to take my joy, I want it back
You took my joy, I want it back
You took my joy, I want it back
I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I'm gonna go to Slidell and look for my joy
Go to Slidell and look for my joy
Maybe in Slidell I'll find my joy
Maybe in Slidell I'll find my joy
I don't want you anymore 'cause you took my joy
I don't want you anymore, you took my joy
You took my joy, I want it back
You took my joy, I want it back
You took my joy, I want it back
You took my, I want it back
I'm gonna go to west Memphis
Joy is over there in her incredible clothes
She has silver silk shimmering down to her toes
I was doing the best that I can I suppose
But that little girl dancer
Eventually grows
Well she grows
You can't imagine all the times that I tried
To uncover the source of the tears that you cried
Let's throw it away and just go for a ride
Just a bum in the opening frame
Yeah my love leaves a permanent stain
I'm in love with my digital toy
My joy machine always there to enjoy
Every breath of air
Was a silent prayer
I was longing for Your face
And I wondered why
All the years went by
Without a single trace
Anticipating, Lord, we've been waiting
Just watching the days come and go
But now we know
Joy and the angels sang
There was joy
Let the whole world know this
Joy, our King has finally come
Joy, here is the promised One
Set the captives free
Tell the broken reed
Hope has been restored
And the one who cries
For a wandering child
Her tears are not ignored
Father in heaven,
You gave us reason to see past the pain of today
We celebrate
Chorus
Unending hope for all time
When the King of the ages arrived
I love You, Lord, I worship You
I love You, Lord, always
So thankful Lord, You saved my life
You saved my life today
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always, yeah, yeah
No Superman, I'm no hero
I'm just a man in Your eyes
But through Your son I've overcome
The Father of all lies
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
No Superman, I'm no hero
I'm just a man in Your eyes
But through Your son I've overcome
The Father of all lies
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a shining light for You
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a joy to You always
Let me be a joy to You always
I wanna be a joy to You always
Let me be a joy to You always
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
It's a joy
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
It's a joy
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
Lady, can't you see just how much you mean to me
Get a thrill each time I'm near you
I get such a rush, I crave to feel your tender touch
Magic moment paradise, oh, baby
Life is too damn short to let you get away
I'm here to say I need your love, oh, baby
There's no greater pleasure than you give to me
Hear me, baby, I want you to know
It's a joy
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
It's a joy
(It's a joy)
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
Darling, don't you know, my heart longs to hold you so
Passion burns inside my mind
You're my fantasy, no other love can set me free
I'm glad to know that you're all mine, mine
Sailing through the night, I'll find the certain pleasures
A million stars feel like the moon, so full of love
Nothin' takes the place of romance since you came
But all we need is you and me, baby
(You and me)
It's a joy
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
It's a joy
Joy to be
I wanna be near you
I want you here with me
It's a joy
Joy to be
To be near you
I. I want you here with me
It's a joy, oh, baby
Joy to be
To be near you
I want you here with me
We're meant to be and I know we can win
At times I feel like a kid on a Ferris wheel
You make my world go 'round and around
So much to live for and I'm livin' it now
(Yeah)
(Oh yeah)
(James, would say)
(Tell me what you like)
Ah, baby
Tell me what you like
(Tell me what you like)
(I wanna be near you)
(So I can feel you)
(Tell me what you like)
Oh, come let me hold you
come let me squeeze you
(Joy)
(Joy)
Joy to be
Come let me kiss you
Oh, 'cause I miss you
(It's a Joy)
(Joy to be)
Oh, let me squeeze you
Oh, let me tease you
(It's a)
Joy to be, yeah
(To be near you)
Have you, baby
(I want you here with me)
Such a joy
(It's a Joy)
Oh, joy
(Joy to be)
Oh, joy
(To be near you)
Have you, baby
(I want you here with me)
Oh, joy
(It's a Joy)
Oh, joy
(Joy to be)
Oh, yeah
(To be near you)
Warm my heart, my soul
(I want you here with me)
My everything, I love you, baby
It's a joy, oh, babe
Joy to be
(Glad you're here with me)
To be near you
Want you here with me
(It's a Joy)
Oh, joy
(Joy to be)
Sup party people? Huh
How y'all doin?
Me and Magoo gonna chill on the track, haha
Let my man Ginuwine bring it in, like this, uhh
I know I sound bold
(what's your favorite position?)
Not every player's cold, nooo baby
(that's a superstition)
I'd like to take a hold, of you, baby
(ask me for permission)
I won't even tell a soul, ohhh
(once you feign submission)
We'll go on an Isley track, yeahh yeah
(would you like that production)
and I will massage your back, baby girl
(that's called my seduction)
I'm headed down this life, soon
(listen up my instruction)
Baby you need to relax, sit back
Cause I wanna bring you joy, joyyyyy baby
(joy.... JOY, JOY, JOY)
Every day, and every night, joyyy
(JOY, JOYyyyyy JOY)
Yeahh joyyy, c'mon, I wanna give you joy baby
(joy.... JOY, JOY, JOY)
Joyy, c'mon, joyyy
(JOY, JOYyyyyy JOY)
I'll say it's lost when you're fast girl
(you can't have your perfection)
C'mon now girl, baby don't close your eyees ladyyy
(cause you see my reflection)
And even though I knowww your shineee
(make no signs of reflection)
I see that you're willing to tryyyy
(you're headed in my direction)
I wanna bring you joyy, joy joy joy joy joy joy joy
(joy.... JOY, JOY, JOY)
You hear me baby, I wanna bring you joy, joyyhoyyyjoy
(JOY, JOYyyyyy JOY)
In the morning, joy, joyyyyy, joy
(joy.... JOY, JOY, JOY)
Joyyy, joy joy, hah
(JOY, JOYyyyyy JOY)
Out of all my candy coated cooters, you my Almond Joy
You can be my boy, my little toy, I'm a Freakazoid
I can't fight the feelin cause the feelin got me fightin fast
Gimme twenty minutes, I'ma be to see that ass
Cause after the last time, we started fightin fire
You be my Queen, fiend-da-deen-deen, I'll be your supplier
This ain't no carbon copy hoe this is the real thang
Young mack, on the attack, girl you can't complain
It's gonna be (it's gonna be)
Beeee (be be be be be be be be so live)
Joy, joy, joy
All about joy to you
Ohh, joy, joy in the morning
In the evening, joy
Late in the midnight hour, joy
Joy, joyyohhhohhyjoy
Ayyayayyyyayy, joy
Oahahhahahahahah, ahahahahahaha, joy
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Joyy, joyyyyy
Joyyyy all the time y'all, joy
Joyy, joyy
Joyyyyy that you can feel
Joyy, joyy
All that we even need is joy y'all
Joyy, joyy
Just a little bit, just a little bit
At this point in my life
Clearly I can see
All the gifts He bestowed upon me
That is why...deep inside
I have...this joy
There was once a time
My soul was searching to find
A place to nest...now in this joy
I can rest
Now my heart holds the love
He has given me, and that's all
That I'll ever need...to live,
Believe, and spread His love
Actually, it's a beautiful day
But I couldn't realize it yet
I ask myself why i repeat it everyday
Answer lies inside me: I'm free to say
The joy of secret is the meaning of life
Never-ending anger is proff of my pride
Because my mask never let's me cry
Tears are falling like pretty smiles
I hear the birdie say, "have a good day" (x2)
Felll the cat's walk in a silent way (x2)
What you fear is what you get - A little cry for help
What you get is what you bet - I'd like to be poet
A little cry for help
I couldn't sleep from dusk 'till down
And I just keep wondering why
Why do billions sleep at night?
Because of the unseen in the dark?
What could it be?
The fear of recognize the emptiness!
I hear the birdie say, "have a good day" (x2)
Felll the cat's walk in a silent way (x2)
What you fear is what you get - A little cry for help
What you get is what you bet - I'd like to be poet
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it, yeah
If life is water, I was dry as the Tucson dirt
If it's a gamble, I'd already lost my shirt
If it's a journey, I was dazed without a clue
I flipped a "U" back to the first love I ever knew
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it, yeah
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it, yeah
You shine Your light of amazing grace
I receive it, I receive it, yeah
If life's a battle, the invasion is complete
If it's a rhythm, I have found the perfect beat
If it's a renaissance, I've got a new birthday
The world don't give it and the world can't take it away
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it, yeah
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it, yeah
You shine Your light of amazing grace
I receive it, I receive it, yeah
I'm bowed and broken, every thing's new
All that I need, You're like water to seed
And how Your love rights everything wrong
And in my weakness, You're ever stronger
You're pulling me back where I belong
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it, yeah
You shine Your light of amazing grace
I receive it, I receive it, yeah
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it, yeah
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it, yeah
You shine Your light of amazing grace
I receive it, I receive it, yeah
You give me joy that's unspeakable
And I like it, and I like it, yeah
Your love for me is irresistible
I can't fight it, I can't fight it, yeah
You carried the cross and took my shame
I believe it, I believe it, yeah
You shine Your light of amazing grace
You ought to know
That every bit shows I like you free.
We feel you breathe and why should I?
I still love you.
Feeling fond of, left wounded,
I can’t love you.
And we believe a fonder real
Pulls you in and catch too big to feel.
I love you somehow and its better.
It works out,
It calms me down.
I’m glad I know you.
I’m glad I know you.
And happiness it does exist,
But I don’t know that this is it.
In feeling warm like no one does.
I love you when you're still in it.
So hold me higher, I caught you
And you caught me and this I see.
I’m blinded, I’m fixed and find,
And ripe and stained, and washed and dried.
Meet me there to see the rest.
It’s already have to moving in
You made it happen after it started
I’ll already be there
Giving you a hand,
Glad to see you made it in.
Beauty holds a place for you in my head.
In my head.
In my head.
In happiness it does exist
But I don’t that this is it.
In feeling warm like no one does.
I love you when you're still in it.
So hold me higher,
I caught you and you caught me and this I see.
It blinded me, I'm fixed and fine,
And ripe and stained, and washed and dried.
And I’m sure of a name I won’t know
How could I, how could I, how could I?
And I see that I’m sure I won’t hide
I won’t hide, I won’t hide, I won’t hide.
And I’m sure of a name I won’t know
How could I, how could I, how could I?
And I see that I’m sure I won’t know
Some say the face is unforgettable
I'm sure I've seen it many times
Ah, but you know me
I forget so easily
I thought I saw you in a Sunday crowd
But then I lost you in a blur of color
Water color clouds
Like deja vu, was that you
They say someday I won't need to seek you out
But for now, won't you come and wrap me up
Inside your presence
We can celebrate if you stay
I know you make your home in any given lot
Your vision is so clear you don't see what is not
When I find you will I catch the cure you've got
Surely you're not in some distant land
Maybe down the block
Even 'cross the street
I Love you Lord, I worship You,
I love You, Lord, always.
So thankful, Lord, You saved my life,
You saved my life, today.
Let me be a shining light for You,
Let me be a joy to You always.
Let me be a shining light for You,
Let me be a joy to You always.
And Lord, I love to bring to You
The honour due Your name;
Just look at what You've done for me,
See joy in their eyes
Learned starting from
Turning toward the supper table
A ritual turned material
Spend your money
Do I believe in what I see?
Revival of religion
Spending time
Spending money
Spending truth
[Background:]
(Joy... Joy... la la la la... Joy... la da da da)
Can I be the one to bring you joy?
Let me the one to bring you joy.
Can we do this?
Make love by moonlight.
Let me hold you,
Give you what you need.
There ain't nothing I wouldn't do
To please you.
My heart is open
Don't be afraid, come to me.
Let me bring you joy.
Can I be the one to bring you joy?
So much better if you let me love you.
(I want to give you love)
Let me be the one to bring you joy
(babe)
Ain't nobody gonna love you like I do.
Kisses, starlight in your eyes.
Whisper in my ear what you like (l-l-like)
Ooh, slowly, we take our time
You caress me, I caress you, it's alright
So glad I bring you joy.
Can I be the one to bring you joy?
So much better if you let me love you.
Let me be the one to bring you joy.
(Nobody) Ain't nobody gonna love you like I do.
You won't believe all this love I have to give, to you.
Can't explain it.
Baby you'll never have to worry about a thing
This love is real (la la la la)... (la la la la)... (la la la la) (oooooooh, oh oh oh)
I wanna love you, love me baby
Can I bring you joooooy?
Can I be the one to bring you joy? (I wanna bring you joy)
So much better if you let me love you. (let me love you baby)
Let me be the one to bring you joy.
Oh, Ain't nobody gonna love you like a do (ain't nobody gonna love you like me)
Can I be the one to bring you joy? (I wanna be...)
So much better if you let me love you.
Let me be the one to bring you joy. (I wanna love you)
I got the joy (2. light...)(3. love...)
Joy (3x)
Down in my heart
Down in my heart
I never meant to make you cry
A fool I was, I never meant to say goodbye
Can't you feel the pressure drop?
Can't you see the pressure's off?
Heaven's here in front of me,
I can't breath and I can't speak
Baby, I never realised....
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
I know I'm wrong, I know I was so blind
and worst of all I saw the tears, I saw you cry
Can't you feel the pressure drop?
Can't you see the pressure's off?
Heaven's here in front of me,
I can't breath and I can't speak
Baby I never realised.
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby, I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
And you can build walls to surround you
but I'll tear down this world till I've found you
you're a treasure, believe me, I need you, come home.
As the days and nights roll on
I've prayed for these moments since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
And as time rolls on,
I've been fighting since the day I was born
but oh God, Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Baby I never realised
the joy till the joy was gone.....
There's joy to be had when you're crazy, mental, mad
You run around town with your trousers pulled down, you
can shout (rah-rah!), and laugh (ha-ha), and sing (la-la)
when you're showing your ass!
When you're crazy, mental, mad, there is joy to be had!
When you're crazy mental mad, there is joy, there is joy
to be had!
You would bang a pot on your head and pretend that you're
dead (bang motherfucker!), you can chase the folks around
and wrestle with them on the ground
You don't have to go to work!
You don't have to wear a shirt!
You don't have to be a jerk!
You don't have to eat that dirt, HEY!
When you're crazy mental mad, there is joy to be had!
When you're crazy mental mad there is joy, there is joy
All is quiet, except for this song.
So maybe while I'm not together I can feel like I'm not alone.
And somewhere off in the distance, rapidly advancing, is an onslaught of sorts.
Young sirens wail an askew sense of glory.
And the lions in the cages roar in memory of fight.
And there's a joy, a joy in all I can see.
A joy, in every possibility.
And all around this is a great, great failing.
American rockets red-glared our most
disgusting triumph.
And in passing I am asked "Do you believe in a God?",
I shrug off the answer and continue to get high in this terror of no explanation.
I am looking for a faith.
My panic is an only reason.
And there's a joy, a joy in all I can see.
Yeah, I poisoned myself but I survived the thrill of life
I altered my state of mind so I could fly, mmm
Yeah, travelled beyond my pedestrian ties
My innocence, yeah, and those sweet lies
I rode in that car as far as it would take me, take me
I don't need no gun
I walk into the sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
Fun into the sun
Find what's going on
Your velvet tear rolled down my back
Your arms wrapped tight around me
I felt so good knowing that you could let go with me, yeah
I don't need no gun
I walk into your sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
I don't need the sun
To find what's going on
Crazy hippie girl
Soft lips make me swirl
More than I can feel
Mystery to me
Yeah-hey-yeah
Joy d'vivre, yeah
Mysterious life, what do you hold for us in your cloak?
I begin to shake, your horses, they are frightening me, well
I don't need no gun
I walk into your sun
Find what's going on
Find what's going down
I don't need no gun
I walk into your fun
I don't need the sun
To find what's going on
Crazy hippie girl
Soft lips make me swirl
More than I can feel
A mystery to me
Had my child son
I'm a young king now
Hey mysterious life
Holy criticised
Yeah-hey-yeah
Yeah-hey-yeah
Look up joy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Joy may refer to:
|
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Whitney Houston | |
---|---|
Whitney Houston performing at Good Morning America in Central Park on September 1, 2009 |
|
Background information | |
Birth name | Whitney Elizabeth Houston |
Born | (1963-08-09)August 9, 1963 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | February 11, 2012(2012-02-11) (aged 48) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
Genres | R&B, soul, pop, dance, gospel |
Occupations | Singer, actress, model, film producer, record producer, songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, piano |
Years active | 1977–2012 |
Labels | Arista, RCA |
Associated acts | Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Jermaine Jackson, Mariah Carey, Enrique Iglesias, Bobby Brown |
Website |
Whitney Houston's autograph |
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all-time.[1] Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.[2][3] She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know",[4] influenced several African American female artists to follow in her footsteps.[5][6]
Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.[7] She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.[8] Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[9] Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[9]
Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period under Nielsen SoundScan system.[9] The album makes her the top female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). The Preacher's Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history.[10]
Whitney Houston was born in what was then a middle-income neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, the second child of Army serviceman and entertainment executive John Russell Houston, Jr. (September 13, 1920 – February 2, 2003), and gospel singer Cissy Houston (née Emily Drinkard).[11] She was of African American, Native American and Dutch descent.[12] Her mother, along with cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, godmother Darlene Love[13] and honorary aunt Aretha Franklin[14] were all notable figures in the gospel, rhythm and blues, pop, and soul genres.[15] She met her honorary aunt at age 8, or 9, when her mother took her to a recording studio.[16] Houston was raised a Baptist, but was also exposed to the Pentecostal church. After the 1967 Newark riots, the family moved to a middle-class area in East Orange, New Jersey, when she was four.[17]
At the age of 11, Houston began to follow in her mother's footsteps and started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano.[18] Her first solo performance in the church was "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah".[19] When Houston was a teenager, she attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a Catholic girls' high school in Caldwell, New Jersey, where she met her best friend Robyn Crawford, whom she described as the "sister she never had".[20] While Houston was still in school, her mother continued to teach her how to sing.[5] In addition to her mother, Franklin, and Warwick, Houston was also exposed to the music of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack, most of whom would have an impact on her as a singer and performer.[21]
Houston spent some of her teenage years touring nightclubs where her mother Cissy was performing, and she would occasionally get on stage and perform with her. In 1977, at age 14, she became a backup singer on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party".[22] In 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single "I'm Every Woman", a song she would later turn into a larger hit for herself on her monster-selling The Bodyguard soundtrack album.[23][24] She also sang back-up on albums by Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson.[23]
In the early 1980s, Houston started working as a fashion model after a photographer saw her at Carnegie Hall singing with her mother. She appeared in Seventeen[25] and became one of the first women of color to grace the cover of the magazine.[26] She was also featured in layouts in the pages of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Young Miss, and appeared in a Canada Dry soft drink TV commercial.[27] Her striking looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought after teen models of that time.[27] While modeling, she continued her burgeoning recording career by working with producers Michael Beinhorn, Bill Laswell and Martin Bisi on an album they were spearheading called One Down, which was credited to the group Material. For that project, Houston contributed the ballad "Memories", a cover of a song by Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice called her contribution "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".[28] She also appeared as a lead vocalist on one track on a Paul Jabara album, entitled Paul Jabara and Friends, released by Columbia Records in 1983.[29]
Houston had previously been offered several recording agencies (Michael Zager in 1980, and Elektra Records in 1981), however her mother declined the offers stating her daughter must first complete high school.[22][30] In 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative from Arista Records, saw her performing with her mother in a New York City nightclub and was impressed. He convinced Arista's head Clive Davis to make time to see Houston perform. Davis too was impressed and offered a worldwide recording contract which Houston signed. Later that year, she made her national televised debut alongside Davis on The Merv Griffin Show.[31]
Houston signed with Arista in 1983, but did not begin work on her album immediately.[1] The label wanted to make sure no other label signed the singer away. Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for Houston's debut album. Some producers had to pass on the project due to prior commitments.[32] Houston first recorded a duet with Teddy Pendergrass entitled "Hold Me" which appeared on his album, Love Language.[33] The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a Top 5 R&B hit.[34] It would also appear on her debut album in 1985.
With production from Michael Masser, Kashif, Jermaine Jackson, and Narada Michael Walden, Houston's debut album Whitney Houston was released in February 1985. Rolling Stone magazine praised Houston, calling her "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while The New York Times called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent".[35][36] Arista Records promoted Houston's album with three different singles from the album in the US, UK and other European countries. In the UK, the dance-funk "Someone for Me", which failed to chart in the country, was the first single while "All at Once" was in such European countries as the Netherlands and Belgium, where the song reached the top 5 on the singles charts, respectively.[37]
In the US, the soulful ballad "You Give Good Love" was chosen as the lead single from Houston's debut to establish her in the black marketplace first.[38] Outside the US, the song failed to get enough attention to become a hit, but in the US, it gave the album its first major hit as it peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 1 on the Hot R&B chart.[32] As a result, the album began to sell strongly, and Houston continued promotion by touring nightclubs in the US. She also began performing on late-night television talk shows, which were not usually accessible to unestablished black acts. The jazzy ballad "Saving All My Love for You" was released next and it would become Houston's first No. 1 single in both the US and the UK. She was then an opening act for singer Jeffrey Osborne on his nationwide tour. "Thinking About You" was released as the promo single only to R&B-oriented radio stations, which peaked at number ten on the US R&B Chart. At the time, MTV had received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by black, Latino, and other racial minorities while favoring white acts.[39] The third US single, "How Will I Know", peaked at No. 1 and introduced Houston to the MTV audience thanks to its video. Houston's subsequent singles from this, and future albums, would make her the first African-American female artist to receive consistent heavy rotation on MTV.[26]
By 1986, a year after its initial release, Whitney Houston topped the Billboard 200 albums chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks.[40] The final single, "Greatest Love of All", became Houston's biggest hit at the time after peaking No. 1 and remaining there for three weeks on the Hot 100 chart, which made her debut the first album by a female artist to yield three No. 1 hits. Houston was No. 1 artist of the year and Whitney Houston was the No. 1 album of the year on the 1986 Billboard year-end charts, making her the first female artist to earn that distinction.[40] At the time, Houston released the best-selling debut album by a solo artist.[41] Houston then embarked on her world tour, Greatest Love Tour. The album had become an international success, and was certified 13× platinum (diamond) in the United States alone, and has sold a total of 25 million copies worldwide.[42]
At the 1986 Grammy Awards, Houston was nominated for three awards including Album of the Year.[43] She was not eligible for the Best New Artist category due to her previous hit R&B duet recording with Teddy Pendergrass in 1984.[44] She won her first Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "Saving All My Love for You".[45] Houston's performance of the song during the Grammy telecast later earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.[46]
Houston won seven American Music Awards in total in 1986 and 1987, and an MTV Video Music Award.[47][48] The album's popularity would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards when "Greatest Love of All" would receive a Record of the Year nomination. Houston's debut album is listed as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list.[49][50] Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today.[51] Following Houston's breakthrough, doors were opened for other African-American female artists such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker to find notable success in popular music and on MTV.[52][53]
With many expectations, Houston's second album, Whitney, was released in June 1987. The album again featured production from Masser, Kashif and Walden as well as Jellybean Benitez. Many critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. Rolling Stone said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating".[54] Still, the album enjoyed commercial success. Houston became the first female artist in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and the first artist to enter the albums chart at number one in both the US and UK, while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album's first single, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", was also a massive hit worldwide, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the singles chart in many countries such as Australia, Germany and the UK. The next three singles, "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100 chart, which gave her a total of seven consecutive number one hits, breaking the record of six previously shared by The Beatles and The Bee Gees.[55][56] Houston became the first female artist to generate four number-one singles from one album. Whitney has been certified 9× Platinum in the US for shipments of over 9 million copies, and has sold a total of 20 million copies worldwide.[57]
At the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988, Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year, winning her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)".[58][59] Houston also won two American Music Awards in 1988 and 1989, respectively, and a Soul Train Music Award.[60][61][62] Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the Moment of Truth World Tour, which was one of the ten highest grossing concert tours of 1987.[63] The success of the tours during 1986–87 and her two studio albums ranked Houston No. 8 for the highest earning entertainers list according to Forbes magazine.[64] She was the highest earning African-American woman overall and the third highest entertainer after Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy.[64]
Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, the singer refused to work with any agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa.[65][66] On June 11, 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston joined other musicians to perform a set at Wembley Stadium in London to celebrate a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday.[65] Over 72,000 people attended Wembley Stadium, and over a billion people tuned in worldwide as the rock concert raised over $1 million for charities while bringing awareness to apartheid.[67] Houston then flew back to the US for a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August. The show was a benefit concert that raised a quarter of a million dollars for the United Negro College Fund.[68] In the same year, she recorded a song for NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics, "One Moment in Time", which became a Top 5 hit in the US, while reaching number one in the UK and Germany.[69][70][71] With her world tour continuing overseas, Houston was still one of the top 20 highest earning entertainers for 1987–88 according to Forbes magazine.[72][73]
In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.[74] With the success of her first two albums, Houston was undoubtedly an international crossover superstar, the most prominent since Michael Jackson, appealing to all demographics. However, some black critics believed she was "selling out".[6] They felt her singing on record lacked the soul that was present during her live concerts.[25]
At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, when Houston's name was called out for a nomination, a few in the audience jeered.[75][76] Houston defended herself against the criticism, stating, "If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it".[25] Houston took a more urban direction with her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, released in November 1990. She produced and chose producers for this album and as a result, it featured production and collaborations with L.A. Reid and Babyface, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. The album showed Houston's versatility on a new batch of tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance tracks. Reviews were mixed. Rolling Stone felt it was her "best and most integrated album".[77] while Entertainment Weekly, at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial".[78]
The album contained several hits: the first two singles, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; "Miracle" peaked at number nine; "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked in the top twenty; "I Belong to You" reached the top ten of the US R&B chart and garnered Houston a Grammy nomination; and the sixth single, the Stevie Wonder duet "We Didn't Know", reached the R&B top twenty. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to be certified 4× platinum in the US while selling twelve million total worldwide.
In 1990, Houston was the spokesperson for a youth leadership conference hosted in Washington, D.C. She had a private audience with President George H. W. Bush in the Oval Office to discuss the associated challenges.
With America entangled in the Persian Gulf War, Houston performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium on January 27, 1991.[79] Due to overwhelming response to her rendition, it was released as a commercial single and video of her performance, and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude (Jose Feliciano's version reached No. 50 in November 1968).[80][81] Houston donated all her share of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund. As a result, the singer was named to the Red Cross Board of Governors.[79][82][83]
Her rendition was considered the benchmark for singers and critically acclaimed.[84] Rolling Stone commented that "her singing stirs such strong patriotism. Unforgettable", and the performance ranked No. 1 on the 25 most memorable music moments in NFL history list. VH1 listed the performance as one of the greatest moments that rocked TV.[85][86] Following the attacks on 9/11, it was released again by Arista Records, all profits going towards the firefighters and victims of the attacks. This time it peaked at No. 6 in the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[87]
Later in 1991, Houston put together her Welcome Home Heroes concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch.[88] Houston's concert gave HBO its highest ratings ever.[89] She then embarked on the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour.
Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to American football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy, whom she dated.[90] She then met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992.[91] On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, her only child, and his fourth. Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law, including some jail time.[91]
With the commercial success of her albums, movie offers poured in, including offers to work with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones, and Spike Lee; but Houston felt the time wasn't right.[90] Houston's first film role was in The Bodyguard, released in 1992 and co-starring Kevin Costner. Houston played Rachel Marron, a star who is stalked by a crazed fan and hires a bodyguard to protect her. USA Today listed it as one of the 25 most memorable movie moments of the last 25 years in 2007.[92] Houston's mainstream appeal allowed people to look at the movie color-blind.[93]
Still, controversy arose as some felt the film's advertising intentionally hid Houston's face to hide the film's interracial relationship. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1993, the singer commented that "people know who Whitney Houston is – I'm black. You can't hide that fact."[21] Houston received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress. The Washington Post said Houston is "doing nothing more than playing Houston, comes out largely unscathed if that is possible in so cockamamie an undertaking",[94] and The New York Times commented that she lacked passion with her co-star.[95] Despite the film's mixed reviews, it was hugely successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films in film history at its time of release, though it is no longer in the top 100 due to rising ticket prices since the time the film was released.[96]
The film's soundtrack also enjoyed big success. Houston executive produced and contributed six songs for the motion picture's adjoining soundtrack album. Rolling Stone said it is "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane".[97] The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. Houston's version of the song was acclaimed by many critics, regarding it as her "signature song" or "iconic performance". Rolling Stone and USA Today called her rendition "the tour-de-force".[98][99] The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks, and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, thus becoming the first single to top those three charts simultaneously for five weeks.[100]
The single was certified 4× platinum by the RIAA, making Houston the first female artist with a single to reach that level in the RIAA history and becoming the best-selling single by a female artist in the US.[101][102][103] The song also became a global success, hitting number-one in almost all countries, and one of the best-selling singles of all time with 12 million copies sold.[104] The soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart and remained there for 20 non-consecutive weeks, the longest tenure by any album on the chart in the Nielsen SoundScan era, and became one of the fastest selling albums ever.[105] During Christmas week of 1992, the soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album to achieve that feat under Nielsen SoundScan system.[106][107] With the follow-up singles "I'm Every Woman", a Chaka Khan cover, and "I Have Nothing" both reaching the top five, Houston became the first female artist to ever have three singles in the Top 11 simultaneously.[108][109][110] The album was certified 17× platinum in the US alone,[111] with worldwide sales of 44 million,[112] making The Bodyguard the biggest-selling album by a female act on the list of the world's Top 10 best-selling albums, topping Shania Twain's 40 million sold for Come On Over.[113]
Houston won three Grammys for the album in 1994, including two of the Academy's highest honors, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In addition, she won a record 8 American Music Awards at that year's ceremony including the Award of Merit,[114] 11 Billboard Music Awards, 3 Soul Train Music Awards in 1993–94 including Sammy Davis, Jr. Award as Entertainer of the Year,[115] 5 NAACP Image Awards including Entertainer of the Year,[116][117][118] a record 5 World Music Awards,[119] and a BRIT award.[120] Following the success of the project, Houston embarked on another expansive global tour, The Bodyguard World Tour, in 1993–94. Her concerts, movie, and recording grosses made her the third highest earning female entertainer of 1993–94, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to Forbes magazine.[121] Houston placed in the top five of Entertainment Weekly's annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking[122] and was labeled by Premiere magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood.[123]
In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela.[124][125] At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people. This would make the singer the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election.[126] The concert was broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela".[127]
In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon in her second film Waiting to Exhale, a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with relationships. Houston played the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because she saw the film as "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers".[128] After opening at number one and grossing $67 million in the US at the box office and $81 million worldwide,[129] it proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience can cross over to success, while paving the way for other all-black movies such as How Stella Got Her Groove Back and the Tyler Perry movies that have become popular in the 2000s.[130][131][132] The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens as opposed to stereotypes.[133] The reviews were mainly positive for the ensemble cast. The New York Times said "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant."[134] Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture", but lost to her co-star Bassett.
The film's accompanying soundtrack, Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, was produced by Houston and Babyface. Though Babyface originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. Instead, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal distinction", and thus gathered several African-American female artists for the soundtrack, to go along with the film's strong women message.[128] As a result, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J Blige, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Patti Labelle, and Brandy. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at No. 1, and then spent a record eleven weeks at the No. 2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B Charts. "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, hit the US Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", made the Top 30. The album debuted at No. 1, and was certified 7× Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies.[57] The soundtrack received strong reviews as Entertainment Weekly said "the album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks.... the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense"[135] and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks.[136] Later that year, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work.[137]
In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington. She plays a gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). It was largely an updated remake of the 1948 film "The Bishop's Wife" which starred Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant. Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood at the time and the highest earning African American actress in Hollywood.[138] The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning approximately $50 million at the U.S. box offices.[139] The movie gave Houston her strongest reviews so far. The San Francisco Chronicle said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and that she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice".[140] Houston was again nominated for an NAACP Image Award and won for Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture.
Houston recorded and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album included six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time. The album received mainly positive reviews. Some critics, such as that of USA Today, noted the presence of her emotional depth,[141] while The Times said "To hear Houston going at full throttle with the 35 piece Georgia Mass Choir struggling to keep up is to realise what her phenomenal voice was made for".[142]
In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions and was joined by Debra Martin Chase. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television.[143] Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the movie as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened.[144] The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message.[145] An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years.[146] The movie received seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special.[147]
Houston and Chase then obtained the rights to the story of Dorothy Dandridge. Houston was to play Dandridge, who was the first African American actress to be nominated for an Oscar. She wanted the story told with dignity and honor.[143] However, Halle Berry also had rights to the project and she got her version going first.[148] Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert Classic Whitney, live from Washington, D.C. The special raised over $300,000 for the Children's Defense Fund.[149] Houston received The Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements in the field of entertainment at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.[150][151]
After spending much of the early and mid 1990s working on motion pictures and their soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love, was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. The album debuted at number thirteen, its peak position, on the Billboard 200 chart.[152] It had a funkier and edgier sound than past releases and saw Houston handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B, reggae, torch songs, and ballads all with great dexterity.[153]
From late 1998 to early 2000, the album spawned several hit singles: "When You Believe" (US No. 15, UK No. 4), a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998's The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, which also became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song;[154] "Heartbreak Hotel" (US No. 2, UK No. 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price, received a 1999 MTV VMA nomination for Best R&B Video,[155] and number one on the US R&B chart for seven weeks; "It's Not Right But It's Okay" (US No. 4, UK No. 3) won Houston her sixth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance;[156] "My Love Is Your Love" (US No. 4, UK No. 2) with 3 million copies sold worldwide;[157] and "I Learned from the Best" (US No. 27, UK No. 19).[158][159] These singles became international hits as well, and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. The album sold four million copies in America, making it certified 4× platinum, and a total of eleven million copies worldwide.[42]
The album gave Houston some of her strongest reviews ever. Rolling Stone said Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice"[160] and The Village Voice called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far".[161] In 1999, Houston participated in VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date My Love Is Your Love World Tour. The European leg of the tour was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year.[162] In November 1999, Houston was named Top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century with certified US sales of 51 million copies at the time and The Bodyguard Soundtrack was named the Top-selling Soundtrack Album of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[163] She also won The Artist of the Decade, Female award for extraordinary artistic contributions during the 1990s at the 14th Soul Train Music Awards, and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B.[164][165][166][167][168]
In May 2000, Whitney: The Greatest Hits was released worldwide. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States, reaching number one in the United Kingdom.[159][169] In addition, the album reached the Top 10 in many other countries.[170] While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album features house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits. Included on the album were four new songs: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox), "If I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael), and "Fine", and three hits that had never appeared on a Houston album: "One Moment in Time", "The Star Spangled Banner", and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful", a duet with Jermaine Jackson from his 1986 Precious Moments album.[171] Along with the album, an accompanying VHS and DVD was released featuring the music videos to Houston's greatest hits, as well as several hard-to-find live performances including her 1983 debut on The Merv Griffin Show, and interviews.[172] The greatest hits album was certified 3× platinum in the US, with worldwide sales of 10 million.[173][174]
Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, by the late 1990s, her behavior changed. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, and canceling concerts and talk-show appearances.[175][176] With the missed performances and weight loss, rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband circulated. On January 11, 2000, airport security guards discovered marijuana in both Houston's and husband Bobby Brown's luggage at a Hawaii airport, but the two boarded the plane and departed before authorities could arrive. Charges were later dropped against them,[177] but rumors of drug usage between the couple would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but failed to show up.[178]
Shortly thereafter, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards but was fired from the event by musical director and longtime friend Burt Bacharach. Her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation. In his book The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards, author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery, and her attitude was casual, almost defiant", and that while Houston was to sing "Over the Rainbow", she would start singing a different song.[179] Houston later admitted to having been fired.[180] Later that year, Houston's long-time executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company.[178]
In August 2001, Houston signed the biggest record deal in music history with Arista/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to deliver six new albums, on which she would also earn royalties.[181][182][183] She later made an appearance on Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. Her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Houston's publicist said, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters, and when she is under stress she doesn't eat."[184] The singer was scheduled for a second performance the following night but canceled.[185] Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the September 11 attacks, with the proceeds donated to the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police.[186] The song peaked at No. 6 this time on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position.[158]
In 2002, Houston became involved in a legal dispute with John Houston Enterprise. Although the company was started by her father to manage her career, it was actually run by company president Kevin Skinner. Skinner filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit and sued for $100 million (but lost), stating that Houston owed the company previously unpaid compensation for helping to negotiate her $100 million contract with Arista Records and for sorting out legal matters.[187] Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court.[188] Houston's father later died in February 2003.[189] The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing.[190]
Also in 2002, Houston did an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her then-upcoming album. The interview was the highest-rated television interview in history.[citation needed] During the prime-time special, Houston spoke on topics including rumored drug use and marriage. She was asked about the ongoing drug rumors and replied, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack."[180] The line was from Keith Haring's mural which was painted in 1986 on the handball court at 128th Street and 2nd Avenue.[191] Houston did, however, admit to using other substances at times, including cocaine.[180]
In December 2002, Houston released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney.... The album included productions from then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as Missy Elliott and Babyface, and marked the first time that Houston did not produce with Clive Davis as Davis had been released by top management at BMG. Upon its release, Just Whitney... received mixed reviews.[192] The album debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart and it had the highest first week sales of any album Houston had ever released.[193] The four singles released from the album, didn't fare well on the Billboard Hot 100, but became Hot Dance Club Play hits. Just Whitney... was certified platinum in the United States, and sold approximately three million worldwide.[194]
On a June 2003 trip to Israel, Houston said of her visit, "I've never felt like this in any other country. I feel at home, I feel wonderful."[195]
In late 2003, Houston released her first Christmas album One Wish: The Holiday Album, with a collection of traditional holiday songs. Houston produced the album with Mervyn Warren and Gordon Chambers. A single titled "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and the album was certified gold in the US. Having always been a touring artist, Houston spent most of 2004 touring and performing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Russia. In September 2004, she gave a surprise performance at the World Music Awards in a tribute to long time friend Clive Davis. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into studio to work on her new album.[196]
In early 2004, husband Bobby Brown starred in his own reality TV program, Being Bobby Brown (on the Bravo network), which provided a view into the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. Though it was Brown's vehicle, Houston was a prominent figure throughout the show, receiving as much screen time as Brown. The series aired in 2005 and featured Houston in, what some would say, not her most flattering moments. The Hollywood Reporter said it was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television."[197] Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, the series gave Bravo its highest ratings in its time slot and continued Houston's successful forays into film and television.[198] The show was not renewed for a second season after Houston stated that she would no longer appear in it, and Brown and Bravo could not come to an agreement for another season.[199]
After years of controversy and turmoil, Houston separated from Bobby Brown in September 2006, filing for divorce the following month.[200] On February 1, 2007, Houston asked the court to fast track their divorce.[201] The divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston granted custody of the couple's daughter.[202] On May 4, Houston sold the suburban Atlanta home featured in Being Bobby Brown for $1.19 million.[203] A few days later, Brown sued Houston in Orange County, California court in an attempt to change the terms of their custody agreement. Brown also sought child and spousal support from Houston. In the lawsuit, Brown claimed that financial and emotional problems prevented him from properly responding to Houston's divorce petition.[204] Brown lost at his court hearing as the judge dismissed his appeal to overrule the custody terms, leaving Houston with full custody and Brown with no spousal support.[205] In March 2007, Clive Davis of Arista Records announced that Houston would begin recording a new album.[206] In October 2007, Arista released another compilation The Ultimate Collection outside the United States.[207]
Houston gave her first interview in seven years in September 2009, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade".[208] Whitney admitted on the show to using drugs with former husband Bobby Brown, who "laced marijuana with rock cocaine".[209] By 1996, she told Oprah, "[doing drugs] was an everyday thing... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."[210]
Houston released her new album, I Look to You, in August 2009.[211] The album's first two singles are "I Look to You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, with Houston's best opening-week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since The Bodyguard, and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's Whitney. Houston also appeared on European television programs to promote the album. She performed the song "I Look to You" on the German television show Wetten, dass..?. Three days later, she performed the worldwide first single from I Look To You, Million Dollar Bill, on the French television show Le Grand Journal. Houston appeared as guest mentor on The X Factor in the United Kingdom. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two minutes into the performance. She later commented that she "sang [herself] out of [her] clothes".
The performance was poorly received by the British media, and was variously described as "weird" and "ungracious",[212] "shambolic"[213] and a "flop". Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade), and three weeks after release "I Look to You" went gold. Houston appeared on the Italian version of The X Factor, performing the same song "Million Dollar Bill" to excellent reviews.[214] She was awarded the Gold Certificate for achieving over 50,000 CD sales of "I Look To You" in Italy.[215] In November, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Two days later, Houston performed both songs on the Dancing With The Stars season 9 finale. As of December 2009, "I Look to You" has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than one million copies in the United States.[216] On January 26, 2010, her debut album was re-released in a special edition entitled Whitney Houston – The Deluxe Anniversary Edition.[217]
Houston later embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing but Love World Tour. It was her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, some poor reviews and rescheduled concerts brought some negative media attention.[218][219] Houston canceled some concerts due to illness and received widespread negative reviews from fans who were disappointed in the quality of her voice and performance. Some fans reportedly walked out of her concerts.[220]
In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. She won the award for Best Music Video for her single "I Look to You". On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. The 2010 BET Honors award was held at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. and aired on February 1, 2010. Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell performed in honor of her, garnering positive reviews. Houston also received a nomination from the Echo Awards, Germany's version of the Grammys, for Best International Artist. In April 2010, the UK newspaper The Mirror reported that Houston was thinking about recording her eighth studio album and wanted to collaborate with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), her first choice for a collaboration.[221]
Houston also performed the song "I Look to You" on the 2011 BET Celebration of Gospel, with gospel–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The performance aired on January 30, 2011. Early in 2011, she gave an uneven performance in tribute to cousin Dionne Warwick at music mogul Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala. In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a rehabilitation center again, as an out-patient, citing drug and alcohol problems. A representative for Houston said that it was a part of Houston's "longstanding recovery process".[222]
In September 2011, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Houston would produce and star alongside Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps in the remake of the 1976 film Sparkle. In the film, Houston portrays Sparks' "not-so encouraging mother". Houston would have executive producer credits on top of acting credits according to Debra Martin Chase, producer of Sparkle. She stated that Houston deserved the title considering she had been there from the beginning in 2001, when Houston obtained Sparkle production rights. R&B singer Aaliyah – originally tapped to star as Sparkle – died in a 2001 plane crash. Her death derailed production, which would have begun in 2002.[223][224][225] Houston's remake of Sparkle was filmed in the fall of 2011,[226] and is set for release by TriStar Pictures in August 2012.[227]
Wikinews has related news: American pop star Whitney Houston dies at 48 |
On February 9, 2012, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica, together with Clive Davis, at their rehearsals for Davis' pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.[228][229] That same day, she made her last public performance, when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, California, and sang "Jesus Loves Me".[230][231]
On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, submerged in the bathtub.[232][233] The cause of death was not immediately known.[234][235] It was later ruled by the coroner to have been an "accidental drowning".[236] Beverly Hills paramedics arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m. and found the singer unresponsive and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. PST.[234][237] Local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent."[238] On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County coroner's office reported the cause of Houston's death was drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use".[239] The office stated the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death.[240] Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: Benadryl, Xanax, marijuana and Flexiril.[241] The manner of death was listed as an "accident".[242]
Houston had an invitation-only memorial on Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The service was scheduled for two hours, but lasted for four hours.[243] Among those who performed at the funeral were Stevie Wonder (rewritten version of "Ribbon in the Sky," and "Love's in Need of Love Today"), CeCe Winans ("Don't Cry" and "Jesus Loves Me"), Alicia Keys ("Send Me an Angel"), Kim Burrell (rewritten version of "A Change Is Gonna Come") and R. Kelly ("I Look to You"), interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by Clive Davis, Houston’s record producer; Kevin Costner; Ricky Minor her music director; her cousin Dionne Warwick and Ray Watson, her security guard for the past 11 years. Aretha Franklin was listed on the program and was expected to sing, but was unable to attend the service.[244][245] Bobby Brown, Houston's ex-husband, was also invited to the funeral but he left before the service began.[246] Houston was buried on Sunday, February 19, 2012, in Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey next to her father, John Russell Houston, who died in 2003.[247]
The Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party that Houston was expected to attend, and that featured many of the biggest names in music and movies, went on as scheduled although it was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston. Davis spoke about Houston's death at the evening's start: "By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on."[248]
Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's death before performing at Davis' party. He said, "First, it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston". Bennett sang "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and said of Houston, "When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life.'"[249]
Some celebrities opposed Davis' decision to continue on the party while a police investigation was being conducted in Houston's hotel room and her body was still in the building. Chaka Khan, in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on February 13, 2012, shared that she felt the party should have been canceled, saying "I thought that was complete insanity. And knowing Whitney I don't believe that she would have said 'the show must go on.' She's the kind of woman that would've said 'Stop everything! Un-unh. I'm not going to be there.' [...] I don't know what could motivate a person to have a party in a building where the person whose life he had influenced so enormously and whose life had been affected by hers. They were like... I don't understand how that party went on."[250] Sharon Osbourne condemned the Davis party, declaring "I think it was disgraceful that the party went on. I don't want to be in a hotel room when there's someone you admire who's tragically lost their life four floors up. I'm not interested in being in that environment and I think when you grieve someone, you do it privately, you do it with people who understand you. I thought it was so wrong."[251]
Several other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death. Dolly Parton, whose song "I Will Always Love You" was covered by Houston, said, "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed'." Aretha Franklin said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."[252] Mariah Carey said, "Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend ... She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth."[253] Oprah Winfrey, who did an in-depth interview with Houston in 2009, wrote on Twitter "To me Whitney was THE VOICE. We got to hear a part of God every time she sang. Heart is heavy, spirit grateful for the GIFT of her."[254] Quincy Jones said, "I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing. Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."[253]
Moments after news of her death emerged, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. All three featured live interviews with people who knew Houston including those that have worked with her, interviewed her along with some of her peers in the music industry. Saturday Night Live displayed a photo of a smiling Houston, alongside Molly Shannon, from her 1996 appearance.[255][256] MTV and VH-1 interrupted their regularly scheduled programming on Sunday February 12 to air many of Houston's classic videos with MTV often airing news segments in between and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities.
Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, was reported to be "in and out of crying fits" since receiving the news. He did not cancel a scheduled performance and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi observed as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney".[257]
Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the 54th Grammy Awards, announced that Jennifer Hudson would perform a tribute to Houston at the February 12, 2012, awards. He said "event organizers believed Hudson – an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist – could perform a respectful musical tribute to Houston". Ehrlich went on to say: "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years".[258] At the start of the awards ceremony, a footage of Houston performing "I Will Always Love You" from 1994 Grammys was shown following a prayer read by host, LL Cool J. Later in the program following a montage of photos of musicians who died in 2011 with Houston singing "Saving All My Love for You" at the 1986 Grammys, Hudson paid tribute to Houston and the other artists by performing "I Will Always Love You".[259][260]
Houston was honored in the form of various tributes at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards, held on February 17. A image montage of Houston and important black figures who died in 2011 was followed by video footage from the 1994 ceremony, which depicted her accepting two Image Awards for outstanding female artist and entertainer of the year. Following the video tribute, Yolanda Adams delivered a rendition of "I Love the Lord" from The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack. In the finale of the ceremony, Kirk Franklin and The Family started their performance with "Greatest Love of All."[261] The 2012 BRIT Awards, which took place at London's O2 Arena on February 21, also paid tribute to Houston by playing a 30-second-video montage of her music videos with a snippet of "One Moment in Time" as the background music in the ceremony's first segment.[262] New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21 to honor Houston.[263] Accompanied by Esperanza Spalding belting out "What a Wonderful World" along with the Southern California Children's Choir, Houston was featured in the In Memoriam montage alongside other cinema greats at the 84th Academy Awards, held at the Hollywood and Highland Center on February 26, 2012.[264][265]
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One of Houston's best selling singles worldwide and recognized songs, "I Will Always Love You" prominently uses melismas.
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Houston was a mezzo-soprano,[266][267] and was commonly referred to as "The Voice" in reference to her exceptional vocal talent.[268] Her vocal range extended from G below middle C (G3) to high B-flat (B♭5); she could belt out to treble F (F5).[269] She was third in MTV's list of 22 Greatest Voices,[270] and sixth on Online Magazine COVE's list of the 100 Best Pop Vocalists with a score of 48.5/50.[271] 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."[98] Matthew Perpetua from Rolling Stone also eulogized Houston's vocal, enumerating ten performances, including "How Will I Know" from the 1986 MTV VMAs and "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl. "Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision," he stated. "She was a brilliant performer, and her live shows often eclipsed her studio recordings."[272]
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented, "Her voice was clean and strong, with barely any grit, well suited to the songs of love and aspiration. [...] Hers was a voice of triumph and achievement, and it made for any number of stunning, time-stopping vocal performances."[273] Mariah Carey stated, "She [Whitney] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong."[274] While in her review of I Look to You, music critic Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times writes, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators", adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano".[267]
Lauren Everitt from BBC News Magazine commented on melisma used in Houston's recording and its influence. "An early 'I' in Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' takes nearly six seconds to sing. In those seconds the former gospel singer-turned-pop star packs a series of different notes into the single syllable," stated Everitt. "The technique is repeated throughout the song, most pronouncedly on every 'I' and 'you'. The vocal technique is called melisma, and it has inspired a host of imitators. Other artists may have used it before Houston, but it was her rendition of Dolly Parton's love song that pushed the technique into the mainstream in the 90s. [...] But perhaps what Houston nailed best was moderation." Everitt said that "[i]n a climate of reality shows ripe with 'oversinging', it's easy to appreciate Houston's ability to save melisma for just the right moment".[275]
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, commercially rivaling Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.[276] Stephen Holden from The New York Times, in his review of Houston's Radio City Music Hall concert on July 20, 1993, praised her attitude as a singer, writing, "Whitney Houston is one of the few contemporary pop stars of whom it might be said: the voice suffices. While almost every performer whose albums sell in the millions calls upon an entertainer's bag of tricks, from telling jokes to dancing to circus pyrotechnics, Ms. Houston would rather just stand there and sing." With regard to her singing style, he added: "Her [Houston's] stylistic trademarks – shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration – infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning."[277]
Elysa Gardner of the Los Angeles Times in her review for The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack praised Houston's vocal ability highly, commenting, "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."[278]
During the 1980s, MTV was coming into its own and received criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With Michael Jackson breaking down the color barrier for black male artists, Houston did the same for black female artists. She became the first black female artist to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "How Will I Know" video.[279] Following Houston's breakthrough, other African-American female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music.[52][53] Baker commented that "Because of what Whitney and Sade did, there was an opening for me... For radio stations, black women singers aren't taboo anymore."[280]
Allmusic noted her contribution to the success of black artists on the pop scene, commenting, "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop, and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity" and that "the result was an across-the-board appeal that was matched by scant few artists of her era, and helped her become one of the first black artists to find success on MTV in Michael Jackson's wake".[281] The New York Times stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions".[282] Richard Corliss of Time magazine commented on her initial success breaking various barriers:
Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. This chanteuse [Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [...] She was a phenomenon waiting to happen, a canny tapping of the listener's yen for a return to the musical middle. And because every new star creates her own genre, her success has helped other blacks, other women, other smooth singers find an avid reception in the pop marketplace.[283]
Stephen Holden of The New York Times said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing".[284] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times referred to the singer as a "national treasure".[267] Jon Caramanica, other music critic of The New York Times, called Houston "R&B's great modernizer," adding "slowly but surely reconciling the ambition and praise of the church with the movements and needs of the body and the glow of the mainstream".[273] He also drew comparisons between Houston's influence and other big names' on 1980s pop:
She was, alongside Michael Jackson and Madonna, one of the crucial figures to hybridize pop in the 1980s, though her strategy was far less radical than that of her peers. Jackson and Madonna were by turns lascivious and brutish and, crucially, willing to let their production speak more loudly than their voices, an option Ms. Houston never went for. Also, she was less prolific than either of them, achieving most of her renown on the strength of her first three solo albums and one soundtrack, released from 1985 to 1992. If she was less influential than they were in the years since, it was only because her gift was so rare, so impossible to mimic. Jackson and Madonna built worldviews around their voices; Ms. Houston’s voice was the worldview. She was someone more to be admired, like a museum piece, than to be emulated.[273]
The Independent's music critic Andy Gill also wrote about Houston's influence on modern R&B and singing competitions, comparing it to Michael Jackson's. "Because Whitney, more than any other single artist ― Michael Jackson included ― effectively mapped out the course of modern R&B, setting the bar for standards of soul vocalese, and creating the original template for what we now routinely refer to as the 'soul diva'," stated Gill. "Jackson was a hugely talented icon, certainly, but he will be as well remembered (probably more so) for his presentational skills, his dazzling dance moves, as for his musical innovations. Whitney, on the other hand, just sang, and the ripples from her voice continue to dominate the pop landscape." Gill said that there "are few, if any, Jackson imitators on today's TV talent shows, but every other contestant is a Whitney wannabe, desperately attempting to emulate that wondrous combination of vocal effects – the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning".[285]
Houston was considered by many to be a "singer's singer", who had an influence on countless other vocalists, both female and male.[98][286] Similarly, Steve Huey from Allmusic 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.[281] Rolling Stone, on her biography, stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna".[287] 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".[288]
A number of artists have acknowledged Houston as an influence, including Celine Dion,[289] Mariah Carey,[98] Toni Braxton,[290] Christina Aguilera,[291] LeAnn Rimes,[292] Jessica Simpson,[293] Nelly Furtado,[294][295] Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears,[296] Ciara,[297] P!nk,[296] Ashanti,[298] Robin Thicke,[299] Jennifer Hudson, Stacie Orrico, Amerie,[300] and Destiny's Child.[296][301] Mariah Carey, who was often compared to Houston, said, "She [Houston] has been a big influence on me."[302] She later told USA Today that "none of us would sound the same if Aretha Franklin hadn't ever put out a record, or Whitney Houston hadn't."[303] Celine Dion who was the third member of the troika that dominated female pop singing in the 1990s, did a telephone interview with Good Morning America on February 13, 2012, telling "Whitney's been an amazing inspiration for me. I've been singing with her my whole career, actually. I wanted to have a career like hers, sing like her, look beautiful like her."[304] Beyoncé told the Globe and Mail that Houston "inspired [her] to get up there and do what [she] did".[305] She also wrote on her website on the day after Houston's death, "I, like every singer, always wanted to be just like [Houston]. Her voice was perfect. Strong but soothing. Soulful and classic. Her vibrato, her cadence, her control. So many of my life's memories are attached to a Whitney Houston song. She is our queen and she opened doors and provided a blueprint for all of us."[306]
Mary J. Blige said that Houston inviting her onstage during VH1's Divas Live show in 1999 "opened doors for [her] all over the world".[307] Brandy stated, "The first Whitney Houston CD was genius. That CD introduced the world to her angelic yet powerful voice. Without Whitney, half of this generation of singers wouldn't be singing."[308] Kelly Rowland, in an Ebony's feature article celebrating black music in June 2006, recalled that "[I] wanted to be a singer after I saw Whitney Houston on TV singing 'Greatest Love of All'. I wanted to sing like Whitney Houston in that red dress." She added that "And I have never, ever forgotten that song [Greatest Love of All]. I learned it backward, forward, sideways. The video still brings chills to me. When you wish and pray for something as a kid, you never know what blessings God will give you."[309]
Alicia Keys said "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl".[310] Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson cites Houston as her biggest musical influence. She told Newsday that she learned from Houston the "difference between being able to sing and knowing how to sing".[311] Leona Lewis, who has been called "the new Whitney Houston", also cites her as an influence. Lewis stated that she idolized her as a little girl.[312][313]
Houston was the most awarded female artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records,[1] with two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She held the all-time record for the most American Music Awards of any female solo artist and shared the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year with eight wins in 1994.[314] Houston won a record 11 Billboard Music Awards at its fourth ceremony in 1993.[315] She also had the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five awards at the 6th World Music Awards in 1994.[316]
In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", behind Madonna and Janet Jackson.[317] She was also ranked at number 116 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time".[318] In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine.[319][320] Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010.[321] In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three whom not only went on to earn eight number one singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five number ones on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[322]
Houston's debut album is listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine[49] and is on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list.[50] In 2004, Billboard picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history.[323] Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics.[51] In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts. In 2001, Houston was the first artist to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award.[324]
Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide.[2][3] She was ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 55 million certified albums sold in the US.[216][325]
She held an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana.[326]
Year | Title | Role | Notes and awards |
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1992 | The Bodyguard | Rachel Marron | Feature film
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1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Savannah Jackson | Feature film
|
1996 | The Preacher's Wife | Julia Biggs | Feature film
|
1997 | Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | Made-for-television film, part of a revival of the Wonderful World of Disney.[335]
|
2012 | Sparkle | Emma | Posthumous release |
Year | Title | Network | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | Gimme a Break! | NBC | Rita | "Katie's College" (Season 3, Episode 20, air date: March 15, 1984)[338] |
As the World Turns | CBS | Herself | Houston appeared on the soap on August 1–2, 1984, with Jermaine Jackson singing two duets off a new album he was releasing at the time: "Take Good Care of My Heart" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do." They taped their appearance on July 25 at CBS Studios in New York City. | |
1985 | Silver Spoons | NBC | Herself | "Head Over Heels" (Season 4, Episode 1, air date: September 15, 1985)[338] She performed the edited version of "Saving All My Love for You", changing some of the words. |
2002 | Boston Public | Fox | Herself | She performed "Try It On My Own" from the 2002 studio album Just Whitney. |
Year | Company | Promoting | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Dr Pepper/Seven Up | Canada Dry (soft drink beverage) |
United States |
|
1986 | Coca-Cola | Diet Coke (soft drink beverage) |
United States | |
1988 | Coca-Cola | Diet Coke (soft drink beverage) |
United States |
|
1989 | Sanyo | Electronics (the stereo, TV) |
Japan |
|
1994/ 1995 |
AT&T | Telephone services | United States | |
1999 | Nissin | Consumer credit business | Japan |
|
Year | Title | Director | Notes and awards |
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1997 | Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella | Robert Iscove | Executive producer[350]
|
2001 | The Princess Diaries | Garry Marshall | Producer[351]
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2003 | The Cheetah Girls | Oz Scott | Producer[356] |
2004 | The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement | Garry Marshall | Producer[357] |
2006 | The Cheetah Girls 2: When in Spain | Kenny Ortega | Co-executive producer[358] |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011) |
Date of birth: | August 11, 1951 |
Career information | |
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Position(s): | Running back |
College: | Eastern Michigan |
NFL Draft: | 1975 / Round: 14 / Pick 363 (By the Minnesota Vikings) |
Organizations | |
As player: | |
1975-1977 1978-1979 |
British Columbia Lions (CFL) Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL) |
Career highlights and awards | |
CFL All-Star: | 1978 |
Awards: | 1978 Eddie James Memorial Trophy |
Mike Strickland was a Canadian Football League running back for the British Columbia Lions from 1975 through 1977, and for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1978 and 1979.[1] He was an All-Star in 1976 and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy that same season.[citation needed]
Persondata | |
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Name | Strickland, Mike |
Alternative names | |
Short description | Player of American and Canadian football |
Date of birth | 1953 |
Place of birth | |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
This biographical article relating to a Canadian football running back is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Faith Evans | |
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Evans performing in April 2005 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Faith Renee Evans |
Born | (1973-06-10) June 10, 1973 (age 39) Lakeland, Florida |
Origin | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
Genres | R&B, soul, hip hop soul, hip hop |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress |
Years active | 1993–present |
Labels | Bad Boy (1994–2004) Capitol (2004–2007) Prolific/E1 Music (2009–present) |
Associated acts | Sean Combs, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, 112, Lil' Mo, The Notorious B.I.G., |
Website | FaithEvansOnline.com |
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to be contracted with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company during 1994, for which she released three platinum-certified studio albums between the years 1995 and 2001.[1] During 2003, she ended her relationship with the company to contract with Capitol Records.[2]
Other than her recording career, Evans is known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[3] The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997.[4] A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named "I'll Be Missing You", became Evans' best-selling song to date and won her a Grammy Award during 1998.[2]
Also an avocational actress and writer, Evans made her screen debut in the 2000 musical drama Turn It Up by Robert Adetuyi. Her autobiography Keep the Faith: A Memoir was released by Grand Central Publishing during 2008 and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category.
Contents |
Evans was born in Lakeland, Florida to an African-American mother, Helene Evans, a professional singer.[2] Her father, Richard Swain, was a musician who left before Evans was born (Evans has said "I've heard people mumble something about him being Italian, but I don't know for sure").[5] A half year later, 19-year-old Helene returned to Newark, New Jersey and left Faith with her cousin Johnnie Mae and husband Orvelt Kennedy, the foster parents of more than a hundred children they raised in the time that Faith lived with them.[2][4] It was not until a couple of years later that Helene's career floundered and she tried to take Evans back home. Faith, however, was afraid to leave what she'd "been used to", and instead, Helene relocated next door.[2]
Raised in a Christian home, Evans began singing at church at age two. At age four, she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Church (in Newark) when she sang The 5th Dimension's song "Let the Sunshine In".[6] While attending University High School in Newark, she sang with several jazz bands and, encouraged by Helene, entered outside pageants, festivals and contests, where her voice would be noticed and praised. After graduating from high school during 1991, Evans attended Fordham University in New York City to study marketing but left a year later to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin.[1] A couple of months later[when?], she relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked as a backup vocalist for singer Al B. Sure, when she was noticed by musician Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. Impressed with her persona, Combs contracted her as the company's first female artist to his Bad Boy Entertainment during 1994.[1]
Newly contracted to Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to Mary J. Blige's My Life (1994) and Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut record album Faith.[7] Released on August 29, 1995 in North America, the album was a collaboration with Bad Boy's main producers "The Hitmen", including Chucky Thompson and Combs, but it resulted in recordings with Poke & Tone and Herb Middleton. Faith became a success based on the singles "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home". The album was certified Platinum with 1,500,000 copies sold, according to RIAA.[8]
On August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and label mate The Notorious B.I.G., after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[3] The couple had one child together, Christopher Wallace, Jr. (born October 29, 1996), but the marriage was turbulent as Wallace reportedly had several affairs during their union, including relationships with fellow rappers Lil' Kim and Charli Baltimore.[9] Additionally, it led to Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, which ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-to-be-solved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California in March 1997,[4] and made Evans "Rap's most famous widow".[3] During early 1997, after her separation from Wallace, but before his death, Evans was introduced to record company executive Todd Russaw. Faith began dating Russaw during her and Wallace's separation and eventually, after Wallace died, Evans became pregnant by Russaw. The couple had their first son Joshua on June 8, 1998.[3] During the summer of 1998, Evans and Russaw were married, and on March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.[3] After Biggie's murder during March 1997, Combs helped Evans produce her tribute song named "I'll Be Missing You", based on the melody of The Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and all-male group 112, became a worldwide number-one success and debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart during 1997, scoring that for eleven weeks. It eventually won Puffy and Evans the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.[2] The next year, she received another two Grammy nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel", a collaboration with singers Whitney Houston and Kelly Price, that scored number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[10] Prior to Evans meeting and having a relationship with The Notorious B.I.G., she was involved in a relationship with Kiyamma Griffin. She and Griffin had a daughter named Chyna (born April 1, 1993).
Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, Keep the Faith, was released during October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first.[3] Upon its release, however, the album garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, with Allmusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music".[11] Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long" (released March 30, 1999) prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year.[3]
Evans' third album on the Bad Boy imprint, named Faithfully (2001), involved her working with a wider range of producers, including The Neptunes, Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Cory Rooney, and others.[12] Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry.[13] Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt Faithfully received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.[14] During January 2004, Evans and Russaw were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine and an improper tag violation during a traffic stop in Hapeville, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.
After ending with Bad Boy Entertainment Evans contracted with Capitol Records company, becoming the first contemporary R&B artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio album The First Lady, named after her nickname on her former label.[14] As opposed to having an in-house team of producers who supplied most of the previous material, she and Russaw were able to gain more creative control of the album and consulted producers such as Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Mike Caren, Pharrell Williams, and Chucky Thompson to contribute to it.[15] Upon its release in April 2005, The First Lady scored at number two on the Billboard 200 and #1 of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans' best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA.[16] At the end of the year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company was bought during 2007.[17]
Following a longer hiatus, Evans signed a deal with E1 Entertainment - the largest independent record label in the United States - in 2010. Her sixth studio album Something About Faith was released on October 5, 2010 in the United States and December 6, 2010 in the UK.[18] In the US, the album debuted and peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200, number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number one on the Independent Albums chart, failing however to chart oustide the US - making it Evans' only album since her debut Faith to chart in the US only.[19] Something About Faith has spawned the single and music video "Gone Already"; which spent over thirty-three weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked at number twenty-two.[20] On February 14, 2011, a high definition music video for "Right Here" was released on Evans' official YouTube account, suggesting that it is the second single from the album, though this is yet to be confirmed.[21]
In August 2010, she was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving, after being stopped at a checkpoint in Marina del Rey, California. In 2011, Evans filed for divorce against Russaw.[22][23] The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution of their drug-possession case.[24]
On March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.[3] In May 2011, Evans and Russaw announced they were getting a divorce, and stated they would like to keep it quiet for the children's sakes.[25]
Having previously appeared in stage plays as a teenager, Evans began acting with a supporting role in director Robert Adetuyi's 2000 music drama Turn It Up, featuring Pras Michel from the The Fugees, Jason Statham and Ja Rule. Released to generally negative reviews from critics,[26] who noted it "patently absurd in both the details and larger aspects",[27] the indie film had a short play and became a financial disappointment, gaining US$1.24 million during its U.S. run only.[28]
During 2003, Evans acted in the MTV-produced romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations in which she appeared in a brief but major role portraying a single mother and night club singer.[29] Filmed in Columbus, Georgia and headed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (her character is his mother) and Beyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critcs,[30] but scored top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million.[31] In addition, Evans recorded a contemporary cover version of Donna Summer's 1978 success "Heaven Knows" for the film which her characters performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack scored the top twenty of the U.S. Billboard 200.[32]
During 2004, Evans earned a brief guest stint on the UPN situation comedy Half & Half.[33] Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own situation comedy that would be based largely on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks at this time[when?].[34]
Evans released her autobiographic book called Keep the Faith: A Memoir on August 29, 2008. It detailed the singer's life, but also discussed Evans' controversial relationship with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.:
"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."[35]
In its initial release, "Keep the Faith: A Memoir" landed in the Top 20 on New York's Best Seller's List two consecutive weeks in a row. During 2009, the book received The 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.[36]
Studio albums
Other albums
Book: Faith Evans | |
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. |
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Name | Evans, Faith |
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Short description | |
Date of birth | 1973-06-10 |
Place of birth | |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010) |
Teddy Pendergrass | |
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Pendergrass in 1977 Pendergrass in 1977 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Theodore DeReese Pendergrass |
Born | (1950-03-26)March 26, 1950 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
Died | January 13, 2010(2010-01-13) (aged 59) Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States |
Genres | R&B, soul, gospel, jazz |
Occupations | Singer, songwriter, composer |
Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar, drums |
Years active | 1969–2006 |
Labels | Philadelphia International Asylum Elektra Surefire/Wind Up |
Associated acts | Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes |
Website | Official website |
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass (March 26, 1950[1] – January 13, 2010)[2] was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. In 1982, he was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the waist down. After his injury, he founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with star filled event, 'Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life' at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City's Borgata Casino in November 2008.
Contents |
Pendergrass was born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. When Pendergrass was still very young, his father left the family; Jesse Pendergrass was murdered when Teddy was 12. Pendergrass grew up in Philadelphia and sang often at church. He dreamed of being a pastor and got his wish when, at 10, he was ordained a minister (according to author Robert Ewell Greene). He also took up drums during this time and was a junior deacon of his church. Pendergrass attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). He sang with the Edison Mastersingers. He dropped out[3] in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song "Angel With Muddy Feet." The recording, however, was not a commercial success.
Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of The Cadillacs. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes' founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by Pendergass's vocals, made him the lead singer. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass's successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
In 1972, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes released their first single, a slow, solemn ballad titled "I Miss You". The song was originally written for the Dells, but the group passed on it. Noting how Pendergrass sounded like Dells lead singer Marvin Junior, Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, then only 21 at the time of the recording. Pendergrass sings much of the song in a raspy baritone wail that would become his trademark. The song also featured Blue Notes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background and spotlighted Harold Melvin adding in a rap near the end of the song as Pendergrass kept singing, feigning tears. The song, one of Gamble and Huff's most creative productions, became a major rhythm and blues hit and put the Blue Notes on the map.
The group's follow-up single, "If You Don't Know Me by Now", brought the group to the mainstream with the song reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching number-one on the soul singles chart. Like "I Miss You" before it, the song was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian native Patti LaBelle and her group Labelle but the group could not record it due to scheduling conflicts. Pendergrass and LaBelle developed a close friendship that would last until Pendergrass' death.
The group rode to fame with several more releases over the years including "The Love I Lost", a song which predated the upcoming disco music scene; the ballad "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and socially conscious singles "Wake Up Everybody" and "Bad Luck", the latter song about the Watergate scandal. One of the group's important singles was their original version of the Philly soul classic, "Don't Leave Me This Way", which turned into a disco smash when Motown artist Thelma Houston released her version in 1976. By 1975, Pendergrass and Harold Melvin were at odds, mainly over monetary issues and personality conflicts. Despite the fact that Pendergrass sung all of the group's songs, Melvin was controlling the group's finances. At one point, Pendergrass wanted the group to be renamed "Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes" because fans kept mistaking him as Melvin.[citation needed] Pendergrass left the group in 1977 and the Blue Notes struggled with his replacements. They eventually left Philadelphia International and by the early 1980s had disbanded for good.
In 1977, Pendergrass released his self-titled album, which went platinum on the strength of the disco hit, "I Don't Love You Anymore". Its follow-up single, "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", became a top 20 R&B hit. It was quickly followed by Life Is a Song Worth Singing, in 1978. That album was even more successful with its singles including "Only You" and "Close the Door". The disco single, "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose" was popular in dance clubs. The year 1979 brought two successes, Teddy and the live release, Live Coast to Coast. Hits off Teddy included "Come and Go With Me" and "Turn Off the Lights". His 1980 album, TP, included his signature song, "Love TKO" and the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Is It Still Good to You". Between 1977 and 1981, Pendergrass landed five consecutive platinum albums, which was a then-record setting number for a rhythm and blues artist.
Pendergrass' popularity became massive at the end of 1977. With sold-out audiences packing his shows, Pendergrass' manager soon noticed that a huge number of his audience consisted of women of all races. They made up a plan for Pendergrass' next tour to have it with just female audiences only, starting a trend that continues today called "women's only concerts". With five platinum albums and two gold albums, Pendergrass was on his way to be what the media was calling him, "the black Elvis", not only in terms of his crossover popularity but also due to him buying a mansion akin to Elvis' Graceland, located just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. By early 1982, Pendergrass was the leading R&B male artist of his day usurping competition including closest rivals Marvin Gaye and Barry White. In 1980, the Isley Brothers released "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" to compete with Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights", which sensed Pendergrass' influence on the quiet storm format of black music.
On March 18, 1982, in the East Falls section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive near Rittenhouse Street, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident. The brakes failed on his 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, causing the car to hit a guard rail, cross into the opposite traffic lane, and hit two trees. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.[4][5]
Pendergrass got well-wishes from thousands of his fans during his recovery. In August 1982, his label released This One's for You, which failed to chart successfully, as did 1983's Heaven Only Knows. Both albums included material Pendergrass had recorded prior to his accident. The albums completed Pendergrass' contract with Philadelphia International, in which by that time Pendergrass decided to return to the studio to work on new music and struggled to find a recording deal. Eventually signing a deal and completing physical therapy, Pendergrass released Love Language in 1984. The album included the pop ballad "Hold Me", featuring a then unknown Whitney Houston.
On July 13, 1985, Pendergrass made an emotional return to the stage at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in front of a live audience of over 99,000 and 2 billion television viewers.[6] It was the 35-year-old's first live performance following his 1982 accident. Pendergrass tearfully thanked the audience for keeping him in their well-wishes and then performed the Ashford & Simpson classic, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". In 1988, Pendergrass scored his first R&B number-one hit in nearly a decade when the new jack swing-styled "Joy", off his album of the same name, was released. A video of the song was in heavy rotation on BET. It was also his final Hot 100 charted single, peaking at number 77. Also, Pendergrass' voice was heard on the jingles of a back then local Philadelphia radio station, WSNI-FM.
Pendergrass kept recording through the 1990s. One of the singer's final hits was the hip-hop leaning "Believe in Love", released in 1994. In 1996, he starred alongside Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.[7] In 1998, Pendergrass released his autobiography entitled, Truly Blessed.[8]
Pendergrass did a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 14, 2002 entitled "The Power of Love". The concert became the album From Teddy, With Love, which was released on the Razor & Tie record label later that year. It was his second (after Live! Coast to Coast) and final live album. Clips of the concert, in particular his performance of his comeback song "Joy", can still be seen on YouTube.[9] In his later years, Pendergrass' “Wake Up Everybody” has been covered by a diverse range of acts from Simply Red to Patti LaBelle and was chosen as a rallying cry during the 2004 Presidential campaign by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to mobilize voters. In addition, Little Brother, Kanye West, Cam'ron, Twista, Ghostface, Tyrese Gibson, 9th Wonder, DMX and DJ Green Lantern have utilized his works.
In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business.[10] In 2007, he briefly returned to performing to participate in Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities, a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked Pendergrass' accident date, but also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.[11]
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Pendergrass had four children, Tisha, LaDonna, Tamon and Teddy II. In 1987, he married a former Philadanco dancer named Karen Still, who had also danced in his shows. Karen was Pendergrass' primary caregiver. The couple amicably divorced in 2003. Pendergrass met Joan Williams in the spring of 2006. Pendergrass proposed to Joan after four months and they married in a private ceremony officiated by his Pastor Allyn Waller of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. A formal wedding was celebrated at The Ocean Cliff Resort in Newport, Rhode Island on September 6, 2008.
As members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Joan Pendergrass set up The Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Youth Fund in the name of Pendergrass to provide assistance and a center for Philadelphia's inner city youth.
He published his autobiography, Truly Blessed, in 1992. There are plans to make a feature film biopic of Pendergrass's life. Tyrese Gibson is set to star as the late singer.[citation needed]
On June 5, 2009, Pendergrass underwent successful surgery for colon cancer and recovered to return home. A few weeks later he returned to the hospital with respiratory issues. After seven months, he died of respiratory failure on January 13, 2010, at age 59 with wife Joan by his side, while hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia.[12] He was survived by his mother Ida, wife Joan, three children; Tisha, Teddy II, LaDonna, stepdaughters Sherilla Leftrade, Jessica Avila and four grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.[citation needed]
Joan Pendergrass is the executrix of The Theodore Dereese Pendergrass Estate.[citation needed]
Pendergrass received the following five nominations for Grammy Awards.
Award | Year | Result | Category | Song |
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Grammy Award | 1979 | Nomination | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | "Close the Door" |
1982 | Nomination | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | "I Can't Live Without Your Love" | |
1989 | Nomination | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | "Joy" | |
1992 | Nomination | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" | |
1994 | Nomination | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | "Voodoo" |
Pendergrass received several nominations for the American Music Awards between 1979 and 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and Favorite Disco Artist. He won the AMA for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist in 1979, alongside singer Lou Rawls in a tie.
This "In popular culture" section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. (April 2012) |
This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
In Eddie Murphy's standup comedy, Delirious, Murphy does an imitation of Pendergrass singing "Only You", saying Pendergrass' masculine voice "scares the bitches into liking him". Cedric The Entertainer referenced Pendergrass in the comedy movie The Kings of Comedy.
Pendergrass appeared on the dance show, Soul Train on a number of occasions.
India recorded a cover version of Pendergrass's song "Turn Off the Lights" on her 2010 album, Unica. India explained in an interview[which?] that she had grown up listening to some of this music, and she had decided to do a cover to this song with a more tropical/Salsa feel to it.
In the live episode of 30 Rock, Dr. Leo Spaceman (performed by Chris Parnell) says that the last good "doing it" song is "Close the Door", and claims that the lack of such songs are the direct cause of erectile dysfunction.
On the Kanye West song "Devil in a New Dress", Rick Ross rapped, "Poke County, Jacksonville, write Melbourne/whole clique appetites had tape worms/spinning Teddy Pendergrass vinyl as my J burns."
At the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, country band Lady Antebellum paid tribute to Pendergrass, performing a medley that included "If You Don't Know Me By Now."
Persondata | |
---|---|
Name | Pendergrass, Teddy |
Alternative names | Pendergrass, Theodore DeReese |
Short description | American singer, songwriter, composer |
Date of birth | March 26, 1950 |
Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Date of death | January 13, 2010 |
Place of death | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |