As fans around the world continue to celebrate the legacy of Whitney Houston, it feels more important than ever to reflect on what she meant to us – her loyal and devoted gay audience.
To the wider population, Whitney was an easy listening fixture on Love Song Dedications. The big-voiced belter behind ‘The Greatest Love Of All’ & ‘I Will Always Love You’.
However, to the gay community, Houston was The Queen Of The Night – a fierce dancefloor diva, whose huge voice lifted the roof off gay clubs & circuit parties all around the world.
In the later half of her career, Whitney took commercial club remixes to new heights. With her ‘My Love Is Your Love’ album, Houston & her team treated remixing with the same care & consideration that most artists reserve for their original album cuts. Decades later, it’s interesting to note that the remixes from this era haven’t dated enough for DJs to take them out of rotation. Even years later when ‘Its Not Right But It’s OK’ was covered on the TV show ‘Glee‘, it was remembered in its remixed form.
While many artists before her had issued remix albums, Houston pushed the envelope further. On the US release of her ‘Greatest Hits’ album, Whitney substituted many of her original hits with updated club versions (from the likes of Hex Hector, Junior Vasquez & Thunderpuss) – not as bonus tracks, but as their sole inclusion on the album. It was a bold move, which helped reposition Houston in the marketplace alongside emerging dancefloor divas of the day J-Lo & Britney. The New York Daily News remarked, “In her dance mixes, she exudes an erotic dynamism that no one else has the lung power to match. This isn’t just an ecstatic piece of party music – it utterly redefines Houston as an artist.”
Another bold move came when Whitney performed at New York Pride’s closing party, Dance On The Pier. In Australia we were blessed to have Kylie, however back in the 90’s artists of Whitney’s stature didn’t perform at US gay parties – especially not African American artists with deep church roots. However, Whitney saw no issue with performing at a Gay Pride celebration.
“What I received was lots of love. Mad love! The clubs are happening. People – the gay community, keeps them happening. It’s where they go to release, to get their stuff off. And they like to hear music. Good bangin’ music.”
At the time, industry bible Billboard magazine wrote “If you think about it, this was a major coup not only for the Lesbian & Gay community but for the Club community as well. Thankfully, nothing about Houston’s appearance seemed contrived; it appeared completely genuine. Perhaps Houston’s appearance will encourage other artists to make similar moves & acknowledge those who acknowledged them.”
(It should be noted that Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson & Jennifer Lopez all subsequently performed at NYC Pride’s Pier Dance).
As is well documented, in her final years Houston struggled with personal demons. Her larger-than-life behaviour & defiant attitude became a comedic goldmine for the likes of Maya Rudolph, Kathy Griffin & Mad TV’s Debra Wilson –with each “homage” a camp classic in its own right. Yet through all her drama, Whitney continued to set the dancefloor alight with anthems like ‘Try It On My Own’ & ‘Million Dollar Bill’ – her 14th & final #1 on Billboard’s Club chart.
It was at the 2012 Fair Day launch of our Mardi Gras season that news of Houston passing spread like wildfire. It was the talk of the day, as people were genuinely shocked & saddened. Each party that followed throughout the season had a Whitney moment. Every DJ set contained a mash-up or classic mix that elicited a huge response from the crowd. It was clear that we had suffered the loss of someone dear to us.
I will never forget the moment at Harbour Party. DJ Lee Dagger of Bimbo Jones finished his set, as fireworks exploded over Sydney Harbour in what’s usually the climactic point of the iconic party. However, this time as the final colours faded from the sky, the music started again. The packed dancefloor recognised the opening strains of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. The crowd seemed to be instantly connected, as strangers looked each other in the eye & smiled knowingly. We sang the lyrics together with the exuberance of a gospel choir, while spinning around the dancefloor in sheer joy.
Although this particular moment had a timely sense, Whitney’s music had given us countless dancefloor moments over the years, as it continues to do. It’s how we will remember her. Our Whitney.
