By Stuart Nulman
In his introduction to this book, recording industry mogul Clive Davis, whose Arista record label the late Whitney Houston recorded on, has this to say about the legendary singer who tragically died over a year ago:
“Whitney and I were special creative partners on all her songs that have become the soundtrack of the lives of millions all over the world but she was the sole arbiter of her fashion, her hair, her outfit, her look. She knew the camera well and the camera truly loved her. This book provides so many memorable pictures that trigger the deep emotional connection that we all had with Whitney. It’s like a visual greatest hits and I know you will enjoy them, be affected by them and hopefully be touched by them always.”
With all the controversy aside that was connected with her final years (which was highlighted by her toxic marriage to singer Bobby Brown), the late Whitney Houston was a true music superstar and her hit records like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “How Will I Know”, and “I Will Always Love You” remain in the conscience of her fans and those who enjoyed pop music and ballads during the 80s and 90s. However, her physical presence, beauty and sense of style were just as memorable as her distinctive singing voice.
Photographer Randee St. Nicholas (who worked with Whitney and directed the video for her hit “I’m Every Woman”) worked in conjunction with the Whitney Houston Estate to produce a beautiful visual tribute to her life and career with the attractive coffee table book “Whitney: Tribute To An Icon”.
Compiling over 130 photos that were taken by 22 photographers over a period of nearly 30 years, St. Nicholas has captured the essence of Whitney Houston the superstar instead of the tragic figure. There are photo sessions, video shoots, live concerts and candid shots that show the many faces of the development of Whitney Houston as a singer and personality.
For example, there’s her playful aspect as she is hanging up a roomful of platinum records for the cover of her greatest hits CD; there’s the movie star in the making on the set of her 1992 hit movie “The Bodyguard”; there’s her pulsating, patriotic performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV in 1991; there’s the superstar diva on the concert stage, wowing audiences in South Africa, London, Chicago and New York; and there’s one of her final photo shoots that took place in Atlanta in 2010, in which her later years may not have been kind to her, but Whitney still showed the exuberance and playful enthusiasm that was prevalent nearly 30 years before, when she entered the music scene in a major way.
The photos in this book are larger than life and show not only her beauty and talent, but also her human and vulnerable side. Basically, this is a celebration of Whitney Houston that way she is meant to be celebrated; not as a tragic victim of celebrity and fame, but as a major talent whose music helps to keep her legend alive.
This review originally appeared in the March 2, 2013 edition of The West End Times.
