The last six months had already seen a great loss in the female music world with the passing of Amy Winehouse in July and Etta James in January. Whitney Houston suddenly and unexpectedly joined them last weekend when she was found dead in her Beverly Hills Hilton suite on the eve of the Grammy Awards. With whispers of a comeback because of a possible stint as a judge on “The X Factor” and an upcoming movie this summer, the death rang especially tragic for her fans.
Both Winehouse’s and Houston’s sudden deaths brought an outpouring of grief from their fans and the music industry, who had watched the artists’ stars rise, fall and waver in a limbo of unused talent.
Pastor T.D. Jakes, the executive producer of Houston’s upcoming movie “Sparkle,” commented on the response over Houston’s death in a CNN article, saying, “I think that the reason that so many people are devastated is because it is not just her music, but it is her misery that attached itself to the hearts of Americans, and we watched her struggle to regain her footing after a tumultuous relationship and bouts with abuse and substance abuse.”
Though they are two vastly different women, Winehouse’s and Houston’s stories are quite similar. Both achieved a period of early success, which in Houston’s case amounted to almost immediate stardom that only increased throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s with a successful movie career and a nonstop string of hits.
Winehouse earned early critical acclaim with her debut album “Frank,” as well as success in Britain. Her second album, “Back to Black,” earned her breakthrough success in the American market, winning her five Grammy Awards.
Her two most well-known hits, “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good,” deal with her rebellious, party-girl image. But as their addictions became more severe, both women began making headlines for all the wrong reasons, neither releasing much music in the last years of their lives.
As Winehouse and Houston sank deeper into their addictions, the toll was reflected onto their voices. But the beautiful thing about music is that it is timeless, and that their glory days will forever be saved on iTunes, Spotify and YouTube for generations to come.
Attached to this blog post is a mix of the two artists’ best songs ““ a variety of hits, B-sides and underrated gems. Many of Winehouse’s tracks on this list are from her first album, the sorely overlooked “Frank,” which shows her voice at its acrobatic best, picking out notes from thin air and showcasing the young singer’s witty spirit and soulful sound.
It’s hard to find a Houston track that isn’t well-known, but the a cappella version of “How Will I Know,” showing off to its fullest extent the true power of her voice, is sure to give goose bumps, as is her beautiful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl in 1991.
Amy Winehouse:
1. “Wake Up Alone” ““ “Back to Black”
2. “Teach Me Tonight (Hootenanny)” ““ “Frank B-sides”
3. “Just Friends” ““ “Back to Black”
4. “I Heard Love Is Blind” ““ “Frank”
5. “Help Yourself” ““ “Frank”
6. “Valerie” (Acoustic)
Whitney Houston:
1. “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” ““ “Whitney: The Greatest Hits”
2. “When You Believe (With Mariah Carey)” ““ “My Love Is Your Love”
3. “How Will I Know” (A cappella) ““ “Whitney Houston: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition”
4. “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1991 Super Bowl) ““ “Whitney: The Greatest Hits”
5. “Saving All My Love for You” ““ “Whitney Houston”
6. “I’m Every Woman” ““ “The Bodyguard (Original Soundtrack Album)”
7. “I Will Always Love You” ““ “The Bodyguard (Original Soundtrack Album)”