Some times, places can be inextricably associated with memories of people; every time I drive by the Beverly Hilton Hotel, I think about Whitney Houston’s final hours. I want to try really hard to replace that memory and remember her when she was her most vibrant and on top of the world.
In December 1988, I was in Australia with Whitney Houston for “The Ultimate Event,” the opening of Sanctuary Cove, a large resort on the north end of the Gold Coast. Whitney was headlining one of the two main concerts, Frank Sinatra was headlining the other. Whitney looked great and was so full of life. She had just finished the Moment of Truth World Tour, which was one of the top ten highest grossing tours of the year. She had performed at Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Celebration at Wembley in London the previous summer. Her album, Whitney, was a huge success, 9x platinum, and had made her a huge international superstar. Her four singles from the album were all number one, added to the three singles from her first album, broke a record for consecutive number one hits (surpassing the Beatles and Bee Gees). Whitney was on top of the world, literally. This is the Whitney I want to remember.
OFF THE CHARTS 