Three Australian musicians on being inspired by the late, great Whitney Houston

The trio reflect on the inspiration and influence of Whitney Houston, the subject of an intimate documentary now streaming on SBS On Demand.

Source: Transmission Films

She’s the Queen of The Night who sang of The Greatest Love of All. She was the little girl singing in church who later became a backup vocalist while still in high school.

American singer and actress Whitney Houston was always destined to be great because her talent and passion wouldn’t have allowed for anything less. But celebrity, fame, the demands of the entertainment industry bigwigs and the expectations of the public took a toll on one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.

Houston’s death in February 2012 was blamed on drowning, the combination of cocaine intoxication and coronary artery disease. Though her tumultuous marriage to rapper Bobby Brown and her drug use (and abuse) was heavily speculated upon and exploited in entertainment media, her musical legacy must be respected. She paved the way for young African-American singers and actresses, but her influence has been much broader than that. She has inspired the sound of many modern rhythm n blues, pop, gospel, funk and soul singers. Her dramatic, glass-breaking vocal acrobatics can be heard in the work of Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé.

Australian artists, whether they were directly influenced or purely fans of Houston, have reflected on the legendary artist almost a decade after her death.

Anthony Callea

Anthony Callea, currently on his Together Again tour, was a special guest on Whitney’s last Australian outing, the Nothing but Love World Tour in 2010.

“Whitney’s promoter called me and asked if I’d like to be her special guest on her [2010] tour and I remember answering with a big ‘Yes!’, while trying to control my excitement,” says Callea. “I will never forget the moment she stopped by my dressing room to come and thank me for being on the tour. I can’t choose just one favourite [song],” he admits. “How could you, it’s Whitney? I love “How Will I Know” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. I recorded a version of those two songs on my Backbone album where I fused the two songs together in a unique piano/vocal arrangement.”

Kylie Auldist

Kylie Auldist, soul singer, is both a solo artist and frontwoman of The Bamboos. She recorded her first song at six years of age in the New South Wales town of Hay where she was raised. It’s been an upward trajectory to international acclaim since.

“In 1985 I discovered the new and amazing singing sensation that was Whitney Houston and her fabulous self-titled album,” Auldist recalls. “Her voice had such depth and power. She could sing anything. She sang with a Black voice, which I loved, although she was styled to appeal to a white market, like so many before her. It’s hard to choose a favourite song [but] I think ‘Saving All My Love’, her rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’, and her cover of Chaka Khan’s ‘I’m Every Woman’ are my top three.”

Emma Donovan

Emma Donovan, soul/funk/RnB singer and proud Gumbaynggirr/Dhangatti woman, began her career aged seven when she performed with her famous country-music family band, The Donovans. She’s since become known for her powerful performances with The Putbacks.

“I was ten or eleven when I first heard ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’” says Donovan. “All my aunties were rocking out to that track at the weddings and family events in the late 80s, early 90s. It’s forever a party favourite, alongside those romantic tunes like ‘How Will I Know’ and my Dolly Parton fave, ‘I Will Always Love You’. I love Whitney and her incredible voice, and I connect to her gospel tones and church background, which is similar to mine.”

The documentary, Whitney reveals an artist and a woman under immense pressure from the media and the public to be available and accessible. Despite the demands, and her battles with addiction, she released seven studio and six compilation albums and over 50 singles over five decades. The documentary is a revelation for fans, but also an insight for those who are only just discovering her music and films.

As Callea puts it so articulately, “She was, and always will be, an icon. Her music is timeless and will always be part of mine and all of our lives.”