NEAL PRESTON/COURTESY OF WHITNEY E. HOUSTON ESTATE
WHITNEY HOUSTON, 1963-2012
On Feb. 15, 1978, at the age of 14, Whitney Houston made her concert debut at Town Hall in New York, performing with her mother Cissy Houston. And on Feb. 15 of this year, the same venue will present a concert titled “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration.” Remastered Houston recordings will be heard, with live backing by The Pops of Color Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Sean Mayes, using arrangements commissioned for this show, and accompanied by “never-before-seen” video footage.
According to a press release, The Pops of Color Symphonic Orchestra “is New York City’s first Pops orchestra composed exclusively of musicians of color, performing the music of musical icons of color.”
In a 2009 interview, Whitney Houston said of the 1978 Town Hall show: “I will never forget, I walked out to the front, and I began to sing and the whole audience rushed to the stage. It was that moment that my mother said, ‘God has smiled on you, and this is what you’re supposed to do.’ ”
Houston, who grew up in East Orange and learned how to sing at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, died in 2012, at the age of 48.
The show is being presented by Town Hall in collaboration with Park Avenue Artists, The Estate of Whitney E. Houston, and Primary Wave Music.
For information, visit thetownhall.org. And for a chance to win two tickets, send an email with “Whitney” in the subject line to njartscontest@gmail.com by 10 a.m. Feb. 11.
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