Page 14 - aruba-today-20230328

A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 28 March 2023

Whitney Houston’s family wants to highlight her gospel roots

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. unreleased tracks – three of
AP Entertainment Writer which (“He Can Use Me,” “I
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whit- Found a Wonderful Way”
ney Houston’s brother re- and “Testimony”) were re-
members when his young corded when she was 17
sister listened to their moth- years old.
er during gospel rehearsals “You heard the innocence
before she mimicked every of her voice,” said Pat
tune that was sung. Houston. “You could see
As Houston rose to pop su- where she started and how
perstardom, her exception- she ended up with all her
ally talented vocals were hits throughout her career.
rooted in gospel music. Any song is a great song
And now, her family — led of Whitney Houston’s. You
by her sister-in-law Pat and heard her gospel roots all
brother Gary Houston — wrapped up in her music.”
wants the foundation of her Whitney Houston first start-
musical legacy to continue ed singing at the New Hope
to live on through her new Baptist Church in Newark,
posthumous gospel album New Jersey, as a child. Be-
and documentary under tween the mid-1980s to the
the same name, “ I Go to late 1990s, she was one
the Rock: The Gospel Music of the world’s best-selling
of Whitney Houston. “ artists with her effortlessly
“Gospel was in her heart,” powerful vocals rooted in
said Gary Houston, who the Black church but made
recalled his sister around Singer Whitney Houston performs at the pre-Grammy gala & salute to industry icons with Clive palatable to the masses
the age of 5 wearing their Davis honoring David Geffen in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2011. with her pop persona.
mother Cissy Houston’s wig Associated Press It understandably took time
and high heels while using of Whitney Houston’s es- Friday last week. The docu- from “The Bodyguard,” “His for the family to grieve after
a broom as a microphone. tate, said she’s excited for mentary, hosted by CeCe Eye Is on the Sparrow” from Whitney Houston’s death
“We woke up to and went listeners to hear the six-time Winans, aired on UPtv and “Sparkle” along with “I Go in 2012. Her brother, Gary,
to sleep to gospel. She Grammy-winner’s message AspireTV and will be avail- to the Rock” and “Joy to the said he still feels his sister’s
would sing exactly what of hope and faith and the able on DVD. World” from “The Preach- spirit whenever it rains, or
she heard my mother and influential mark gospel mu- The singer’s 14-track album er’s Wife” soundtrack – the when a bird visits him while
her siblings. No secular mu- sic had on her life and ca- features several tunes from best-selling gospel album he’s at home adding that
sic. It was all gospel.” reer through both projects, notable soundtracks in- of all time. “when the doorbell rings, I
Pat Houston, the executor which both were released cluding “Jesus Loves Me” The project also includes six think it’s her.”q

Review: Vietnam vets try to help nation they once attacked

By JEFF ROWE Manus Campbell, a Ma- account of efforts, mostly ed, cities and towns were combatants, which has
Associated Press rine from New Jersey, and Searcy’s and Campbell’s, wrecked and hundreds given him a revelation on
“The Long Reckoning: A Chuck Searcy, an Army to bring medical care in of square miles had been America today. “If the vet-
Story of War, Peace and intelligence analyst from an area most severely af- defoliated by herbicide erans can come together
Redemption in Vietnam,” Georgia, have spent the fected by herbicides the spray that polluted water and make peace, why
by George Black (Knopf) past few decades in Viet- U.S. military used in Viet- supplies and likely caused can’t we all?”q
In the U.S., we’ve mostly nam leading efforts to heal nam in an effort to expose severe and lingering health
moved on from our military the hundreds of thousands the maze of roads and trails problems.
engagements in Vietnam, of Vietnamese still suffering the North Vietnamese used This book, however, offers
Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s from war wounds or dis- to move weapons and sup- an inspiring epilog to the
the American way — not eases linked to herbicide plies to the south. Vietnam tragedy.
dwelling on our mistakes or exposure. Goodreads counts 323 “I thought we had a moral
engaging in a national dis- Thanks to Campbell, Searcy books written on the Viet- obligation to help,” said
cussion about what went and a small group of scien- nam War. In these books, Searcy. “I wanted to par-
wrong. tists and others, the U.S. and the stages and characters ticipate in the rebuilding.”
And atonement? We don’t others are providing the re- are different, but the end So did Campbell; both men
do that. sources to help find unex- remains mostly the same. have spent most of the
But two American Vietnam ploded bombs and treat America clung to the belief past few decades in Viet-
vets thought differently and Vietnamese struggling with that its overwhelming mili- nam, focusing on getting
became our national con- diseases likely linked to her- tary power could bend a assistance for the millions
science, our moral center bicide exposure. people to its will. of Vietnamese still suffering
and our agents of redemp- George Black’s reporting It could not and in the si- from the war’s chemical
tion in dealing with the for “The Long Reckoning” is lence when the shooting and explosive legacy. This cover image released
fearsome toll that herbicide deep and wide — he made and bombing finally end- Searcy says he has been by Knopf shows “The Long
spraying and unexploded nine trips to Vietnam and ed, Vietnamese confront- overwhelmed by the gra- Reckoning: A Story of War,
bombs inflicted on tens of the result is a meticulously ed a nation in ruins. Millions ciousness of the Vietnam- Peace, and Redemption in
Vietnam” by George Black.
thousands of Vietnamese. reported, extraordinary had been killed or wound- ese, and particularly former Associated Press