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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 10 december 2016

Deborah Cox says Whitney Houston role is ‘in good hands’

MARK KENNEDY albums, trying to figure out
AP Entertainment Writer when I should start my fam-
NEW YORK (AP) — There’s ily,” Cox says.
one important person to “That really helped to bring
thank for Deborah Cox me to where I am today,
stepping into Whitney Hous- where I have a family, I
ton’s shoes for the national have a career, I have a
tour of “The Bodyguard.” wonderful husband, I have
That person would be Whit- a team support system —
ney Houston herself. and it’s because of that
Cox and Houston were la- advice.”
bel-mates and friends, with Cox says she’s honoring
the late pop star mentoring Houston’s memory with
the Canadian singer and the musical based on “The
often telling Cox to put Bodyguard ,” the Oscar-
family first. nominated 1992 romantic
“I take pleasure in the fact thriller about a diva who
that I did know her. I did falls for a former Secret Ser-
have a relationship with vice agent.
her,” Cox says. “There was The stage version features
a comradery there. She songs from the movie such
was a mentor. There was a as “I Have Nothing,” ‘’Run
sisterhood that we shared.” to You” and “I Will Always
Cox treasures the pivot- Love You” and adds other
al time she and Houston Houston hits like “I Wanna
shared a Miami studio to Dance with Somebody,” In this Aug. 28, 2015 file photo, Deborah Cox attends the 2015 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards in Bev-
record the duet “Same ‘’Saving All My Love for erly Hills, Calif.
Script, Different Cast” in You” and “How Will I Know.” Associated Press
2000. Houston came in, Houston died in 2012. tations are. I know what ing the love-interest role one else I can think of who
kicked off her shoes and, Singing those songs is both people want to hear. But played previously by Kevin can play the role the way
after the song was done, a responsibility and a pres- also as an actor, as an art- Costner, says the addition she does,” says Mills.
the two chatted. sure for Cox, who made ist, as a singer, as a per- of Cox was a key reason he The tour kicked off at New
“She’d always say to me, her Broadway debut in El- former, I want to be able to signed up for the tour and Jersey’s Paper Mill Play-
‘Girl, where them babies ton John and Tim Rice’s deliver as well,” she says. “I that she has put her own house this month. It will
at? Where them babies musical “Aida” and most want people to know that, mark on Houston’s songs. make stops in more than 20
at? When are you going to recently starred opposite for me, this role is in good “Her energy and her per- U.S. cities, including Chica-
have some babies?’ And Constantine Maroulis in a hands. I really take it very, sonality is so intoxicating. go, Philadelphia, Nashville,
it was really literally at the revival of “Jekyll & Hyde.” very serious.” You can’t help but like her, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San
time where I was between “I know what the expec- Judson Mills, the actor play- and I really think there’s no Diego and Dallas.q

Hibbing struggles with how

it should honor Bob Dylan

HIBBING, Minn. (AP) — The Dylan was born in Duluth
city of Hibbing has long in 1941, raised in the Iron
struggled with how it should Range town of Hibbing and
honor its most famous son, graduated from the city’s
Bob Dylan. There is a street high school in 1959. Earlier
sign, a small exhibit in the this year, he became the
public library, but little first musician in the Nobel’s
more. 115-year history to win the
As Dylan is awarded the prize in literature.
Nobel Prize in literature Sat- Dylan’s relationship with
urday — proclaimed Bob Hibbing has been compli-
Dylan Day in the state — cated: Many didn’t under-
some residents think that stand the artistic Robert In this Jan. 12, 2012, file photo, Bob Dylan performs in Los Angeles.
should change. Zimmerman, and after he Associated Press
“A prophet in his own land left, they didn’t realize how
is not always noticed,” famous he had become,
said Mary Palcich Keyes, Minnesota Public Radio over him!” he said. bing, we need to do a bet- Hattam and others are
who is part of an effort to News reported. Around 1990, a restaurant ter job of explaining Bob to working on an effort called
honor the singer-songwrit- Aaron Brown, who used to named Zimmy’s — Dylan’s the rest of the world,” said the Hibbing Dylan Project
er-poet. “For many years, I help run the now-defunct nickname in high school retired teacher Craig Hat- to come up with a way to
think people just took it for Dylan Days festival, said — opened downtown and tam, who gives Dylan-fo- publicly honor Dylan. Hat-
granted and it didn’t seem when Dylan left town, most drew tourists until it closed cused tours, including pass- tam wanted a statue at the
that big of a deal. Now the people didn’t think he had a couple of years ago. The ing by Dylan’s childhood high school, but a Dylan
Nobel Prize seems to have, a great singing voice. public library still has an ex- home, which he hopes will relative has said the fam-
it’s like it shook something “Then two or three years hibit in its basement. someday become a mu- ily would prefer a focus on
loose finally.” later ... everyone’s fawning “As a person who loves Hib- seum. educational work.q