BOBBAYYYYYYY!  When “Being Bobby Brown” was aired on Bravo in 2005, there were only 11 episodes but Whitney’s “Hell to the No” entered the country’s vernacular and my family and friends were prone to greeting me while screaming my name Whitney-style. 

What hasn’t already been said or written about Whitney Houston?  She landed on the map for me with “Saving All My Love” and I usually LOATHE ballads, but there was something special about that voice and song.  “How Will I Know” all over MTV and off we go.  So many hits and fantastic performances over the years, so many human mistakes, with a voice like no other.   

My personal Whitney experiences were due to my employment at the time for Bill Graham’s Winterland Productions.  It was the marketing arm of Graham’s company and Winterland handled all the merchandising like programs, t-shirts, Madonna pins, etc..  My job was working for the boss’s sister in the accounting department, reconciling the cash that was brough to us nightly from merch being sold at concerts. I’ve got crazy good stories from my time at Winterland: (Chrissie Hynde coming into our office and me having her sign a program, getting to keep autographed slips where rock stars signed for free merchandise, getting ten cents per letter to “answer” fan mail for Madonna-Pat Benatar and Tina Turner, having the merch roadies get autographed photos and posters (Beastie Boys!) for me, having a famous singer’s brother do blow on my desk … oh yes … there will be a whole section on my time at Winterland).   

Back to Whitney.  Because I was a 21-year-old working at Winterland, I had an interesting perk.  Since I didn’t have a fantastic budget at that time, going to concerts was usually a splurge and/or the shitty seats.  When Whitney came to Shoreline Amphitheater in September of 1986, I cashed in on this so-called “perk”.  I begged and kissed ass to be a merchandise vendor at her concert.  I hadn’t done it before, but I knew I could.  The douche lord in charge of vendor assignment agreed to give me a chance.  Hurdle number one out of the way. BUT. The vendor booths at an outdoor arena are all over the place, most of them being in FRONT of the arena where they sell hot dogs, booze and crap food on your way to your seats.  There was ONE single merch booth up in the corner that did have direct diagonal sightline to stage right.  I don’t remember if I paid one of the other guys or if I begged for that booth, but that’s how I saw Whitney Houston in concert.   

And it wasn’t great. Since people weren’t coming too often to that booth to buy merchandise, I was able to watch most of her show.  My recollection is thinking that she sounded much better on record, was having a problem with some songs and notes, maybe some technical issues and Whitney was seriously choreographically challenged.  I enjoyed it anyway, I was 21, it was a warm evening, and I WAS seeing Whitney Houston.  I think in the back of my mind, I may have resisted going to her future concerts because I remembered that performance and thinking I should just love her recordings and not set my expectations to high for concerts.  That was a mistake; I should have gone every chance I had!  (P.S. I was working that same booth during a Judd’s concert when I shouted a greeting to Wynonna across the empty seats during their sound check.  She flipped me off. Nice.) 

My other Winterland Whitney Houston story revolves around her merchandise.  Specifically, the beautiful, oversized program for the concert.  There had recently been a Time (?) magazine article that mentioned something about Whitney’s “decidedly masculine” (or some other euphemism) best friend, Robyn Crawford. Here’s where it’s a bit blurry because I was too far down the totem pole to understand or know all the details.  The scuttlebutt was that the program had been printed with a dedication to Robyn on the last page, and Whitney’s legal team had contacted our boss to NOT print that dedication.  The dedication was to be changed to “My mother Cissy, my greatest love of all”.  However, apparently a large quantity of programs had already been printed with the Robyn dedication. Representatives from Whitney’s team came onsite to personally account for all printed programs and oversee their destruction and we had to print new programs.  At one point in time, I was convinced that I had copies of BOTH programs, that I had saved one from destruction.  But alas, everything from the words “The scuttlebutt…” forward could all be a figment of my imagination and just a hyperbolic, braggadocio story that I made up and repeated so often that it became true in my head. Facts: (1) There definitely was an accusatory article.  (2) Whitney’s bisexuality has now been acknowledged, even by Bobby. (3) The program in my possession has the Cissy dedication. 

As for the autograph that I have in my collection from Whitney, it is a rare in-person signature gotten at a red-carpet event and you can see that she has added a barely legible Brown after Houston. I love it!  Her body of work includes so much great stuff, but my two favorite things are (1) the scene in “The Bodyguard” where she has another person help her “personally sign” some 8x10 photographs (happens all the time!) and (2) I will never get enough of “My Love Is Your Love (Jonathan Peters Remix)”.  A workout playlist staple and always a cheerleader of the heart with a crazy good beat!   

BOBBY BROWN SOLO

In regards to BOBBBAYYYYY!, you must keep in mind that I was a fan of New Edition before Whitney was even a known entity.  I was 100% enamored with the sound of Ronny-Bobby-Ricky-and-Mike.  Couldn’t get enough of New Edition, even their Christmas album.  My weird-ass self even has one of their songs STILL on my workout playlist and it didn’t even break the Hot 100. “My Secret (Didja Get It Yet?)  New Edition was also the first concert of my brother (15) and sister (16) since I took them when I was 20 to see the guys at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, June 22nd, 1985. This bubblegum pop song is still infectious ...

Since then, I’ve seen multiple concerts with Bel Biv DeVoe, Johnny Gill and the regrouped New Edition, but never Bobby solo.  The last time I saw RBRM (Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike) was on June 16, 2019 at The Paramount in Oakland. My good buddy, handsome Davon M. came up from Los Angeles for the weekend and joined me for the concert. Davon has such a great smile and a contagious laugh. Sitting through that concert was a bit of a struggle fest - but it did have some shining moments. A couple of times Davon and I would side-eye each other because of some frantic antic on stage and that laugh of his would get me going!

When Bobby Brown went solo, this Bobby went bananas.  I’ve got to thank Bobby Brown for helping me to get laid in 1988 and 1989. His new jack swing songs gave me crazy opportunities to rule the dancefloor with “My Prerogative”, “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Every Little Step”. No jokes.  You know what they say: “If he can dance, he can …” So, yeah, I love Bobby Brown music because it let me shine.  I also love Bobby’s signature.  When he is in a good mood and is fully present, he loves meeting fans and is an autograph collector’s dream.  He knows exactly where to sign in the sweet spots, he doesn’t mind using the preferred blue Sharpie and he has an excellent artful signature. His autobiography is highly recommended.  It pulls no punches, doesn’t hide from the truth and really sheds the light on a lot of gaps the public didn’t know about.  I understand Bobby Brown has suffered great losses and struggles in many areas and I love and respect the guy for being a survivor that keeps on doin’ his thing.  Props to Bobby B. from Bobby G. 

DEBORAH COX

Deborah Cox was amazing in "Bodyguard: The Musical". Her vocals were fire!!! I went with my friend Desmond, we had great seats and I was blown away by Deborah's renditions of Whitney's songs. After the show, Desmond and I were the only people that got to meet Deborah. We caught as she was leaving the theater in a car. I was waving my LP's and she rolled down the window to greet and talk with us. She made a comment about "Wow! You've got the original VINYL!" Yes, girlllll! I do. She was really sweet and such a looker. I don't know if the full musical is available to watch – but even this trailer is awesome and gives you a glimpse into her powerhouse performance.

JOHNNY GILL and BRANDY - I don’t have much to say about either of these next two except for their connections to Whitney and Bobby. Hence, my inclusion of Brandy (Cinderella) and Johnny Gill (New Edition).   

All I really know about Brandy is that she’s cute and likeable, I’m a fan of “I Wanna Be Down” and “That Boy Is Mine” (but I’m not crazy for most of her other songs).  Most interesting of all to me is that she co-starred with Diana Ross in “Multi Platinum” (ooooffff) and with Whitney in “Cinderella” (ummmmm).  The 8x10 that I have signed by her is fantastic though! 

With Johnny Gill, all I know is that I didn’t love New Edition as much when he joined and took Bobby’s place.  I didn’t dislike them, per se, I just didn’t LOVE them.  Johnny solo is also fine. “Rub You the Right Way” is a good song.  He’s got a handsome likeable persona, like a male Brandy and that’s all I got.] 

NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN - A strong Whitney collaborator as a writer and producer for "How Will I Know", "I Wanna Dance" and the "Whitney" album. Narada live and has a studio in nearby San Rafael, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. No, I didn't go to his house and knock on his door for an autograph (but I have with others...LOL) The signed book you see here was a Goodwill find for $3.29

80's SINGING LEGENDS - They’re almost all gone.  They being the BIGGEST brightest lights of pop music from my late teens and early 20’s.  They ruled MTV and were international stars and their lights have been put out way too early.  Michael Jackson. Freddie Mercury. George Michael. Sinead O’Connor. Prince – that one really hurt. 

But losing Whitney Houston was the one that we all loved and wanted to protect, praying for her to get back on track.  “I Will Always Love You” is not only a perfect song, but it literally on my “Cry” playlist.   

Sometimes we just need to cry.  

ADDENDUM: WHITNEY'S MOVIES

In thinking about Whitney’s orbit, how could I forget the co-star of her most famous movie?!?!  Kevin Costner from “The Bodyguard”. Or as autograph collectors call him … K-line.  As you can see from the TTM pre-prints with his “See you at the movies” tagline, he STARTED out setting the bar low for autograph collectors and forgers.  When you see a K-line, it’s probably NOT signed by him.  I find it of note that he actually DOES have readable letters in his name when he signs in person.  But if it’s K-Line or fully spelled out; (especially the latter) it’s probably fake.  Kevin, himself however, if far from fake.  He takes himself and his career very seriously.  The back and forth between his (now-ex) wife and the quibbling over dishes and such was juicy tabloid fodder, but very telling that Mr. Costner is nobody’s fool, perhaps a tad controlling and not be effed with.   

Also in my autograph collection, I have the director of “Waiting to Exhale” – Forest Whitaker.  TBH I didn’t even realize he directed Exhale until writing this.  I just know him from his always-reliable and sometimes subtle scene-stealing acting.  You can’t help but look at Forest when he’s onscreen with somebody else.  He’s compelling.  Of his two autographs shown here, I’m pretty sure that the signature on the “Bird” picture is a forgery.  It doesn’t match any of his in-person signatures at all.  The index card also gave me ~5% pause because his “F” is usually very sharp, no curve at the top, but I’ll say this one’s genuine cuz every other letter is just like he normally signs. 

I’ve also got Gregory Hines in my collection. He was in two Whitney movies: “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife”.  Other than that, I haven’t seen his movies.  I’m not much for musicals, tap or dancing films – stereotypes be damned. 

But wait … I also have Whitney co-stars Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance and …. ok, hold up.  

Clearly, I’M the one that needs to exhale and create separate entries instead of going all six degrees of Whitney. 

I'll leave you with this surprise that showed up, unexpectedly at a club ... it makes me smile.