Why was Whitney Houston really booed at the 1989 Soul Train awards?

[marv2]

and "One Moment In Time" is the best thing she ever recorded. She was booed by a bunch of shitheads who have some kind of litmus test for what a black woman must sound like to pass muster, or what kind of music she can sing. They probably would have booed Kathleen Battle if she had been up there. After that is when Whitney moved away from Michael Masser and the quality of her record went down the toilet faster than you can flush. Too bad people couldn't have looked upon her with pride and admiration. Did it make them feel she was "black enough" when she was a crack head?

Jill, I was around back then. I am African American and this the first time I have ever heard the subject of some people not liking or booing Whitney Houston because he did not sound "black enough". I have hung around all types of people and I have never heard this before.

[jillfoster]

Jill, I was around back then. I am African American and this the first time I have ever heard the subject of some people not liking or booing Whitney Houston because he did not sound "black enough". I have hung around all types of people and I have never heard this before.

I was around then, too, 21 at the time.... I think perhaps i'm getting this from media coverage in various places that were saying this at the time. And since Mary stated in her book that the same type of stuff happened to her, you see where i'm going here? If you don't think that's why she was booed... why DO you think she was booed? what's your theory?

[marv2]

I was around then, too, 21 at the time.... I think perhaps i'm getting this from media coverage in various places that were saying this at the time. And since Mary stated in her book that the same type of stuff happened to her, you see where i'm going here? If you don't think that's why she was booed... why DO you think she was booed? what's your theory?

Why was she [[Whitney Houston) booed? I really don't know. However, I am more inclined to believe it may have had more to do with her being lavished with so many awards and praised over and above some other deserving artists at the time. Why is it in this country that there can only be ONE "superstar" at any given time [[READ: Beyonce, now Lady Gaga..etc). I think it was just some people [[industry people) that were throwing out a little protest over just automatically giving every award possible to a handful of artists. It was becoming that way with people like Michael Jackson at one time.

Now, what Mary Wilson was explaining in her book involved a whole other time and the issues were entirely different! People had started complaining that Motown had gone far too mainstream and the Supremes in particular had gone completely to the extreme! Case in point, check out the video clip of their 1967 appearance on the "Hollywood Palace" where they performed "Reflections" followed by a few standard cabaret type tunes and the duet they did with Sammy Davis Jr. Not only was the sound and type of the music they were performing began being criticized, but their glamorous appearance had gone to the extreme where they didn't even look human, they looked more like animated Barbie dolls!

[soulster]

Jill, I was around back then. I am African American and this the first time I have ever heard the subject of some people not liking or booing Whitney Houston because he did not sound "black enough". I have hung around all types of people and I have never heard this before.

Same here! I am also Black, and have been around some of the most ignorant of ignorant Black folk, and none of them ever said Whitney sang, or was too "White". The hip-hop crowd respected her but just listened to what they listened to.

Like Dionne Warwick, she was a Black singer who sang pop music. No one ever, ever said anything about that even in the 60s, during her heyday. We played Warwick albums right alongside of Aretha Franklin in our house.

[honest man]

Whitney Houston there will only ever be one as The DIANA ARETHA,DIONNE GLADYS,MILLIE,ETC will never be duplicated,Exellence, i was going to start a thread a few weeks ago about Whitney recording a comeback with THE BOSS,I Think that song would be so good for her to redo, no offence to Diana's version LOVE IT,But it would be so good a song for her comeback to all her put downs,please don't start making this into a DR V WH Thread so many are ruined by the mentality, cheers.

[marv2]

Whitney Houston there will only ever be one as The DIANA ARETHA,DIONNE GLADYS,MILLIE,ETC will never be duplicated,Exellence, i was going to start a thread a few weeks ago about Whitney recording a comeback with THE BOSS,I Think that song would be so good for her to redo, no offence to Diana's version LOVE IT,But it would be so good a song for her comeback to all her put downs,please don't start making this into a DR V WH Thread so many are ruined by the mentality, cheers.

I liked Whitney's comeback single "Million Dollar Bill". She does not need to record old Diana Ross songs.

[marv2]

Same here! I am also Black, and have been around some of the most ignorant of ignorant Black folk, and none of them ever said Whitney sang, or was too "White". The hip-hop crowd respected her but just listened to what they listened to.

Like Dionne Warwick, she was a Black singer who sang pop music. No one ever, ever said anything about that even in the 60s, during her heyday. We played Warwick albums right alongside of Aretha Franklin in our house.

Another interesting point. Aretha and Dionne are very good friends. They even recorded some of the same songs. Aretha is Whitney's Godmother so I highly doubt they, themselves ever made a distinction or issue over who sounded "black".

[soulster]

Another interesting point. Aretha and Dionne are very good friends. They even recorded some of the same songs. Aretha is Whitney's Godmother so I highly doubt they, themselves ever made a distinction or issue over who sounded "black".

Aretha did a lot of pop songs too. "Chain Of Fools", "See Saw", "Daydreaming", and many others. Dionne, the same. So, why pick on Whitney?

[timmyfunk]

Jill, I was around back then. I am African American and this the first time I have ever heard the subject of some people not liking or booing Whitney Houston because he did not sound "black enough". I have hung around all types of people and I have never heard this before.

I'm somewhat surprised about that marv2. Any analysis of Whitney's career mentions the Soul Train Awards incident faithfully. That BBC documentary Soul Deep made special mention of it.

[marv2]

I'm somewhat surprised about that marv2. Any analysis of Whitney's career mentions the Soul Train Awards incident faithfully. That BBC documentary Soul Deep made special mention of it.

Timmy, I am serious. You know I wouldn't mess you around. I had never heard of it or at least remembered it and I tried to catch all of the music award shows back in roughly the early 80's through to the mid 90's. I have quite a few on video. I just don't remember the booing incident, but I definitely know that people were not criticizing Whitney for not sounding black enough in the late 80's. We had moved beyond those types of sensibilites of the 60's.......well at least until Wayne Brady came upon the scene! LOL!!!!