The greatest voice of all

It's a sunny day in Watts, California May, 17th 1986. Kids are playing and running around freely yelling and having fun. I'm sad because the U-Haul truck just pulled up to assist us with our move to the valley. I'm sitting out front on the porch. Across the way, I could hear very clearly, the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. It grabbed my attention like Michael Jackson walking around at Venice beach. The song was "The greatest love of all". My mother's friend Bernadette was playing the record and singing along out loud. I ran over and asked Bernadette, “What is that song called and who sings it"? She replied, “It's the greatest love of all by Whitney Houston". From that moment on, her name and voice stuck to me like white on rice. I'll never forget being memorized and staring at the album cover, revealing this slim, beautiful, caramel completed woman, wearing a cream colored gown with a pearl necklace. She looked like an Angel from heaven. Although I was only 13 years old, I knew was in love immediately. Over the next few years that voice, elegance, and beauty had become irresistible. A mega star was born. Houston dominated the air waves with songs such as "You give good love to me”, “Saving all my love for you”," How will I know", "all at once", ’I want to dance with somebody" and of course the mega hit, "The greatest love of all". I remember these songs dominating the mid 80's, in which it launched her Clive Davis guided career straight into orbit.
                            In December 1991, I was hanging out at a friend’s house by the name of Toney Briggs. Briggs was a huge fashion designer to the stars during the 80's and 90's. He designed for such mega stars as MC Hammer , Vista, Shanice Wilson, The boys and the Soul Train dancers. Briggs put on this CD and suddenly, my ears became fulfilled with this one of a kind perfect voice. Once again, I was reunited with greatness. It was another Houston song entitled, "I have nothing". I still remember the opening lines- Share my life, take me for what I am.  Cause I’ll never change all my colors for you. That voice was soothing and hypnotizing. If singing were basketball, Whitney Houston would be 10 times better than Michael Jordan. There simply wasn’t anyone close to her and she reached a level of success that only Michael Jackson had reached. Earlier that year, she did an interview on the Arsenal Hall show in which it was streamed live from her brand new NJ mansion via satellite. I loved the interview because it personified a woman who was so happy, full of life and successful. She had just gotten engaged to former New Edition member and mega star Bobby Brown. She was also hanging with her long time good pals Be Be and Ce Ce Winans. The interview truly displayed the beautiful, kind, fun and loving person as everyone often described. Then suddenly, things began to change. She was often portrayed in the media along with hubby Bobby, in a negative way on many occasions. Her star began to fade. Her career questioned and in jeopardy. Reports of alleged drug abuse and spousal abuse dominated the headlines for years to come. I often, as well as many dedicated fans, ignored the reports. This is Whitney Houston. Sure we all questioned her decision to marry Bobby Brown. Sure we questioned some of her tour cancellations. However, it was Whitney Houston. She represented elegance, style and sophistication. She could do no wrong and she was an Icon.
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Eventually, it took for her to come forward and admit to the allegations that she was indeed struggling with substance abuse issues. I still found it hard to believe but I admired her honesty and no one is perfect. "Celebrity" is a drug itself. It's the ultimate party. It's dominated by wants and not needs. It is not your friend and in the end, celebrity can kill. The late Gary Coleman once said, "I wouldn’t ever wish celebrity on anyone". With celebrity, comes the act of staying relevant. I know people who were very successful at one stage in their life and now, they are met daily by fans whom assume they are rich and living it up, when in actuality, they aren't doing no better than a Mc Donald’s employee. It's embarrassing to a celebrity to be seen by a fan rolling in an average car such as a Ford Focus.: because in Hollywood, everything is done big. You have to shine. You have to be in a Mercedes, BMW, or a Bentley it seems. You can’t live in a little apartment; it has to be a condo or a mansion. Then you add drugs, alcohol, and sex into the mix you now have yourself a barn burner. Those are the demons brought on by "celebrity" which sends most people into a downward spiral. I will always remember Whitney Houston in a very positive way. She was a loving mother first and fore most, who unconditionally loved and adored her only child, daughter, Bobby Christina. She also was a good wife for 15 years. She was a daughter, friend, aunt, cousin, sister, and of course an icon. Most importantly, she loved the Lord and was extrememely spiritual and anointed. Like most people, I questioned her strength and will power. I also questioned the people around her. For instance, who in her camp would commit such a small minded act by taking a picture of her body lying inside of her casket and selling the picture to the Enquire magazine? How could that happen? Were people only around her for the benefits achieved when hanging with such a mega star? Did they really do everything to help control her partying ways, as her Mother Cissy Houston desperately tried to do? Was it fair to throw Bobby Brown under the bus? I would have to say Whitney did indeed have great people around her and according to sources; she had an incredible security team. However, where were they in her darkest moment? How could people allow her to be alone bathing in a tub of water knowing she is taking prescribed medication? Where was that infamous entourage in her moment of truth? During the month of February, reports of Houston’s behavior began stirring up gossip. There were alleged reports of her being on an alcohol and drug binge. Pictures of a discombobulated looking Houston surfaced as she appeared in the photos looking fatigued, perspiring, and unglamorous. She was ware of the accusations and was exceedingly upset at the stories being written about her; especially the story involving her allegedly fainting outside of a Beverly Hills doctor's office. Houston angrily denied those reports. According to sources, she was spotted inside of the Beverly Hilton's guest shop cursing and yelling about the accusations. On February 9, 2012, Houston was seen partying at the Tru night club with her daughter and friends in the VIP lounge. She reportedly got into a scuffle with "X Factor" finalist Stacey Francis over jealousy involving her on/off boyfriend Ray J according to sources. Club goers reported seeing her being escorted from the club as she screamed profanities, intoxicated and dripping sweat from her hair. Something eerily is wrong with picture. This couldn’t be the Whitney Houston we all adored and admired. That same night prior to the night club scuffle, she appeared on stage with Grammy nominee Kelly Price. This would be Houston's final curtain call as she joined Price for a brief collaboration of  the Gospel song "Jesus loves me". According to club goers and a now viral YouTube video, that voice of greatness had become suddenly submerged in a raspy ocean. It was now clear that Whitney Houston did not appear to sound like the young girl from the choir she once was. That sweet heaven sent voice that struck and hypnotized me as a young kid, appeared to be gone.

              

On Saturday February 11, 2012 Houston was seen at the Beverly Hilton earlier in the morning having breakfast with her daughter Bobbi Christina. She reportedly went back to her room in which she ordered more food and enjoyed a glass of champagne and a Heineken beer. She was resting and relaxing in preparation for her favorite annual event, Clive Davis's Pre-Grammy party. In a blur Unsuspecting and so sudden, the paramedics followed by the police rushed up to suite 434 on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton hotel. Unsuspecting guest looked on, as a fire rescue team entered the lobby. It was soon acknowledged that Whitney Houston had been found unresponsive in the bath tub by a security staff member. The paramedics unsuccessfully administered CPR and she was then pronounced dead at 3:55pm PCT. Her cause of death was unknown at the time. The world would learn just moments later, staggering everyone and creating incomprehensible global devastation. I couldn’t believe the news. Despite reports of her heavy partying, I still could not believe that we had just lost the greatest voice of all. I felt awful for her daughter Bobbi Christina and her mother Cissy Houston. Bobbi Christina was devastated beyond imagination and was later taken by ambulance to Cedar Sinai hospital, in which she was treated for anxiety. Also her mother, Mrs. Cissy Houston was completely crushed and heart broken. It was certainly a sad day. 211 is the reference in policing that that describes a robbery. Well, on 2/11 we were all robbed of this beautiful human being. Gone too soon and so sudden. I guess Heaven had to grow. On February 18th, Whitney Houston was laid to rest with a beautiful service at New Hope Baptist Church in her hometown Newark, NJ, where she sang in the choir as a little girl. It was as star studded as you can imagine everyone from Stevie Wonder to the Rev. Jesse Jackson were in attendance. It was a beautiful musical celebration of an Icon's life and legacy. Producer and Mentor Clive Davis stated," You spend a life time searching for that voice”. Let it be said, Whitney didn’t die in vain. She left a legacy behind and she certainly will never be forgotten. Whitney always wanted perfection and would often ask, was she good enough? She always wanted her fans and family to receive the best of her. Her Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner said it best at the funeral during his speech, "You will always be good enough Whitney".
                                                                                                             By Marcus Nash

Leonardo DiCaprio, from "Growing Pains" to world-known "Superstar"

     It's October 14th, 1991; I'm at the Warner Bros. Studios Ranch in Burbank, Ca. Today is my Birthday as well, and it has started off great because my best friend, Shavar Ross, has invited me to hang out with him on the set of Growing Pains, in which he will be shooting his first episode playing the recurring  character, "Kenny," "Ben Seaver's" best friend, played by Jeremy Miller. I often watched this show; it was one of the biggest shows of the 80's and it featured the biggest heartthrob on television at the time, Kirk Cameron. This guy was on the cover of every magazine and on every young girl's bedroom wall in America. As we entered the set, I instantly became starstruck. I was standing at the craft services table and was suddenly joined by Joanna Kerns and Alan Thicke, who played the "Seavers" on the show. I nervously said hello; I tried my best to play it cool. Just then Cameron, who played the character "Mike Seaver," walked over to the table and grabbed a hand-full of grapes. In my mind I was like, "That's Kirk Cameron!" He politely introduced himself and walked back onto set. I was saying to myself, "I can get use to this." I grabbed a Coke and some fruit, and followed my pal, Shavar, to the Bleacher area. I noticed a young, pretty lady sitting down. She was brunette with gorgeous eyes, so I introduced myelf. She said that her name was Danielle Harris. As we began to talk, I learned that she starred in the thrillers, Holloween 4 and 5. She was guest-starring on the show this week and was going over her lines during a recess from rehearsal.
     I now hear the sounds of a basketball bouncing, which catches my attention immediately; I use to play basketball everyday. At that time, basketball was my passion. I noticed a young, skinny and flamboyant, brown-haired kid dribbling the basketball on the set. He had a flannel sweater tied around his waist and was shooting baskets into the hoop attached to the set's garage. The ball rolled over to me and I passed it back to the kid. He asked me did I play, and I replied, "Yes." His voice was high-pitched, as though puberty was yet to come. He asked me did I want to play one-on-one; I said, "Sure." I introduced myself and he shook my hand, and said that his name was Leonardo DiCaprio; he told me to call him "Leo." I had never seen any of his work and I had no idea who he was, but Shavar had told me that his character was added recently to the show. We began playing and I had pretty much dominated him, but Leo was not a bad player. I was just much taller than him then, plus the hoop was non-regulation. We played a lot during breaks; as time went by, we became pals. I started seeing him in all the teen magazines, and suddenly, he had a big buzz; he was now the new teen heartthrob sensation.      
     Leo was a natural actor; I remember watching him during rehearsals, and he read his lines effortlessly. I told him that he was too talented to be on a TV show; you can just tell that he was special. Fans would line-up along the side of the gate at the Warner Bros. Ranch and would try their best to catch a glimpse of him walking around on the lot.  He was too shy then to go over to the gate where the fans stood, so I would sometimes talk with the fans; I would share with them what he was doing, and how cool he was to know. His fans were very loyal and loved him, and I was overwhelmed; he was just "Leo" to me, my basketball partner on the set. We would talk a lot. At the time he was 16, driving a green Jaguar to work while attending John Marshal H.S. in Los Angeles. Me and Leo really hit it off; we became close. When Shavar would be scheduled to work I would come with him, and Leo would be delighted to see me so that we could go at it, shooting hoops. Jeremy Miller, who played the character, "Mike Seaver," would sometimes join us for a game of "H-O-R-S-E;" he had an amazing shot he would make while lying on the floor. Miller, however, was a vivid tennis player, and could often be seen outdoors hitting balls up against the exterior of the soundstage.
     I remember being on the set when Magic Johnson announced his retirement; it was November 7, 1991 on a Thursday afternoon. I remember I was playing basketball with Leo when suddenly, Kirk Cameron came storming onto the set saying to everyone that Magic Johnson was going to retire due to contracting HIV. Everyone thought Cameron was joking, so the engineers hooked up a live-feed of Magic, next to his wife, Cookie, preparing to speak. I still remember the opening statement; "First of all let me say good after -- good late afternoon. Because of the -- the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers -- today." Everyone on the set glared in disbelief; this couldn't be real. Leo was devastated, and so was I. Everyone on that set was dazed and stunned. Magic was my childhood idol; I wanted to be just like him and now he was not going to be playing anymore, not to mention, he might die as well. At that time, HIV/AIDS meant a death-sentence; we have obviously come a long way from times when people were not educated on that topic.
     I went one last time to the Growing Pains set after that dreadful day. When I got there, I immediately went to look for Leo. I didn't see his green Jag parked outside of the soundstage, so I asked one of the production assistants if he was around. They said no, and that he would be gone for about 6 weeks; he was filming a movie titled, This Boy's Life, with the great Robert DeNiro. I was happy to hear that he was working on a feature film, but I knew I would miss hanging with him and shooting hoops. That was the last time Shavar worked on Growing Pains; the show ended after seven, great seasons. Leo went on to star in one of the biggest grossing films of all time, Titanic; he is now a world-known superstar. But for a short period of time, I knew Leo. The flamboyant, thin, brown-haired kid with the flannel sweater tied around his waist, who loved to shoot hoops.

- Marcus Nash (5/24/11)

M. Nash

Hanging out on the set of 90's hit show, Family Matters

     It's a beautiful sunny day on a Friday afternoon at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California. It's 1993, and the Chicago Bulls have recently won their third consecutive championship. In that same year, we watched Michael Jordan announce his sudden retirement from the NBA. I'm leaning on a stair rail leading to one of four entrances to Sound Stage 10 where the hit Show Family Matters is filmed every week. Suddenly Mark Curry, the star of the TGIF hit show,  Hangin' with Mr. Cooper,
approaches from Sound Stage 9 where that show is filmed, sporting a bandanna around his head and wearing basketball gear. He says "what's up" to everyone and goes inside. Curry is met by NBA star, Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets, and also the star of the  "Grandma ma" ads for Converse. Johnson is also the guest star for this week's episode; a basketball court has been built on the set this week, making Sound Stage 10 a popular spot to visit for some pick-up games. I'm really feeling this; basketball is my passion! Not only am I hanging with the stars of the show, but I'm also being featured on this episode as one of the basketball players.
     My best friend, Shavar Ross, who played the recurring character "Weasel," got me a spot on the show this week. Ross also starred in the '80s hit show, Different Strokes, as "Dudley." He often brought me to the set with him whenever he was scheduled to be on the show. Jaleel White, who played the character "Steve Urkel,"emerges from his dressing room to greet Johnson, who we often referred-to on the set as "LJ," along with Curry.
     We all form teams and began playing some pick-up games with Darius McCrary, who plays the character "Eddie Winslow," and his little brother, Donavan McCrary, who is guest starring on this week's show. Donavan also appeared in the film, Boyz in the Hood, as the younger "Ricky." The games are very intense. Everybody can dunk it seems; I played above the rim, for sure. Jaleel and I would battle each other often; he was very competitive and could really play the game. He did not like to lose; he was quick and had a sweet jump-shot. He could take you off of the dribble too. Jaleel loved to talk trash, but it was fun trash talk. I was very privileged to have the opportunity of being on that set often.
     Today is tape day, so a live audience will be attending tonight's show. I loved tape days, because thats when Stage 10 came to life. The energy from the crowd was overwhelming. Usually after dinner, around 6:00 PM, the audience would start lining-up to be seated; the taping would began around 7:00 PM and would be done around 10:00 PM.  As the audience members began approaching the sound stage, their eyes suddenly lock-in on a jet-black, 5-series BMW with tinted windows and chrome star rims. The driver window is slightly down, revealing Darius McCrary. They begin screaming his name as he waves to them. The music is thumping loud, and Ice Cube's "Bonnie and Clyde," featuring Yo Yo, can be heard clearly. A few minutes later, a jet-black Range Rover with tinted windows pulls up to the sound stage, and the audience members are overwhelmed to see Jaleel White emerge from the vehicle, waving to the group as he returns from dinner to get ready for the show. At 6' 6", Mark Curry was somehow able to sneak past the crowd and return to Sound Stage 9, un-noticed. Hanging out on the Family Matters set was one of the highlights of my life. I have never been around such humble, nice and down-to-earth people. That set was like a family; everyone got along well and everything went smooth. Everyone knew each other by name; I remember 2 of the PAs, Kathy and Kevin. You usually had to check-in with them first, when you walked on set.
     Its been a long time since the good old days of TGIF. Time has truly flown by. I have not seen most of the cast in years, but I will cherish the memories forever. The next time you watch a rerun of Family Matters think about Sound Stage 10, where everlasting memories were built and shared. Stay tuned for part 2 of This blog series.