Life in the seventies (memories)

Life in the seventies (memories) Listen to the audio as you read the article...

Sam Cooke's Granddaughters Singing,"A Change Is Going To Come"

Sam Cooke's Granddaughters singing, "A Change Is Going To Come"

Cissy Houston Interview

From YouTube

Miss Cissy Houston: These people don't know anything about her. All they know is what they hear....She has had her ups and downs. Like who hasn't? They really chopped on her and chopped on her.....

Opinion: Miss Houston is a lot like my mother was, and she raised Whitney just like my mother raised me. My mother would laugh at some of the things that Miss Houston would say about Whitney at the beginning of Whitney's career. She knew that Miss Houston was like herself, and that Whitney was a kind of like me when she was a child. I see Whitney and her mom with understanding. Whitney was smart to listen and turn to her mom for advice when she did.



If you would look, you can see that Whitney was a decent and powerful person. All of those folks that said she was gay had envy. They were probably jealous of her upbringing. People probably were long before she became a star. I didn't see any signs of Whitney doing drugs until later in her career. I don't know about what other people's eyes may have seen. I'm speaking about mine. Other folks may have seen different, and there were some that were actually around Whitney. People that know you can make up lies too. You have to know a person for yourself. I don't care what Whitney did though. I still love Whitney and enjoyed her music. People can talk but none of us are in the clear. If you don't fight demons, something is wrong. They do not bother the people that they feel that they have already. Demons come in many forms. I can hear the voice of the Lord. I know that God is going to take care of everything.

Dr. Drew still thinks foul play could be involved in Whitney Houston’s death

Dr. Drew still thinks foul play could be involved in Whitney Houston’s death
 “How is that even possible? Is it like a self-heating bathtub?” Pinsky asked. He later added, “I don’t think they should close [the case] as this still leaves open the possibility of foul play.”


My Opinion: The story has been changed around so much until I do not know what to believe. The minute I heard that Whitney was dead, I felt like it might had been murder, but I really do not know. From day one, I have had an eerie feeling about Whitney's death. There are people that just want to say that it was drugs. There are other people that really are upset and want to find out for sure if there was any foul play involved. People look down on people when they are on drugs and say that they deserve what they get and call them nobody. Whitney made a bad mistake in life and she tried to turn around. Nobody sees that. Things were going well for her, and now she's dead. I believe Whitney had some enemies from the beginning of her career. I watched things through the years about her and how she gradually started to change. I saw her hurting. Rest in peace Whitney. I'm glad you knew Jesus because nobody loves you like he does.

Whitney Was No Phony

From YouTube

There is one thing that I can say about Whitney Houston. She told you exactly how it was. Whitney told you the truth. If she did not like something, she told you about it. If she was messing with drugs, she told you she did. Whitney was a person that was real and honest. I believe she wanted her fans to know that she made mistakes and that she was a human being. That's the way God wanted it to be. So many people worship entertainers. Whitney did right in the sight of God in letting people see that she was only human. Other than that, she did not owe the world any explanation about her private life. That was between her, her family, and God.

I see it everyday on the internet how people make fun of Whitney and find faults. It is wrong in the sight of God to laugh at other people when they have a downfall in life. All those that laugh, downfalls are waiting for them too. We are all going to die with mistakes and wrong doing. Yes we do things that we know are not right, but God can see beyond what we do. He is looking at the heart. God knows whether or not the things that Whitney did were actually coming from the soul. He knew her aches and pains. Although she did drugs, it did not stop her from caring and showing love for people. She did not murder anyone. Whitney just wanted to be left alone. You know this life has got to be bad when people get high and excited when someone is hurting. You know it's got to be bad when people try to put things in your life and scandalize your name with a lie. The media is good for doing that. They may call it a job, but it is breaking God's law. (Exodus 20:16) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Well, Whitney had to answer to God. Hopefully has made it over to the other side, and hopefully she is with the Lord. She is gone on now. Will we make it on the other side to that better place? We better start living like it.

Whitney was no phony. I believe that she was tired and that she had a good heart. I can honestly say that my heart goes out to her family. Maybe she won't have to sleep too long. I'm hoping that we will all be together someday soon again in God's kingdom.

Whitney Houston Carried Gospel Music Passed the Boundary Line

Whitney Houston carried Gospel music with her no matter where she went. There are categories for music, but Whitney passed the boundary line. She gave God glory. Whitney sung, "I Look to You", written by R Kelly. Although she didn't say the name God, I knew exactly whom she was talking about. I knew it was coming straight from the heart. Whitney knew what trials and tribulations were all about and she knew God. In concerts, she sung gospel songs like, "I Go To the Rock". The crowd seemed to love her in the audience whenever she sung a gospel song. That is saying something, and Whitney is called the queen of pop. The audience seemed to accept Whitney even more to my eyes when she sung gospel.

Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown_Mr. Bojangles

From YouTube

Live in 1997, Whitney Houston performed the best show ever. I found it very interesting that she performed singing Mr. Bojangles. Bobby Brown danced very well while she sung and whistled. They did a great job remembering Mr. Bojangles which was Sammy Davis Jr.

What Happened to the Music Group, The Jets?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hpphoto.jpg

The Jets are a family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were a group that was very popular in the 80’s singing hits like Curiosity, Crush on You, and You Got It All. The group was loved by many. I know for a fact because when I was in high school, everybody was singing their songs. My friends would come over and we would watch their videos all day long with my mom.  Have you ever wondered what happened to the music group, The Jets? Today, I wonder about them. I wonder where they are now. 

Find Out Here: http://musicouch.com/genres/world-music/what-happened-to-the-music-group-the-jets/#ixzz17ZS4CmLs

Sky.fm Internet Radio

Sky.fm is a great quality Internet radio. There you can hear the best oldies. You can hear songs from the all hit 70’s by Earth Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, and more. You can hear the best of the 80’s, oldies, classical, country, and more. At the site, you will see a “listen now menu“, and you will see all of the channels. You will also see the recent play list history. Sky.fm is an excellent sounding Internet Radio.

The Letters to Michael Jackson

Sometimes we are chosen by God and led to help one another in life. It does not matter whether we are rich, famous, or poor. A human being is a human being. Sometimes we look at the rich and famous as a world of people that should have it made. They have everything, but sometimes they don’t have what is the most important. Something could be missing in their lives. They have love from screaming fans loving them as entertainers. Sometimes famous entertainers isolate themselves from the world. Fame and fortune is sometimes more than they can handle. When fans stop loving them, they are sometimes hurt, and want to hear the love of the screaming crowd again. For some, that may be all the love that they have. Some entertainers turn to drugs and suicide.

When we see these famous entertainers, we do not see the troubles and trials that they carry to Hollywood. Like ordinary people, some of them started out in life very poor, some of them from broken homes, and abuse. When they get to Hollywood and become famous, those problems are still there and more are added on. Sometimes I’m left thinking that some of them were better off living in a shack house working at Burger King.

Becoming a Fan of Michael Jackson

I was always a fan of Michael Jackson. I was born in 1971 and remember hearing his music and beautiful young voice as I learned to walk and talk. When I was too little to know what life was really all about, I loved the music of Michael Jackson. I will never forget the school dance show in 2nd grade when I had to dance in front of the whole school. The teacher made the whole class learn a dance routine off of Michael’s song, “Rock With You”. People loved us, and they loved that hit song.

Years went by and that’s when I really became a fan of Michael Jackson. I remember seeing his video, “Billie Jean” on America’s Top Ten with Casey Kasem. I had a deep crush on Michael in the 80‘s. I had seen him perform on Soul Train with the big afro. But that time, he had the Jheri curl. It was a hairstyle I think that was noticed more when he had the style. When my mother saw the video of Michael she said, “He is very good looking, but he is not happy.”

I asked my mother, “How can you tell, watching a video of him performing?”

She said, “I can see the sadness in his eyes even when he smiles for pictures.”

Later on, there was a Motown 25 special of the Jacksons. I remember when we had our first VCR. I watched the whole Motown, but only recorded the Jacksons. I think my mother’s favorite song that he performed was, “I’ll Be There”. There was something spiritual about it.

My Mother Inspired to Write

My mother said to me one day as Michael made more hits, “Gail, I was inspired to write Michael. I do not care to write him, but something told me to write him. I felt the spirit of God moving me to write.”

I said to my mother, “Write him. I know that you can help him.” My mother wrote and told him about Godly things. She gave him our phone number to call when he needed a friend. After that, we felt that Michael was receiving the letters that mother had written. There were clues but Michael Jackson never really reached out. People called my mother crazy for writing him, but she kept on as she was led.

One day my mother told me about a sad dream she had about Michael. She told me that he was going crazy in her dream, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. The dream worried my mother for a long time even after Michael’s hair was caught on fire. My mother had written and told Michael about the dream.

More years had gone by and my mother became very ill in 1998. The dream of Michael going crazy almost happened to her on Chemotherapy. She went through a lot of pain and the chemo made her feel so bad. My mother said, “I don’t see why people want to do drugs.” When she got her strength, and before she was really down, she tore up all of the letters that she ever wrote Michael. She saved copies of them. My mother said, “It’s no use.” She had stopped writing him anyway. I think my mother saw that Michael lived in a fantasy world, and though he needed a friend, he was getting worse. My mother saw things ahead as if she could predict the future. She knew she had done the best that she could in writing Michael Jackson, and she also knew that she was going to leave to be with the Lord. She died in May of 2001.

Michael’s Death

The day before my birthday on June 25, 2009, I was working in a factory. Someone yelled across the building to me, “Gail, Michael Jackson is in the hospital.” It was my friend Annette Jones that told me. I knew then that something was wrong that time. I knew in my heart that Michael was dying. I remembered that he said, “This is it.” I think somehow Michael could feel that he was going to die. I remembered my mother’s dream that he was going crazy and in the hospital.

When I got home from work, I turned on the television in the dining room. That’s where I watch cable. I was listening at the cable news and the regular news in my bedroom. They were not sure if Michael was truly dead. I heard the news on television in my bedroom saying that he was truly dead, and then I was hearing it in the dining room saying that he was truly dead.

The Lessons I learned

There is one thing I learned from Michael Jackson. Do not get caught up in the woes of life. Try to live your life the best that you can and live happy. Life is already short, and sometimes we can make it shorter. Sometimes it is just our time to go. We fight and struggle in this life. Sometimes we suffer because of others. God knows when we are tired, and he knows and understands what we are going through. He knows when we accept him, and he knows when we are misguided. God is the best judge. He knows each and every soul.

Another thing that I learned is I see the human being of an entertainer. My mother always told me to never look up to entertainers, but to look up to God. She told me what was good and right. My mother was taught and led by God himself. I give my thanks to God.

My Remembrance of Aaliyah

It seems like just yesterday when I was riding from work with my friend, Monica. She was nice about taking me to work when I didn’t have my license to drive. Monica had the radio on singing Aaliyah’s hit song, “Try Again”. I didn’t know anything about Aaliyah during that time which was about the year of 2000. I was a big critic when it came to music, and was familiar with songs from Aaliyah like, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”. To be honest, I was not an Aaliyah fan at that time. But, when I heard, “Try Again”, I was starting to like that particular song a little bit. Monica made the song sound nice blending her voice with Aaliyah’s.

When my friend Monica dropped me off to my house one day, I saw Aaliyah on television. My mother was sitting in a recliner chair on Chemotherapy. I was switching channels and saw Aaliyah on the Rosie O’Donnell Show. Aaliyah was throwing down singing, “Try Again”. My mother asked me, “Who is that girl?”

I said to my mother, “I don’t know, but I heard Monica singing her song.” Then later, after Aaliyah’s wonderful performance, Rosie O’Donnell gave the name of Aaliyah. It was not long after that day when my friend, Monica, gave me the video to watch of Aaliyah in the movie, “Romeo Must Die”. My mother was very sick but strong enough to watch the movie with me. It was the last movie we watched together, and she died in May 2001.

When my mother died, Aaliyah did not cross my mind. I was busy trying to get over my mother’s death. I felt a spirit and heard a voice that sounded just like my mother’s voice saying, “You were right, child. Stay in that Bible now.” The spirit patted me on the hand, and I don’t know what I was right about. Me and my mother had talked about so many things before she passed away.

To keep my mind occupied, I would visit my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins with my father. I found out that Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash from them in August of 2001. My father helped me get cable television so I could have something to watch trying to get over my mother’s death. That’s when I learned more about Aaliyah and her death.

I thought to myself, “Lord, I know that Aaliyah is gone now, but I hope that you let Aaliyah into your kingdom.” I thought the thought and forgot about it. However the Lord heard me, and he did not forget. Then I began to see Aaliyah in visions for some reason. She knew nothing about me when she was alive, and I never met her. All I knew about Aaliyah was that she was a singer. I knew nothing about her life away from the stage. I will not tell everything, but I will say that her image was used in my vision to let me know that the dead in Christ will rise again.

Here is a song and story that I wrote about Aaliyah titled, "My Aaliyah Haughton Story:

Marvin Gaye_Troubled Man

The song Marvin Gaye wrote, What’s Going On, means a lot. If Marvin just could have seen what was going on in his own life before his end, he might would have been living today. He was talented and gifted and had to find his way in music. There was so much in music that he could do, and he had so many styles. I think Marvin was unsure of himself because he needed his father to be proud of him. He needed his father to say, “Yes, Son, it’s alright what you are doing. The music business becomes a sin when you have too many women, drugs, and sex. Stay away from it.” I think Marvin Gaye had a jealous father, and he hated his son. No matter what Marvin did, Marvin did not seem to please him. Parents back then seemed angry when their children didn’t do things their way. They were hard and sometimes mean. Maybe that’s how they were brought up. I don’t believe it was always right.

Marvin Gaye's father was a minister. According to Marvin's sister (Jeanne Gay), Marvin was a free spirit, and he didn't like to be told what to do. It is also said that Marvin's father always told him that he didn't know where he came from, and that Marvin was not his son. He told Marvin that he had too much of the devil in him. It is also said that Marvin's father was a strange man and wore female clothing. I think that Marvin's father thought that Marvin was going to be a better man than himself. Marvin's father would often beat Marvin when he was naked. Marvin and his father were not close, but Marvin loved his mother. She was there to defend him and encourage him. That is what Marvin needed from his father. He also needed his father to love him. Marvin's mother is probably the reason he became a great star. She told him he would be one day. 

To me, Marvin was a great Gospel singer. However, he had talent singing love songs too. His father did not like it because he felt that Marvin was leaving his calling. I think Marvin's father and his beliefs had a hard effect on Marvin's life. Marvin had a struggle inside about good and evil. Marvin said, "I think we have two sets of gods in us. We have to decide which power we are going to serve."

  

As far as Marvin singing the blues, I really don't think that he has done wrong. A love song is simply a song telling someone how much you love them. I do not think that it is a sin unless you do it through lust. Lust is a sin and not love. Love comes from God. He meant for us to fall in love, to marry, and have families. The way Marvin was taught is that he was a devil. Marvin probably thought that he was not loved by God or his father with guilt inside that he was doing wrong. I think it got to the point that Marvin just started doing wrong. If you tell a child over and over again that they are bad, then they are going to be bad.

Children need some freedom to grow and enjoy. They must be children until they grow up. Becareful what you say to a child and show them love. Teach them what is right the right way. Explain to them what they are doing is wrong and how it is wrong. Teach them that God will always love them. God always loved Marvin, and I believe he is great in mercy. Sometimes the things that happen in our lives is not our fault. Maybe Marvin's father needed help in his life somewhere down the line. God knows all about each and every one of us. He's the one to talk to. Let God be your strength and guide. When you are weak, he will make you strong. Never stop seeking God. Marvin became weak and tired and his life was taken. I have learned a lesson from Marvin Gaye. The sad thing is Marvin was killed by his own father.