Whitney Houston "Dreadful" Down Under
This story was written by CBSNews.com's Ken Lombardi
"Disappointed" and "disgraceful" were perhaps some of the gentler terms used by concert-goers in Brisbane to describe a recent show by the legendary and often highly-acclaimed singer, Whitney Houston.
"It's the worst concert I've ever been to in my life," said one audience member while standing in the parking lot of the Australian arena during Houston's set.
In fact, some viewers were so displeased by what they saw and did not even stay for the entire show. Many left midway through the concert and expressed their severe dissatisfaction with the pop diva, who regardless still stands as one of the highest-selling recording artists of all time.
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"Definitely not worth the $165 [for a ticket]," one fan lamented. Another fan in the arena parking lot was even harsher towards Houston's singing skills and overall ability to keep the audience engaged, flatly stating, "[Houston] couldn't entertain a dead rat...to be honest."
While her singing may come into question by fans Down Under, perhaps the most amount of surprise surrounds the harsh reaction of this concert in contrast with the prior amount of accolades Houston has received throughout her long-spanning career.
Publications such as Rolling Stone and The New York Times have often ranked her as one of the greatest singers in pop-music history. And many current popular recording artists of today, including Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey, have frequently cited their intense appreciation for Houston's talent and profound influence on their own bodies of work.
Prior chart-topping, world renowned hits from the 80s and early '90s such as "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" or "I Will Always Love You" have been severely overshadowed by highly-publicized substance abuse setbacks, and a volatile marriage and subsequent divorce from troubled R&B singer, Bobby Brown.
Emerging in the mid-1980s, Houston (the cousin of popular 60s and 70s soul-singer Dionne Warwick) rose to prominence almost immediately following the release of her debut album, "Whitney." Houston also broke racial barriers as one of the first African-American singers to have music videos featured on MTV (remember when the music channel actually played music videos?) at a period when white artists were almost exclusively featured on the then-fledgling cable network.
So, what are your thoughts on the current state of Houston's singing skills? Are the glory days now behind this singer or are the Aussies unfairly bestowing her with a bad rap? Judge for yourself here:
