The Bodyguard World Tour was the fourth world concert tour by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, in support of her hit soundtrack album for her first film, The Bodyguard.
Spanning seventeen months between July 1993 and November 1994, Houston performed 120 shows in five continents and were her first stops in South America and Africa, the latter stops, in South Africa, helped Houston make history as the first international artist to headline a concert tour in the country following the end of apartheid in the country and the election win of President Nelson Mandela.
Overview
The Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York became one of the most frequent venues on Houston's The Bodyguard World Tour, where she would perform 12 sold-out shows throughout the tour's tenure.
Despite marrying singer Bobby Brown in July 1992 and giving birth to their only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown the following March, Houston found herself in demand following the enormous success of both the film and soundtrack to The Bodyguard. Rehearsals for the tour began in May. Since Houston had just delivered a child, the initial plan was to perform smaller venues such as halls and theaters rather than the larger venues that Houston had done throughout her career at that time. Houston told the press that she wanted to perform at more intimate settings.
Houston launched the tour at the James L. Knight Center Theater in Miami, Florida on July 5, 1993. Houston received a lot of flak during that show for showing up late and then telling a fan who wanted an autograph to sit down; however the show was still a resounding success after the singer calmed things down.[2][3] Houston played five consecutive sold-out nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and then played six nights at the Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Despite the initial success of smaller venues, which Houston added dates due to initial dates quickly selling out, Houston continued performing at bigger venues including the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
During the first US leg, Houston took a break to fly over to Europe to accompany husband Bobby Brown on his tour. Gospel act Angie & Debbie Winans were the opening act for the 1993 US leg. Houston continued the tour in Europe where, unlike the United States, Houston would perform at stadiums and arenas. After booking her UK tours in the past at London's Wembley Arena, Houston instead performed at the much larger Earls Court Exhibition Centre for this tour.
The tour became her first stop in South America during January 1994, which launched at the Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, Brazil. Houston then performed at the Praça da Apoteose in Rio de Janeiro on January 23. After Houston returned to the United States where she would win multiple awards for the soundtrack including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, the singer returned to South America for sold-out stadium shows in Argentina, Chile and Venezuela in April. During the second North American leg in 1994, Houston performed at the opening ceremony of the 1994 FIFA World Cup at the Rose Bowl Stadium in front of over 92,000, her largest audience to date.[4] Unlike the previous year, Houston performed at larger venues due to popular demand. During that time, the singer had throat ailments and had to cancel eight shows during that time, all of which were rescheduled a month later. Houston also went public concerning having a miscarriage during the tour.[5]
Initially, Houston wanted to end the tour at Radio City Music Hall in September 1994, where she performed seven sold-out shows. However, after Nelson Mandela won the presidential election in South Africa, Houston agreed to headline a state dinner at the White House in October and announced three shows in South Africa, which had also recently outlawed apartheid in March of that year. In doing the South African shows in November, Houston made history as the first international artist to perform at the country after the end of apartheid. Two of the shows in Durban's Kings Park Stadium and Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium were taped, with the former becoming Houston's second HBO concert special, Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa. The tour would end altogether at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on November 19. The tour was a huge success. Many shows were among the highest grossing shows of their week. The grossings helped Houston make Forbes magazine's Richest Entertainers list. Houston earned over $33 million during 1993 and 1994, the third highest for a female entertainer.[6]
Critical reception
During her first Radio City Music Hall performance in New York City, Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote that "her stylistic trademarks -- shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration -- infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning."[7] At one of her Atlantic City dates, Kevin L. Carter of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Houston handled her songs "with subdued emotionalism and the intelligence that only a gifted musician can bring to a song.[8]
"Saving All My Love for You" was turned into a "smoky saloon-style ballad".[9] Many critics noted that the highlight of the show was when Houston took on "And I Am Telling You" from Dreamgirls, and "I Loves You Porgy" from Porgy and Bess. Stephen Holden wrote of the medley that "her voice conveyed authority, power, determination and just enough vulnerability to give a sense of dramatic intention".[7] As always, Houston included gospel songs. She introduced her band while performing 'Revelation.' Houston spoke about the Lord before going into 'Jesus Loves Me' which was often accompanied with complete silence from the mesmerized crowd."[10] During the last couple of years, since her marriage to Brown, the tabloids generated many stories about Houston and Brown. The New York Post created a rumor that the singer had overdosed on diet pills, leading to a lawsuit filed by Houston. During her shows, while performing her love medley, Houston often denied tabloid rumors. Houston often brought her husband and baby to the stage with her to prove that they are a happy family and that the tabloids are wrong.
Many critics felt that these tabloid stories helped her sing with more conviction and emotion. According to some critics, Brown's presence made "All the Man That I Need" a more stirring performance leading up the emotional high of "I Have Nothing",[11] while others felt they were unnecessary, cheesy moments.[12] Many critics praised her Aretha Franklin medley that she performed at certain shows. Houston performed "Ain't No Way", "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man". According to Jon Beam of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Aretha Franklin medley was a triumph of substance over style. He wrote that "She seemed a natural instead of a studied singer doing "A Natural Woman", and "Do Right Woman" was a right-on, soulful country-blues song, with a traditional call-and-response between Houston and her backup singers."[13]
Houston's performance at the Pond in Anaheim, Chris William of the Los Angeles Times wrote that, "she approached sheer vocal perfection at virtually every turn". And noted that, "she got to apply that astonishing instrument to some material worthy of it. Watching her progress emotionally through a gospel standard or great ‘60s R&B; ballad made it all the more difficult to see Houston go back and end the show as she began it"[14] Houston returned a year later at Radio City Music Hall, opening a seven-night sold-out engagement in September 1994. Jon Pareles of the New York Times reports, "Houston belted ballads, predictably bringing down the house with songs that moved from aching verses to surging choruses. A medley of hits from Dionne Warwick, Ms. Houston's cousin, lacked Ms. Warwick's lightness, but Ms. Houston made "Alfie" sound like the ethical wrangle it is".[15] Ira Robbins of Newsday wrote, "Houston peaked in the Warwick segment with marvelous adaptions of "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Alfie", and "after the powerful one-two of "I Have Nothing" and a rendition of "Run to You" so compelling it would have been no shock to see Kevin Costner jog out".[16]
On select dates, from July 1993 to September 1994, Houston closed the show with a duet of "Something in Common" with Bobby Brown.
In North America and Europe, "My Name Is Not Susan" was performed on select dates. "You Give Good Love" was performed on select dates in Europe and Japan.
During the show on July 30, 1993 in Atlantic City, Houston performed "Stormy Weather" as a tribute to Lena Horne.
On November 5 and 7, 1993, January 18, August 14, September 16, 27 and 28, 1994: Houston performed "Run to You" followed by "I Have Nothing".
During two concerts in Brazil on January 18, and 23, Houston brought Bobby Brown onstage and sang "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" to him. Houston also performed a encore of "Greatest Love of All".
The New York City concerts in September 1994, Houston performed a medley of Walk On By", "A House Is Not a Home" and "Alfie", also select dates included a performance of "I'm Your Baby Tonight". On September 16, Houston closed the show with "Greatest Love of All".
The final show on September 30, 1994 in North America, Houston performed "You Are So Beautiful", "For the Love of You", "Amazing Grace" and closed the show with "I Will Always Love You".
Houston altered her South Africa set specifically for the HBO televised show in Johannesburg on November 12, removing "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", "Didn’t We Almost Have It All" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". During the show in Cape Town on November 19, 1994, Houston performed "All the Man That I Need" and "Wonderful Counselor".
Shows
List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue
Houston's November 12, date in Johannesburg, South Africa, was broadcast live on HBO Cable TV, Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa. The special was later released on home video. There are also televised recordings of her concerts in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
The concerts in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela were televised in select countries in South America.
↑ "List of world's richest entertainers". Reuters News. September 11, 1994.
1 2 Holden, Stephen. "For Whitney Houston, Showy Doesn't Count: The Show Is the Voice". New York Times. June 22, 1993. Page C11.
↑ Carter, Kevin L. "Whitney Houston Sings With Passion, Her Voice Has Matured, and She's a Waif No More." Philadelphia Inquirer. June 30, 1993. Page 32.
↑ Peterson, Karla. "Whitney slim, but act expands nicely". San Diego Union – Tribune. August 25, 1993. Page E7.
↑ McCoy, Frank Milton. "Whitney Captivates Bowl Audience". The Sentinel. September 2, 1993. Page B4.
↑ Catlin, Roger. "In Hartford, Whitney Houston is Trouble Free. Hartford Courant. June 18, 1994. Page D4.
↑ Robbins, Ira. "Whitney's Story, And Some of Her Songs, Too". Newsday. July 22, 1993. Page 58.
↑ Beam, Jon. "Whitney's musical personality shines through on stage". Minneapolis Star Tribune. July 2, 1994. Page B3.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
