Must-See: Heather Headley Sings Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ At ‘Royal Variety’

Published: Monday 3rd Dec 2012 by Sam

The untimely passing of Whitney Houston in February has opened the floodgates to a sea of vocal tributes – some better than others.

Yet, with singer Heather Headley gaining ample praise here in London for her role in the West End adaptation of ‘The Bodyguard’, it was all but inevitable that her performance of ‘I Will Always Love You’ at the 2012 Royal Variety Performance was be a show-stopper and oh did the Trinidadian-American deliver.

Watch below as Headley soars to lofty heights with Houston’s signature hit below…


Yes, yes, and yes!

Long a supporter of Headley’s talent (‘In My Mind’ is an essential listen. Essential), yours truly knew she’d score a home run.

A refreshing take on the song, Headley’s interpretation served up just enough of what we love of Whitney’s version, while garnishing it with runs, trills, and vocal frills that made it her own. A grand performance on the grandest of stages.

Your thoughts?

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  1. S****** Blonde December 3, 2012

    I will like that these girls understand that they don’t have to imitate the voice of Whitney to sing well.

    • RANCID V***** BLOOD AND C** December 3, 2012

      You are one pressed c*** !!!!!!

      • S****** Blonde December 3, 2012

        So why you just don’t do something about it, f*** me.

    • Blah! December 4, 2012

      So what ya lil b****, at least they try!

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      It wasn’t really an imitation. She made it her own but still sang the notes the way it was supposed to be sung without being all over the place.

    • GREG December 5, 2012

      it just sounds like shes singing out of her nose

  2. Teflon Boy December 3, 2012

    ‘One thing you can be sure of is that every time one of you ladies opens your mouths to sing, the public will miss me more’ -Whitney RIP: Got2BReal

    • Monstarebel (THE UNAPOLOGETIC PRINCE) December 3, 2012

      YAAAAAAAAAAAAS I love that show

      • Don’t_Start_No_Shit!!! December 4, 2012

        hahaha!! lmao

  3. RANCID V***** BLOOD AND C** December 3, 2012

    Shut the f*** up S****** Blonde !

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      thank you.

  4. Mario December 3, 2012

    Thank you very much……Jennifer Hudson I love you but take note.No one can sing that song like Whitney Houston but what she did that made it amazing it was the fact that she paid her dues to Whitney but making it her own at the same time.

  5. Theman December 3, 2012

    Great performance, but goes to show you how unique Whitney was/is. She is still the vocal standard

  6. Nicole December 3, 2012

    I love Heather, she is an awesome singer. I love all of her work, so I am not surprised that she nailed this. It was almost effortless. In My Mind is one of my top 5 favorite songs.

  7. Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

    WHINEY HOESTOUN SUCKS!
    SHE SOUND LIKE SHE HAS A PENIS!
    PHUCK HER FLOP ASS!
    SHE HAS LESS NUMBER ONE SINGLES THAN THE QUEEN!
    HER WEAVE IS RATCHET!
    SHE’S A DRUG ADDICT!
    WAIT NO WAS CZ SHE DIED!
    SHE HAS NO BODY!
    HER NEW ALBUM FLOPPED!

    #H**

    • Mario December 3, 2012

      LMFAO, I like how you coming for Whitney but you stan for Rihanna.

    • Monstarebel (THE UNAPOLOGETIC PRINCE) December 3, 2012

      so mean…lol

    • Pressed H*** Like Yourself December 3, 2012

      You need to shut the f*** up i seen what you look like you is the last one to be talking about anybody you made this comment to get notice you pressed nappy headed m***** looking like darker than might night rest h** you funky c*** kiss her ass than b****

      • Pressed H*** Like Yourself December 3, 2012

        mid night

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        http://rihannagifs.tumblr.com/post/6104837961

        Thanks for stalking me Babe, Dm me on twitter and will discuss future d*** pics and motel rooms to phuck.

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        Making fun of abuse huh? Maybe I should come beat your ass to the ground and see if you’ll be “booing” and linking me duumb s*** afterwards.

      • Pressed H*** Like Yourself December 3, 2012

        Oh looks i strike i nerve what is that thing the r**** always says oh um #PoorDat dont come for whitney again boo now ya know Have a nice night sweetheart 🙂

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        WHITNEY IS MAGGOT FOOD! You clearly cannot strike anything, not even a mans attention fi you sit here and spew you envious hate for a girl cause she doesen’t look ike you DISGUSTING H** ass.

      • MC December 3, 2012

        Benron

        What are you doing…….? Don’t diss dead people 🙁

    • FAF December 3, 2012

      Wait

      Plz tell me this is a joke.. ?

      🙁 ARE U SERIOUS !!!! !

      Chile TGJ has been hacked

      I f****** cant today ! I will not !!!!!

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        The fact that u have thumbs up shows me that the school systems have failed

        y’all rishitta stains will OFFICIALLY be called . “Ritards!”

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        FAF, calm down, you stan for Bozo the clown. And od you think I’m serious?

      • Pressed H*** Like Yourself December 3, 2012

        And you stan for a h** <<<<<<<< the shade of it all

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        @Pressed

        I don’t stan for you OR your mother mISS.

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        Bozo the clown makes her own money, theres no 360 there !!!! Lol <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        Yes there is FAF, even if there isn’t
        1.) You do not knwo the details of Rihanna’s contract.

        2.) She is 10 times as sucsessful as Nicki

        3.) Nicholas does a new interview everyday, she is not on a 360, sge is a s****.

    • MC December 3, 2012

      Do you really want my attention this badly? BTW, stop paying @Monstarebel dust……

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        Beaux, lol at that assumption. And I’m not paying him dust,all he sais was “so mean” and I WAS to lazy to type up a generic “Lol” “Law” or “agreed”.

        Hi!

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        Gooodnight @MC

        and everyone else (Except for Honey chilee please, Richandflopping, F.A.G., Gilflopppto and Pressed, ya’ll are flops.)

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        @Benron

        “”10x more successful !””

        I’m sure if you release an album every 9mos, You would be !!!!!! LOL

        More songs >>>> = More chances for success

        Simple concept, UGLY ! 🙂 🙂 🙂

        Go grab your copy of Unapologetic & check the booklet 🙂

        Nicki owns the company parker Ighile works for

        He wrote for Rihanna ! LOL

        So those BOPS u listen to, is partly Nicki’s doing !!!

        LOL x34203843 !!!

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        Yeah u better gworn to sleep, GWORL !!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        WHATTTTT NOOOOoooooOWWWWW !!!

        YASSS R**** SANG !!! KI!!!!!!!!

      • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

        @FAF
        Nicki’s h** ass owns nothhing. She sucks to much d***. Rihanna has lots of writers, and even if that guy is from nicki if she was actuall ytalented she’d do it herself.

        @Pressed
        They ont be abotu your h** ass, sorry to disapoint.

      • MC December 3, 2012

        Good night 😀

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        Nicki owns nothing b/c she sucks d***?!

        So I suppose R**** doesn’t ? LOL

        Girl, good day .. I cant even properly drag u w/o FACTS.. LOL

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        Yes Parker Ighile is on Nicki label google IT! @Benron LOL SMH !! He stay shouting it out on Twitter/Fb, etc !

        R**** doesn’t write !

    • Don’t_Start_No_Shit!!! December 4, 2012

      @BENRON.. Don’t be bitter b/c your TRAILER HOME is in Foreclosure and your mini van tags are out and needs new tires!!!…. Stay hiding behind that 84 ACORN COMPUTER talking that s***. Whitney Houston is not to blame for your nothing life. Take that up with MOTHER and UNCLE for conceiving you dusty ASS!!! Considered yourself REEEAAD!!!!!!!!!

    • WhitneyhoustonGreatestoffall December 4, 2012

      Hahahahah Whitney houston is one of the best selling female African American singers off all time so shut the f*** up boo boo. Rihanna is far from what whitney achieved. Tell me how many albums has Rihanna sold and how many years did it take rihanna to get a number one album. Okay now go take several seats boo and shut the f*** up cause obviously your an underage kid that has much research to do.

      I cant believe people are comparing Whitney to rihanna WTF

    • WhitneyhoustonGreatestoffall December 4, 2012

      let me just finish educating you boo boo With The Bodyguard Soundtrack and “I Will Always Love You” single in 1993, Houston became the first and only artist to grab the top spots of “Billboard 200 Albums,” “Top R&B Albums,” “Hot 100 Singles,” and “Hot R&B Singles” year-end charts at the same time in music history.[72]
      Houston has won “No. 1 R&B Album of the Year” three times for Whitney Houston in 1986, I’m Your Baby Tonight in 1991 and The Bodyguard Soundtrack in 1993, setting a record for the most year-end number one albums by any artist in R&B category. In addition, Houston is the only female artist to top the Billboard 200 year-end chart two times; her debut and The Bodyguard Soundtrack.

    • WhitneyhoustonGreatestoffall December 4, 2012

      Whitney Houston holds the record for the highest one-week single sales by a female artist, with 632,000 copies sold of “I Will Always Love You” in the week ended December 27, 1992ㅡthe Billboard magazine issue date of January 9, 1993

    • WhitneyhoustonGreatestoffall December 4, 2012

      Whitney Houston hit the 10 million mark by the RIAA on January 25, 1994, and made it the first album and the first debut album by a female artist to attain the certification. (this happened just after 3 albums) As a result, she also became the first female artist to have two 10× platinum albums with the album and The Bodyguard Soundtrack, earned the same certification peak in November 1993.

      Wait how many albums has Rihanna solld please dont ever compare her to a legend

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      Wow all of that hate. She’s sold over 170 million records and still remains one of the greatest of all. What a loser you are too say such scornful comments about a dead person who you never knew. Smh.

  8. Monstarebel (THE UNAPOLOGETIC PRINCE) December 3, 2012

    UM HEATHER WHO?????

    HAHAHA….THESE RANDOM H***…..

  9. Monstarebel (THE UNAPOLOGETIC PRINCE) December 3, 2012

    I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR BEYONCE SING I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU I THINK SHE’D SLAY IT….

    • Mario December 3, 2012

      no!she wont…Rihanna would do…Wait just being sarcastic.

    • Respect December 4, 2012

      actually she sang it at her revel concert earlier this year ! You can check it on Youtube

  10. Ashgino@gmail.com December 3, 2012

    Better than j.hud, Jordan sparks, and beyonce version. But really no one can’t even touch Whitney’s modelesque looks …dayum heather that weave was horrible

    • Mario December 3, 2012

      Beyonce only sung the intro she never sung the whole song.

    • Monstarebel (THE UNAPOLOGETIC PRINCE) December 3, 2012

      LMAAAAAAAAAAAAAO!!! MESSY SAM NEEDS TO MAKE A POST FOR IT ID DIE

    • Benron (Shine Bright Like Rihanna’s 100 million records sold plaque) December 3, 2012

      loool!

      • FAF December 3, 2012

        Y’all are so pressed…… I thought Rita was irrelevant ?

        Why do y’all want news on her ? Let’s post everytime Rihanna gets her nasty, A*** h***** cooch entered !

        sam?! 🙂 KI !

  11. Eric December 3, 2012

    I loved Heather’s songs with Jimmy & Terry and it’s nice to hear her voice soar again, though I’m tired of everyone wanting to sing Whitney’s best-selling number.

  12. Pressed H*** Like Yourself December 3, 2012

    she sounded good

  13. Courtney December 3, 2012

    dimwits it’s not Whitney’s song it’s Dolly Partons she wrote it in 1974 when she was leaving the Porter Wagner Show get your facts straight. sure Whitney’s is the best selling version 6 million singles in the US 4 million physical two million digital

  14. ABCD December 3, 2012

    OMG I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

    HEATHER HEADLEY!! *SINGS I WISH I WASNT** THAT SONG SO REMINDS ME OF MY CHILDHOOD OF SUMMER 2003

  15. MRDIVABITCH December 3, 2012

    WOW too nasal…it’s like she is pinching her nose the entire time she is singing.

  16. Mernnnnnnnnnn December 3, 2012

    Queen Nasal. Lol she did good though.

    • Matt101 December 5, 2012

      Same way suh (agreed)

  17. NFG (No f**** Given) +Navy kiss my ass December 3, 2012

    Nice vocal control but I’ve heard better. But she has nice execution.

  18. nock December 4, 2012

    heathers s beast ., she killed it; simply amazing!

  19. danny b December 4, 2012

    i think this is probably one of my favorite, if not favorite, renditions of this song. I typically am never here for any cover of any of Whitney’s song, especially this one. Everyone that covers this song always tries to emulate what Whitney does with it, (i.e. J.Hud) and its like an obious fail bc no one will ever sing this song the way Whitney did. But i genuinely feel like Heather made this song her own and did what she did with it the Heather Headley would do it and she sand it amazingly. If you’re gonna sing a Whitney song, or MJ song, or any other legend’s song, take note: trying to emulate the greatness that it already is is juts setting you up for failure.

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      Yes, it was good.

  20. cocobutta December 4, 2012

    OH LORD!
    So much CLASSLESS comments.
    Does supporting your favs breed so much disrespect??
    Your mothers went through all that labour to produce & raise such vile creatures??

    They’re ways to through shade and make jokes but the ratchet behavior seems to excite the FRIED brain cells, that have several tiles missing from the roof OBVIOUSLY.

    PLEASE Fix Your Life and re-educate on how to represent yourselves..

    Now let’s see who needs agrees or needs to curse & defend themselves!
    The brain cell levels I’m sure will be revealing!!!

  21. take a seat, rihann rules b**** December 4, 2012

    I feel so proud to be a Trinidadian you go girl!!!! u rocked that s***

  22. JOHNVIDAL December 4, 2012

    OMG I don´t want to say this girl I didn´t know before didn´t do a good job… but damn! nasal is the first thing that comes to mind
    Once more, here we have another proof of Whitney Houston´s The Voice title. True greats are true greats for a reason. End of

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      Celine is nasal too though. It was a good performance. Who cares about that s***.

      • JOHNVIDAL December 4, 2012

        Celine is way out of her peak, and when she works on it she doesn´t sound nasal at all, like in her recent French album for example. Go find nasal vocals on the Falling into You album for example. People need to understand these true greats did it all and now they are out of her peak, still being great and better than most though

      • MRDIVABITCH December 4, 2012

        Celine is very much in her vocal peak at this moment. She has more control and range than she ever did in the 90’s.

  23. CHUDDS December 4, 2012

    Never been a fan of this womans voice. Maybe because she’s Broadway-trained…

    • MRDIVABITCH December 4, 2012

      But being a broadway belter should mean she’s good though…I mean, look at Shoshana Bean, Barbra Streisand, Linda Eder, Judy Garland, Audra McDonald…they all seem to sing WAY better than this gal who sounds like she is pinching her nose the entire time.

  24. Sean December 4, 2012

    This was not good. And I like her. But no, not good. At all.

    • NFG (No f**** given) December 4, 2012

      ^^yes it was. R u kidding me? Get ur ears checked plz.

  25. RLL December 8, 2012

    awful, just awful and too nasal. she tried too hard. hell to the f****** no.

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