Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Star Spangled Banner (1991)
... because Thursday was the 4th of July and we're still celebrating!

Unfamiliar with this Whitney's rendition? Hear it here.

1) Whitney Houston originally performed this in front of over 73,000 at the 1991 Super Bowl. What's the biggest crowd you have ever been in? I scoff at 73,000! I've been in two of Grant Park's biggest crowds: Lollapalooza to see Sir Paul in 2015 (100,000) and most exciting of all, Barack Obama's 2008 victory speech in 2008 (240,000). It's funny, but I feel safer in a six-figure crowd of like-minded people than I do on an empty nighttime street.

2) Whitney's version of The National Anthem was released 10 years later, after 9/11, and the proceeds went to support New York's first responders. It was her last Top Ten single. What's your favorite Whitney Houston song?

 

 

3) Whitney's friends recall she loved lavender -- both the color and the scent. What's your favorite color? What's your favorite scent? I love blue and wear it all the time. My favorite scent is cinnamon.

4) Whitney had a sweet tooth and loved Fruity Pebbles. If you reached for a snack right now, would it be sweet or salty? Sweet. I have cupcakes in the kitchen. If you're very quiet, you can hear them calling my name.

5) Whitney's grave marker bears the words, "I Will Always Love You," so clearly her family is proud of her best-selling recording. How would you like to be remembered? To borrow from the phrase I heard all the time as a little kid, "A Girl Scout leaves a place better the she found it." That's still me. I hope I'll be remembered as someone who did good.

6) Going back to 1991, when this recording was first popular, consumers who had a cell phones likely had flip phones. Technology has come a long way, hasn't it? What did you most recently use your cell phone for? (Calling, texting, looking something up, taking a photo, posting on your blog or social media ...) Texting with Gregory about our friend John's upcoming celebration of life. His birthday was July 3. I feel like it's John's and my last birthday together. Still hurting over this.

7) In 1777, Colonists celebrated July 4 with the firing of cannons and muskets, followed by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. What did your neighborhood to to celebrate the 4th of July? We had a parade.

8) The Revolutionary War still raged during that summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of run on July 4. Do you know anyone who is serving in the military this 4th of July? Nope.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will/did you dine on to celebrate the 4th of July? I had a hot dog.