Lakisha Jones Covered You Give Good Love With Whitney's Approval: Official Story

Remember watching American Idol in 2008, as Blake, Jordan, LaKisha, and Melinda battled it out in the top 5?  That was one of the seasons that millions around the world speculated on who would actually win with the vocal talent stacked high between the top 10 and then the top 5 contenders.  Well, I had the honor of managing Lakisha Jones after that season.  While Jordan Sparks won Idol that year, Lakisha Jones went on to perform on broadway in Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple" and landed a recording contract with Elite Music Group and began working on her debut CD "So Glad I'm Me".  Searching for the right song that would really show Lakisha's vocal ability it dawned on me that no one had actually officially covered a Whitney Houston song for release on a project.  Given Lakisha Jones' love and adoration for Whitney, as seen in her performances on Idol that year and being chosen to sing "I Will Always Love You" on the 2008 American Idol Tour, I decided to approach Nippy Inc., Dee Howard President of Elite Music Group and Lakisha with the idea of Lakisha recording "You Give Good Love", Whitney's debut single, as the debut single for Lakisha Jones. 

Knowing Whitney as I did, and having known Lakisha for several years prior to her appearance on American Idol, I knew that vocally Lakisha could record the song and do it justice.  I had always known Whitney to be supportive of artists and always encouraging young artists to pursue their dreams and aspirations, often taking out the time to spend time with them as she did the day I took several young boys to meet her that later became the group B2K.  They never forgot how gracious and kind she was to them.  She was no different regarding Lakisha Jones. 

Lakisha went into the studio, recorded the song, I sent it to Whitney, and the rest will forever be Lakisha Jones' "tribute" to Whitney Houston, in the first cover of a Whitney Houston song.  In 2009, Whitney Houston not only gave her  permission, but voiced her approval and endorsement of Lakisha's recorded performance.  I'll never forget Whitney saying to me, "Patience, (what Nippy called me off stage) she sang that song!  Give her my blessing! Job well done."  With all the tributes that have wonderfully honored Whitney Houston over this past year, I feel that any part of my personal experience that I can share of how selfless and beautiful a person Whitney Houston was, I must take that opportunity.  Jordan Sparks, Aaliyah, Lakisha Jones, Marcell Banks, and Brandy are just a few who's professional lives Whitney Houston has sown into over the years.  So for those of you who havent' heard it, Lakisha Jones Tribute To Whitney Houston "You Give Good Love".  Job well done Lakisha Jones.


RIP Nippy.
Pattie Howard
© PH Balanced Music 2018


 

 

 

 

 

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