Whitney Houston on "Silver Spoons" (1985)

in 1985, i was a fresh-faced college student who kept hearing reference to a young, new singing sensation by the name of Whitney Houston. radio airplay of her hit, "Saving All My Love," had me liking what i heard: i can recognize TALENT. she had IT!

i stayed in my chapter's bustling frat house, so we had little occasion to watch much television, but i heard that Ms. Houston was going to be a guest on the sitcom, "Silver Spoons." i had never watched the show because the basic sitcom formula at the time involved some pre-pubescent smartass kid in some contrived situation: Diff'rent Strokes, Punky Brewster, Webster, Silver Spoons, The Cosby Show, Gimme a Break, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, ad nauseum...

the following video is Whitney Houston blowing up with "Saving All My Love" (notice how she changed some of the words - "making love the whole night through" was changed to "holding each other the whole night through" - for the censors). dexter, the business manager (played by the late Franklyn Seales), falls "head over heels" with the gorgeous and sumptous young Houston and follows her to LA.

like dexter, i was smitten by her beauty and that soulful voice after this episode. i have been a big fan ever since, including her latest incantation on "Being Bobby Brown."

Whitney Houston on "Silver Spoons" (1985)