AND SHE WILL ALWAYS LOVE ‘THE BODYGUARD’
Deborah Cox says soundtrack was key to developing her stage presence
In 1992, when the “The Bodyguard,” starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, was released in theaters, a then-little-known singer from Toronto named Deborah Cox was busy shopping demo tapes to record labels.
Cox took some time to see the movie, which was a decent box-office hit. But the film’s real legacy came from its soundtrack, which contained several Houston songs, including her powerhouse rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” For Cox, that soundtrack wasn’t just formative — it was an education for a budding performer, who learned from Houston’s technique and style.
“I do remember the early versions of me singing those songs,” Cox says. “That was how I learned to sing. I learned about dynamics, intonation, key. Those songs were my music lessons.”
Cox would go on to a notable R&B career that hit a high with “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” and included singing Whitney Houston’s songs in the 2015 Lifetime movie “Whitney,” about the late pop star.
Now, Cox says things are coming “full circle” as
she stars as the famous musician Rachel Marron (who Houston played in the film) in the musical “The Bodyguard,” which stops by the Hobby Center Tuesday and runs through Aug. 20.
Cox spoke to the Chronicle about singing that role from the perspective of Rachel rather than Whitney, and about what “The Bodyguard” and Whitney Houston means to her.
Q: “The Bodyguard” came out in 1992. Where were you in your life and what did the movie mean to you?
A: It was a huge movie for me. That soundtrack was one that I played a lot. I was just coming into my own as a musician, shopping demo tapes to different record labels. I finally got the music to (record producer) Clive Davis, who signed me. It was literally 6 months after (the movie came out), in 1993, that I ended up moving to L.A. It really feels like full circle performing this and doing this music. The challenging part was Know,” you get a better understanding of Rachel’s relationship with her son. “Run to You” is a duet as opposed to a solo song. It’s sung between the two sisters, who reveal their feelings for Frank. It’s very different from the movie, though the overall storyline is the same.
Q: What did those songs mean to you when they first came out?
A: They helped shape my approach to singing. Especially “One Moment in Time,” “Greatest Love of All.” “I Will Always Love You” is one of those, it’s such a different version for me. That moment in the show is iconic in itself in the way that Rachel says goodbye to Frank and that song starts. It’s a different way than it was in the movie.
Q: But you’re saying you kind of have to forget all that when you’re on stage.
A: It’s very different than performing in a studio or even live as Deborah Cox. The challenge is erasing all those versions I’ve heard all along. That meant not mimicking and not doing it as a caricature, trying to find that balance of singing it not as a recording artist but in a way that will resonate with the audience and help them find the storyline and where it’s going. Rachel’s telling us how she feels about being a star.