Pacific Rim Tour
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Rim Tour was a concert tour of arena
s or stadium
s by American
Pop
/R&B
singer Whitney Houston
that included 10 concert dates in Japan
, Taiwan
, Thailand
, Australia
and Hawaii
in 1997.
1only performed in Tokyo, Japan
2only performed in Bangkok and Taipei
3only performed in Hawaii, Thailand and Taipei
Note
" at the historic DAR Constitution Hall
in Washington D.C. in October. Houston performed a few of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick
, Aretha Franklin
and Diana Ross
. The second concert on October 5th was broadcast live on HBO cable channel TV. Whitney and The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children donated the proceeds, over $300,000 from ticket sales to the Children's Defense Fund, a national non-profit organization devoted to providing a voice for all children of America, particularly poor, minority and disabled children.
Dates
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s or stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
s by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
that included 10 concert dates in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in 1997.
Setlist
- "I'm Every WomanI'm Every Woman"I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie...
" - "So EmotionalSo Emotional"So Emotional" is a song recorded by American pop/ R&B singer Whitney Houston. The song was the third single from her second album Whitney, and was released on November 12, 1987....
" - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"I Wanna Dance with Somebody " is the first single from Whitney Houston's second studio album Whitney. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I...
" - "All At Once"
- "Saving All My Love For YouSaving All My Love for You"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy...
" - "Greatest Love of AllGreatest Love of All"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest. The song was later popularized by Whitney Houston. Creed wrote the lyrics in the midst of her struggle with breast cancer...
" - "Queen of the NightQueen of the Night-Botany:* Queen of the night, Nightblooming cereus, several genera and species of cactus* Queen of the night, Cestrum nocturnum, a woody evergreen commonly known as Night-blooming Cestrum-Music:...
" - "My Name is not Susan"
- "All the Man That I NeedAll the Man That I Need"All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband...
" - "A Song for You" (performed by Bobby BrownBobby BrownRobert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
) - "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"Exhale " is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface...
" - "Count on Me" (with CeCe WinansCeCe WinansPriscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964...
)1 - "In Return" (performed by CeCe Winans)1
- "Freeway of LoveFreeway of Love"Freeway of Love" is a Grammy Award-winning song released as the first single from Aretha Franklin's 1985 album Who's Zoomin' Who?. It was very successful in the United States, peaking at the #3 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks . It went...
"2 - "I Love the Lord"
- "I Go to the Rock"
- "My PrerogativeMy Prerogative"My Prerogative" is a song by American recording artist Bobby Brown from his second solo studio album, Don't Be Cruel. It was released on October 11, 1988 as the second single from the album. After recording sessions for the album were completed, Brown and producer Gene Griffin travelled to New...
" (performed by Bobby Brown) - "I Will Always Love YouI Will Always Love You"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" - "Step by StepStep by Step (Annie Lennox song)"Step by Step" is a song written and originally recorded by singer Annie Lennox, later a cross over pop hit by R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song served as the second single from Houston's 1996 soundtrack album, The Preacher's Wife...
" - "Something in Common" (with Bobby Brown)3
1only performed in Tokyo, Japan
2only performed in Bangkok and Taipei
3only performed in Hawaii, Thailand and Taipei
Note
- During the concert on May 21st, in Melbourne, Australia, Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and Bobby Brown joined her on stage to sing along on "Step by Step".
The band
- Musical Director: Rickey MinorRickey MinorRickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...
- Bass guitar/Bass synthesizer: Rickey Minor
- Keyboards: Bette Sussman
- Keyboards: Wayne Linsey
- Drums: Michael Baker
- Percussion: Bashiri Johnson
- Guitars: Paul Jackson Jr.
- Saxophone/EWI: Gary Bias
- Trumpet: Raymond Brown
- Trombone: Reginald Young
- Background Vocals: Pattie HowardPattie HowardPattie Howard born Francine Patience Howard is an American Gospel and R&B singer-songwriter, producer, and vocal arranger. She is a 30 years+ music industry veteran who has released two albums with major record labels, RCA Records and Light Records...
, Sharlotte Gibson, Valerie Pinkston-Mayo - Dancers: Carolyn Brown, Merlyn Mitchell, Shane Johnson, Saleema Mubaarak
Additional notes
- May 20th, BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
: when speaking and singing the high notes, she sounded like she had a cold. But she still kept on singing. Very professionally, she said "tonight my voice is deep". There was a member of the royal family in the audience (princess) and Whitney showed her great respect.
- May 22nd, MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
: That night, fans arrived at the Palladium, Crown Entertainment Complex for Whitney's second concert in Melbourne only to be told she had cancelled. Guests were told that Whitney had a "severe throat infection" and was "advised by her throat specialist not to perform".
- May 25th, TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
: 45,000 people, and a few surprises: Whitney did "Freeway of LoveFreeway of Love"Freeway of Love" is a Grammy Award-winning song released as the first single from Aretha Franklin's 1985 album Who's Zoomin' Who?. It was very successful in the United States, peaking at the #3 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks . It went...
" (Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
song). She decided to let Bobby BrownBobby BrownRobert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
sing his #1 hit "My PrerogativeMy Prerogative"My Prerogative" is a song by American recording artist Bobby Brown from his second solo studio album, Don't Be Cruel. It was released on October 11, 1988 as the second single from the album. After recording sessions for the album were completed, Brown and producer Gene Griffin travelled to New...
", and they had an alternative duet version, with a mixture of Stevie Wonder's classic "SuperstitionSuperstitionSuperstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
" in it.
- May 29th, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
: 31,000 fans - Bobby Brown opened up the last show singing his old tunes. Whitney was in disguise singing background vocals for Bobby. Then she came out and the crowd went wild. She sang very well even though she had a cold. She closed the show with "Step by StepStep by Step (Annie Lennox song)"Step by Step" is a song written and originally recorded by singer Annie Lennox, later a cross over pop hit by R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song served as the second single from Houston's 1996 soundtrack album, The Preacher's Wife...
".
Tour dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1997 | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Osaka-jō Hall Osaka-jo Hall , or Osaka Castle Hall, is a multi-purpose arena, in the Kyōbashi area, of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people... |
| May 7, 1997 | |||
| May 8, 1997 | |||
| May 13, 1997 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
Tokyo Dome Tokyo Dome Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium... |
|
| May 14, 1997 | |||
| May 20, 1997 | Bangkok Bangkok Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom... |
Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center Queen Sirikit National Convention Center The Queen Sirikit National Convention Center is a convention and exhibition hall in Bangkok, Thailand.-Facilities and location:... |
| May 21, 1997 | Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
The Palladium Crown Entertainment Complex |
| May 22, 1997 | (cancelled due to severe throat infection) |
||
| May 25, 1997 | Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... |
Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... |
Taipei Municipal Stadium Taipei Municipal Stadium Taipei Municipal Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Taipei, Taiwan. The old stadium was used mostly for track and field events and was able to hold 16,000 people. It has been demolished and reconstructed for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics since December 2006. The new stadium is scheduled to open... |
| May 29, 1997 | Honolulu | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team... |
Classic Whitney Live!
Houston performed two special live concerts, billed as "Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
Classic Whitney, Live from Washington, D.C., were special live concerts by Whitney Houston featuring many of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. The concerts were held at historic DAR...
" at the historic DAR Constitution Hall
DAR Constitution Hall
DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Memorial Continental Hall. Later, the two buildings were connected by a third structure housing the DAR...
in Washington D.C. in October. Houston performed a few of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
. The second concert on October 5th was broadcast live on HBO cable channel TV. Whitney and The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children donated the proceeds, over $300,000 from ticket sales to the Children's Defense Fund, a national non-profit organization devoted to providing a voice for all children of America, particularly poor, minority and disabled children.
Dates
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 3, 1997 | Washington, DC | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Memorial Continental Hall. Later, the two buildings were connected by a third structure housing the DAR... |
| October 5, 1997 |