Tampa Bay area residents hold Whitney Houston rendition of 'Star Spangled Banner' close to heart

TAMPA - Whitney Houston's passion fueled patriotism in the midst of the Gulf War.

Her performance of the Star Spangled Banner during Super Bowl XXV in Tampa moved many to tears. 

Tampa Bay Magazine publisher and editor Aaron Fodiman knows.  He sat in the audience.

"I was like 'Wow!' This is not just another rendition!" Fodiman exclaimed.

Fodiman didn't expect it.  He explained at the time, they didn't think Houston, a singer in her mid-20's, was the big draw.

It was the first time in Super Bowl history that an orchestra was performing the National Anthem. Fodiman said he played a role, getting the Florida Orchestra there.  After meeting with both the conductor and Houston, he made a decision.

"And as you can see, his picture was the big story.  She had come and gone,"  Fodiman said holding up the magazine.

But then he heard her sing.

"It was electrifying performance," Fodiman said. "You knew you were watching something very special."

Houston's popularity continued to soar after the rendition. And sales surged. She reportedly sold more than $170 million in albums, music and videos.

At Daddy Kool records in St. Petersburg, they combed their back room for old Houston albums.

Manny Kool said  they sold out over the weekend.  While we were there, they found four more records.  Kool said he expects to sell them at almost double the price of five dollars by the end of the day.

"Death is your best business move," Kool said.

Kool said Houston's "Greatest Hits" album is the one in greatest demand. Tampa Bay Times Pop culture critic Sean Daly, isn't surprised.

Daly said despite a well-documented past of drug abuse and addiction at times like this, fans seem to forget the past.

"Whitney Houston became this tragic punch line at the end of her life. But death has a funny way of erasing the negative so we only remember the positive.  All of a sudden, Whitney Houston gets some relief now and some peace and we remember, 'Oh yeah!'  She was one of the greatest singers of all time," said Daly.

Fodiman, who has literally met thousands of celebrities in his more than quarter of a century with the magazine, agreed.  And after hearing her sing,  said maybe they should have snapped a photo for Tampa Bay Magazine after all.

"She wasn't someone I expected to hear about dying in my lifetime," said Fodiman.