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WHITNEY'S 'MIRACLE' Diva really delivers
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: New York Daily News
Date: December 22, 2000
By DAVID HINCKLEY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
This was a tough season for a radio station to make a concert stand out, but WKTU (103.5 FM) did a good job with Tuesday night's "Miracle on 34th Street."
It helps when Whitney Houston shows up as an unannounced guest - and sings. If you believe some of the stories about her this year, she doesn't show up half the time when she is announced.
And while we won't find out until next year if Michael Jackson's time has passed - that's when his new CD comes out - this crowd went berserk when he walked on stage. Not even a moonwalk.
He shook the hands of the other artists - 98 Degrees bowed as he passed - and said, "The best is yet to come."
Not a heavy lift for Jackson, but his 2001 drum machine is rolling, and it was a coup for 'KTU that he made his cameo here.
Having Michael and Whitney, not to mention Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera and a parade of others, rendered it largely irrelevant that Sisqo, who had been expected to perform, did not - although he was seen in the house.
These year-end shows aren't the favorite gig of every artist. They're largely the record companies' way of thanking radio stations for playing their records this year and encouraging them to keep doing so next year. You help us out, we'll help deliver big names for your show.
Still, an artist can score just by showing up - yo, Michael - and it might be worrisome to an artist who was missing and wasn't especially missed.
While "Miracle" featured moments like Aguilera and Brian McKnight singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," 'KTU Vice President Frankie Blue says the highlight was Houston challenging Anthony to a duet on "The Greatest Love Of All."
"They really pushed each other," says Blue. "She made him dig down."
And if this was a challenge, Frankie, who won?
"The audience," he says. "It was a miracle on 34th Street."
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