Rewind to 2012: Whitney Houston Releases the Hymn "His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
In June 2012, Whitney Houston's version of gospel hymn "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" was released as a single from the Sparkle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Four months after her passing, the song became Houston's second posthumous number one single on the Billboard charts, reaching the top spot on the Billboard Gospel Digital Song Sales chart in June 2012, preceded by her original recording of "I Look to You".
Listen to the song HERE.
"His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is a gospel hymn written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. It is most associated with actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography.Tanya Blount & Lauryn Hill recorded the song for the Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit soundtrack in 1993. Mahalia Jackson's recording of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2010.
AllMusic called "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" a "piano, organ, and choir" showcase for Houston, citing it as a highlight of the soundtrack although admitting "Houston sounds as commanding as one can expect from a later recording."Entertainment Weekly editor Melissa Maerz called it "a gorgeously rippling solo" with Houston "testif[ying ...] that Jesus is watching over her." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone panned the cover, saying "Houston sings - and croaks - in a voice octaves lower than in her prime. At times the song has a ravaged magnificence, but mostly it's painful."
Whitney Houston had also performed the song live during The Bodyguard World Tour.
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