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News of the Stars & DJ Patrick Ryan’s Top 20 of 2009

Well, it’s the end of the year … finally! For many, 2009 has been a year they would like to quickly forget. Housing prices tanked and so did the global economy. On a musical note, 2009 has been a banner year for a few select artists. Let’s revisit this year’s top music newsmakers.

By far and away, the biggest comeback story of the year is our beloved Whitney Houston.

After a tumultuous and abusive 14-year relationship with bad boy Bobby Brown, Houston divorced him. Houston’s mentor Clive Davis was right there telling Whitney that we all needed to hear from her again. He wanted her back on his roster of performers and her public wanted to hear that voice again.

In early 2007 Davis announced that Whitney was back to work and would be recording a new album. Davis enlisted the who’s who of writers and producers for Whitney’s seventh studio album. Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, R. Kelly and Akon are among the production elite gracing the album.

On July 21, 2009 a listening party was hosted in New York and on July 23, 2009 the final listening party was hosted in Los Angeles. Both were star studded affairs. Many celebrities were in attendance including Houston’s mother Cissy, her cousin Dionne Warwick, Vivica Fox, Halle Barry, Jane Fonda, Diane Warren, Stevie Wonder, Magic Johnson, Barry Manilow and Penny Marshall.

An extremely humble Houston was introduced by Davis and took the microphone and said, “How cool am I? Jane Fonda is at my listening party.”

The CD, I Look To You, was released on August 31, 2009 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 Chart selling 309,000 copies in its first week. The biggest single off the album so far has been “Million Dollar Bill”, the track written by Alicia Keys and produced by Keys’ love interest Swizz Beats.

UK remixers and production team, the Freemasons, reworked the track for the club. The infectious lyrics and undeniable feel good, anthem feel injected into the song made it one of the biggest club tracks of the year.

Houston also appeared on the season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show submitting to all of the hard questions the public had been wondering about since her marriage to Bobby Brown and her vanishing from the public eye and the stage.

Admitting to years of drug use and abusive treatment by Brown, Houston finally found her strength to leave him. She candidly answered all of Oprah’s questions and at the end of the two-day interview gave a heartfelt performance of the ballad “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” leaving Oprah and most of the audience in tears.

After the performance Houston sighed in relief and told Oprah that she was so glad she got all of that out with her, because now she won’t ever have to talk about it again. It just goes to show you, the comeback story is one we all love. And there’s no denying, America loves them some Whitney!

Pop phenomena Stefani Germanotta, otherwise known to the world as Lady GaGa, is much more than the freakish outfits she wears. GaGa even landed at #10 on Barbara Walters’ Ten Most Fascinating People of 2009. She is actually an incredible musician, vocalist and performer.

I was fortunate enough to see her show at the White Party Palm Springs this year. She was so soft spoken when addressing “her gays”, nothing at all like one would expect. gaga

The performance was nothing short of extraordinary. She performed the big hits that made her America’s biggest pop star since Beyonce. Carefully choreographed moves, intelligent lighting, and even a grand piano made it a memorable performance.

GaGa even announced that she was throwing her shoes out to the audience, something “she’s never done before.” She launched into a cabaret version of “Poker Face”, playing piano as she breathily sang her biggest hit of the year. The Fame, Gaga’s debut album, produced four number one hits; “Just Dance”, “Poker Face”, “LoveGame”, and “Paparazzi”.

With remixes galore, Gaga ruled as Queen of the Clubs in 2009. And there’s no stopping her. The newest single “Bad Romance” has been the most requested song since it’s release a few weeks ago.

The video for “Bad Romance” features placement by no less than 10 products, showing us that not only is GaGa a consummate performer, but a smart businesswoman as well. There’s been well over 35 million view of the “Bad Romance” video on YouTube alone. Sellout or simply shrewd marketing?

It seems everyone’s goo goo for GaGa. Look for her new tour coming to a city near you.

Honorable mention goes to Swedish dance music sensation Agnes. Her single “Release Me” stormed up the Dance Music Charts and kept the dance floors packed with it’s harmonies and sweeping strings.

Also, keep your eyes and ears open for the new single from international DJ sensation Tony Moran and American Idol reject Frenchie Davis. The single “You Are” was recorded two years ago, but just recently released. It’s going to be a staple on the circuit and in clubs alike for the next few months to come. The release is packed with remixes from Joe Gauthreaux, Klubjumpers, and Moran himself. It’s available at masterbeat.com and perfectbeat.com. Tony Moran