The facet of Vh1’s annual Divas event may have changed over the course of time, but it was bigger and way grander back when it had started.
Putting together some of the biggest names in popular music, the event was one of the biggest highlights for the network – during it’s first couple of runs.
After the immensely successful first episode in 1998 – which featured perhaps the grandest list of female performers on one stage – from Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Carole King to Mariah Carey, Shania Twain and Gloria Estefan, the second run of the show in 1999 comprised of another spectacular batch of female superstars – which included Tina Turner, Cher, Brandy Norwood, Faith Hill and the late Whitney Houston.
Although the network was yet again successful in creating an unforgettable musical moment in history – with so much diva-ness walking around backstage, the show brewed some hot tea for gossip columns as things started to turn sour between the lead performers.
It was later reported by a few inside sources that the alleged rifts widened when Houston’s act slowly started getting the centre stage, as she was the biggest crowd-puller around that time, which began to irk Tina Turner and Cher.
The situation later became so tensed backstage, that the organisers had to call-in Elton John to mild things down a bit.
Here are a few gossip titbits that originated after the show’s airing:
- Tina Turner, and particularly Cher, started to get annoyed when Mary J. Blige was asked to join-in to do a duet with Whitney Houston. It was said, that the two were unhappy with Whitney “taking over” the show as her Godchild, Brandy Norwood, had already signed in to perform. Interestingly, Mary J. Blige’s spot was to be given to Patti LaBelle first – but she refused for it being a ‘one-song’ guest spot.
- The show might have gone several notches ahead on its grandeur as legendary diva Barbra Streisand had also been approached to participate. Streisand refused as she was only willing to participate as the ‘main artist’ of the event with Tina, Whitney and Cher being referred to as ‘guests.’
- The show’s organizers later approached Gladys Knight, but she refused to participate stating that she didn’t consider herself to be a diva. Although, Houston and Turner attempted to persuade Knight to join them – but she blatantly denied – and so did Diana Ross.
- The rift between Cher and Whitney grew further when rapper Treach and Chaka Khan were called-in to perform during Whitney’s set.
- To soothe the soaring temperature between the divas – the show’s organizers later had to call-in Elton John who also brought along LeAnn Rimes and Faith Hill.
- Later Tina Turner and Cher refused to participate on the “I’m Every Woman” finale – with it being a Whitney Houston-led performance and with her being in the center of it all. However the ‘official reason’ given by them for not joining for the encore was that they wanted to stay with Elton John who couldn’t really sing a song about ‘being a woman.’
Despite all that went behind the curtains, the show went down in history for it’s outstanding performances as one of the most memorable musical moments in VH1.
Relive the show’s finale encore performance below:
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