Museum’s unique tribute to soul legend Whitney
16/2/12- Brian Hyams with the display of Whitney Houston discs at Bexhill Museum.
IN an immediate response to the shock sudden death of soul diva Whitney Houston, a South Coast Museum is staging its own unique tribute.
The eight-platinum CD award designed in 1999 to mark Whitney’s eight-million sales in the UK is now on display in Bexhill Museum.
The museum reacted within hours of Whitney’s death in Beverley Hills hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards ceremony.
Whitney’s award was one of more than 40 silver, gold and platinum disc awards designed by Brian Hyams, a former record company executive at CBS, Polygram and MGM, during a 25-year career in the recording and video industry.
Brian moved to the East Sussex seaside town a year ago. He is now a director of the town’s voluntarily-run independent museum.
Brian’s work included incorporating six CDs – one for each nought – into a multi-platinum award to mark Elton John’s incredible 33-million worldwide sales of Candle In The Wind, his 1997 tribute following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Planning for a proposed rolling exhibition of Brian’s work, due to open at the museum in April, was at an advanced stage when news of Whitney Houston’s death burst on the world of popular music.
Now, Whitney’s award will serve as a curtain-raiser for the exhibition, which will be backed by talks by Brian at the Egerton Road museum on his working life with the stars.
He said: “I was so sorry to learn of Whitney’s death, especially when I saw the award I designed for her on my wall at home.
“It was designed to commemorate a unique tribute to her but it was one of those times when she was not able to come over to the UK.”
Bexhill Museum is open seven days a week.
PICTURED: Brian Hyams with the display of Whitney Houston discs at Bexhill Museum.
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Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Monday 28 May 2012
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