She didn’t play records because she had to. And a lot more times than not, she hit the bullseye with her early predictions and she was able to let her audience into a secret because she had the scoop before the news came out. But she highlighted these artists unapologetically and waited for the world to catch up. Most likely because she fought that fight too. There was something she could hear in certain artists, that others couldn’t. Rita liked the "real" artists, those fighting-with-the-devil-for-your-soul tunes, and bloodied-and-beaten - but triumphant - music. And through music, they could all achieve personal growth. She connected listeners and artists who wanted the same thing - they wanted something and someone genuine, whose life purpose, knowingly or unknowingly, was to heal themselves and others. A lot of those gates are drawn from the roads that passed through a music director, Rita’s first position.
There are a lot of gatekeepers in the music industry. A home that we all know exists, but only through music can we get a clue of what we may not have yet identified within ourselves. She had the wherewithal and unique ability to point those searching in the direction of their true homes. Rita was a broadcaster, a DJ, and a music lover, but one thing that I've come to realize is that she, in her way, was a protector and curator of lost souls. Marijuana clouds hovered and rose to the rafters where her seats were. They opened with “Bicycle Race,” as Freddie Mercury rode a bike on the stage. In her early teens, Rita earned her first live music stripes jamming from the cheap seats to none other than Queen at Madison Square Garden. The sake was pouring and I asked her about her first concert: Not surprisingly, it was one that was a great spectacle. We're thankful that they did - we're deeply moved by their memories:Ī few years back, Rita and I were Indulging in a late-night sushi and fried chicken feast on the Lower East Side, following an FUV listeners' event. We asked if they could write about the woman who not only championed their songs, but became a friend and confidante. As we approached the first year anniversary of Rita Houston's passing on December 15, we reached out to three artists - Citizen Cope, Yola, and Jill Sobule - who shared a special connection with our beloved former program director and music director. The journey of grief is one of shifting tides, fluctuating between tears, gratitude, disbelief, loving recollections, and rumination.
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