Ben Rector. Courtesy
Tulsa-raised indie musician
Ben Rector's headed home for a show 8 p.m. Thursday at the University of Tulsa's Reynolds Center.
Post below if you'd like a free pair of tickets to see this tour, which has been selling out across the United States.
Winners will be announced tomorrow.
PLUS! Read more in Thursday's Tulsa World for our interview with Rector.
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He said of the following song, his cover of
Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody":
Q: Earlier this year, you released a version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” as a tribute to Houston’s memory. Why that song, in particular? It was recorded/filmed in Norman, correct?
A: Before the Needtobreathe tour, I wanted to get some new video content on Youtube. I knew I wanted to do a cover, so I asked my friend/tour manager for suggestions. He emailed me back a list of old songs people probably wouldn’t know and at the end (I think probably as a joke) he said “or you could just do I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
I love the song, and immediately gears started turning on how I could put my own spin on it. We recorded the cover (along with live takes of a couple originals and a James Taylor song which we didn’t release) in January, and right before we were set to release it, Whitney Houston passed away. So originally, it wasn’t meant to be a tribute, but just a cover of a song I thought people would recognize and enjoy. I have immense respect for Whitney Houston, so I have no problem with it feeling like a tribute, that’s just not what it was originally intended as.
It was recorded in Norman at a studio called Blackwatch, which is where I’ve recorded some in the past.
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