by Isi Esene
A Nigerian Whitney Houston impersonator has been mistaken for the real deal by none other than the Cable News Network (CNN). The mistake was all the more awkward because the impersonator shown performing is not even a woman!
In a Piers Morgan interview with multi-platinum rap artiste, LL Cool J, CNN producers mistakenly showed a footage of Ikenna Beney Amaechi, based in Germany, who has played Whitney Houston in drag for 21 years.
The footage shown happened to be from the 2008 Reel Awards Show in Las Vegas, a celebrity impersonators event.
When asked about his reaction, Amaechi said, “I was just sitting at home and at first I didn’t realize it, but then it hit me like ‘BOOM’! It wasn’t Whitney… It was me!”
“I feel very honored that I was mistaken for the real Whitney Houston on CNN… is there even a bigger compliment for a tribute artist?”
According to TMZ reports, Amaechi studied in Nigeria and started mimicking the late singer since 1989. He has since then performed round the globe as his idol, Houston.
Houston, who publicly battled drug and alcohol addiction for many years, died in February from related causes.
Let’s cut CNN the slack, we all make mistakes. Except, uhm, this is the network’s second error in as many weeks.
Watch to see Amaechi perform one of Whitney Houston’s hits:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhJ16O_8YDo]
Of what relevant is D'banj's OYATO in this write up? Oyato or Otayo, whatever it is, get a life and stop criticizing Dbanj….He's living his life.
This piece wasn't well edited, pls do a better job next time 'he has performed round the globe as her idol' really got me wondering
For me that shows that Nigerians can make global news with a little more support from the government,We're World Class Brands,even when we want to mimic Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston.Oyato ot Otayo i.e if you what that means in Latin