One Very Unique Reason Why Kate Bush Must be Included in the Hall of Fame: "Wuthering Heights"
*In 1978, at age 19, Kate released her first single, the self-written "Wuthering Heights." It became a huge hit in the UK and Europe. The song, a test of Kate's 4-octave range, is a ghost story, featuring Cathy Earnshaw come back from her grave to haunt Heathcliff.
*The song, despite its vocal challenges, has been covered over the years by artists ranging from Pat Benatar to Tori Amos to the heavy metal Brazilian band Angra. It's also been parodied by comedians Steve Coogan, Alan Partridge, Noel Fielding and Faith Brown.
*In 2013, a flash-mob style event known as "The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever" was created in Brighton, England, with 300 participants, and each year since, it's grown. Now it's a world-wide event: usually held on "Katemas" (Kate's birthday), all over the the world, fans gather in parks; they're decked out in red dresses (yes, even the men, children and dogs) and after a few minutes of rehearsal, they recreate the dance that Kate performed in one of her videos for "Wuthering Heights" (there are actually two videos, one made for the US, the other for Europe and the UK). Everyone who loves Kate Bush is invited to participate. In 2019, 28 cities participated, ranging from Oslo to Atlanta. (COVID put the kibosh on most Wuthering Heights Day celebrations.)
So: how many singer/songwriters do you know of who could compel hundreds of people around the world to put on red dresses and gather in parks to dance to a 40+ year-old song? How many 19-year-olds can you name who are capable of writing a song that inspired this:
