Miss Jamaica World Toni-ann Singh has officially recorded a cover version of Whitney Houston’s “I have Nothing.”
The beauty queen who arrived back home in Jamaica last evening accompanied by chairman of the Miss World Organization Julia Morley, after winning the title last week Saturday, made the revelation during a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston this morning. “I Have Nothing” was the song which the 23-year-old performed as her talent piece which came out on top, and propelled her into the top 40 of the pageant and ultimately put her in high contention to cop the coveted crown.
Toni-Ann Singh’s cover version was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in the UK, which is the world’s first purpose-built recording studio. The iconic studio has, over the years, served a creative base for artistes such as Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga, and Adele.
“I am so excited. It has been only a week and in that time I have met some of the most amazing people you could possibly imagine, the kind of professionals that are willing to donate their time and their efforts…I had a wonderful time on stage; I never thought I would get to sing on the Miss World stage. I never thought any of this would happen. But I am so grateful. I had the wonderful experience of singing I have nothing on the Miss World stage,” the excited St. Thomas native explained.
“We talked about it and we thought; ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful to record it?” So this week, we went to the best studios in the world, Abbey Road. It’s the first recording studio in the world and can you imagine? And, we recorded I Have Nothing, and we want to give it back as a gift and so we are giving it to beauty with a purpose,” she added.
Toni-ann said the song is being released at no cost, and all donations will go to charity.
“We are not going to be charging to release it. It is going to be up and out on YouTube. We are just asking that you open your hearts and donate anything at all. The proceeds every single penny will go to projects all across the world, in all of my sisters and their beauty with a purpose projects,” she said.
“I Have Nothing” was released as a single in the United States in 1992 and was the third single from Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard soundtrack album in 1993. It earned the singer an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The song also peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also number one on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
