'All I want for Christmas'… ; many items on celebrities' wish lists will not fit under the tree

Ebony, Dec, 1990

`TIS the season of great expectations. But those who hope to satisfy the wishes of celebrities such as Warren Moon and Whitney Houston will have a hard time fitting some of their gifts into a box, much less under the Christmas tree.

Most of the Christmas desires of celebrities featured here are quite simple. A singer pines for the Lionel train set his family could not afford when he was a child. A busy actress hopes to sing carols with family and friends. Then there are items a little harder to come by: a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a young singer, "a man" for another, and an Arabian horse for a pro football star.

As African-Americans gather to celebrate family traditions-to trim the tree on Christmas Eve or to share stories after the holiday feast-some of these wishes undoubtedly will be fulfilled. What follows are the personal expressions of several celebrities who responded to the ageless refrain: All I want for Christmas is. . . "

WHITNEY HOUSTON, the New Jersey-born singing sensation whose latest single and album-I'm Your Baby Tonight-are produced by L.A. Reid and Kenny (Babyface) Edmonds: All I want for Christmas is a true relationship with a strong Black man who is humble to God, sensitive, compassionate, ready to laugh, willing to grow and who is able to truly give love and is not afraid to receive it."

REP. WILLIAM H. GRAY III (D-Pa.) majority whip: "I really enjoy tennis. The mental and physical demands are enormous and I'm improving. Still, I want to kick my game into a higher gear. So a perfect Christmas present for me would be lessons from Zina Garrison. Of course, she would pound me into the court, but every aspect of my game would improve. Can you imagine the surprise on the faces of future opponents when my serves come in like guided missiles?"

BENJAMIN HOOKS, Executive Director of the NAACP: "When I was a little boy, my greatest longing was to own a grocery store. I used to run a play store in my backyard with my playmates. We'd use the silver paper tops from milk bottles for money. I always wanted one of those little cash registers with keys you'd punch and the little sign would jump up with 25 cents or 35 cents. I never did get that cash register. in fact, I didn't know too many Blacks who had stores. There weren't too many opportunities when I was coming up. Since I've been with the NAACP, I've been trying to make wishes come true for a lot of Black entrepreneurs with the Fair Share program."

KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM, the 11-year-old actress who portrays Rudy, the youngest of the Huxtable clan featured on The Cosby Show: "I've always wanted a horse. I love horses and I love to ride. I'm hoping for a horse."

BOBBY BROWN, the young singer and Grammy Award winner: "My wish has always been to have the status toy every boy wanted-a Lionel train set with miles and miles of track. It would fill up the whole living room so all of my buddies in the projects would come over to my house, checkin' out Bob's set. On a more serious note, I begin each holiday season with a wish to sit down at a fellowship dinner with my entire family, experience the tradition of Kwanza and the joy of sharing."

ZINA GARRISON, the tennis ace and 1990 Wimbledon finalist: My dream gift is to have a Range Rover vehicle. I've always loved them. Willard [my husband] and I just bought a country home outside Houston, and a Range Rover would be really practical. It would also be fun to have it to drive around the area."

REGINA BELLE, who, with the solid gold success of her second album, Stay With Me, is recording a third and is pictured here with her baby daughter, Tiy Chereigna: "I've always wanted a motorcycle. When I was a little girl, my father (Eugene Belle) had a great motorcycle with a lot of lights in the back and I wanted one just like his. Now, I want a Harley."

WARREN MOON, the rifle-armd Houston Oilers quarterback, husband to Felicia Moon, and father of Jeffrey, 2, Blair, 6, Chelsea, 7, and Josh, 8: For a long time I've wanted an Arabian stallion. My kids have become interested in horses and so have 1. And some day, when my kids get old enough, they would like to he able to ride and show horses. I hope to be able to help them do that."

JASMINE GUY, the Atlanta-bred actress who plays the Southern fire-cracker "Whitley" on TVs A Different World and who has a new self-titled album: All I ask for at Christmas time is to spend the days and nights with my family and do all of the things I love to do: singing around the piano, dancing in the snow with my little cousins, and acting like a fool with my sister, Monica."

NAJEE, the popular saxophone and flute player whose latest album, Tokyo Blue, features Vesta Williams and Freddie Jackson: "This Christmas will be special because it will be the first one for our son, Noah, who is a year old. My family will probably get together in Oakland at my wife Regina's mother's house. Everyone is excited about it and looking forward to giving Noah gifts. All I want for Christmas is for him to have a good one."