Sunday, February 12, 2012

What the hell? Whitney Houston is dead?

I can't believe it. How is this possible?

I mean, I knew she had drug problems, but damn. Whitney was only 48. And now she's dead? Michael, Amy, now Whitney, all these super talented artists. Someone better tell me Prince is okay. I just watched Madonna on the Super Bowl, so I know she's alright.

I wore Whitney's debut album out.


I heard nothing but great things about her upcoming role in Sparkle. I was excited to see Whitney make her great comeback. I was just talking about the movie to one of the producers. Salim Akil, who directed Jumping The Broom, also directed Sparkle. It's a freaking shame.



Yes, Whitney was known more for pop music, but the woman had an incredible voice. A talent like hers is rare, so rare. I do think it's a gift.

She grew up singing gospel and soul music. Whitney was influenced by her mom, singer Cissy Houston, her cousin Dionne Warwick, and her godmother Aretha Franklin.

Whitney was one of the world's best-selling music artists. She broke many records and like Michael Jackson was one of the few black artists to "cross over" in the early days of MTV.

She was also a mom, model, and actress.

One of my favorite Whitney tracks is from her second album. Produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez, it was the JAM.


RIP Whitney Elizabeth Houston

12 comments:

Kim B. said...

She truly did have an exceptional talent. I remember an article about her in my Seventeen magazine, when she was just starting to be known.

When I think about her music, the first thing that comes to mind is singing along full-voice to I Wanna Dance with Somebody as I bumped and bobbled over the dirt road that I drove my pickup truck a couple of miles down to get to my piano lessons. Gosh that's been a long time.

Thinking of her daughter and her mom. It is so sad that these artists who are so blessed are simultaneously so tortured.

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

So, so, so unbelievably sad. Shocked here as well :(

Diana Strinati Baur said...

Yes, she was an amazing talent. But she's been addicted to destructive behavior for years. Drugs, alcohol, sex addiction. She tumbled out of an LA bar this week wasted and disheveled.

Time is always an equalizer. We cannot do at 50 what we did at 20 regardless how well we take care of ourselves, but we can recreate and grow in different ways. Instead, she destroyed her vocal range (her true fortune in life was her voice) - the victim of years of substance abuse. She didn't take enough care of the things most important- her body, her mind -her talent,. Like Amy Winehouse, she was chased by demons of self destruction.

She is another tragic example of the choices we make always having consequences. This woman worked so hard to get what she had - and then set out, step by step, to destroy it once she had it.

I wish that were not her legacy. It could have been so different.

I feel for the life her child had to live. Being the little one with such a highly addictive mother is something she'll struggle with the rest of her life.

jannelle said...

I just knew that she was going to get herself together and make a come back. I grew up with her music. We keep losing all these great artists.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

kim - "Saving All My Love For You" was the first song of her's I heard.

michelle - I know. There's a tape of her singing at a brunch. She looked fine.

diana - I remember when the reports of her drug issues first came out. Everyone wanted to blame Bobby. Clearly she had problems before him. Maybe he made things worse, but no one can make you do drugs.

She has had problems for years, yet I'm still shocked she's dead. I thought she (more so than Amy) was going to make it. I saw an interview from the Sparkle set and Whitney looked healthy and happy.

Then those photos from the L.A. bar surfaced. Sigh.

Poor Bobbi Kristina.

jannelle - same here. I just knew this summer would begin her big comeback.

gibber said...

I just....can't. :(.

Paola said...

I don't want to sound harsh and a bitch but I wasn't too shocked about this news. Sadly she went down "THE" no return spiral, same that sucked life away from Amy, Michael and too many others.
Hope she can find peace wherever she is now.
What a fekking wonderful voice she had!

Gil said...

Really sad about this as I thought that she would be around forever. Like tony Bennett!

Unknown said...

I don't cry over celebrity deaths. I cried over hers.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

It's not harsh, she did battle addiction for years.

I think the reason so many in Hollywood are stunned is because we really thought she turned a corner.

Her voice will be missed. What a talent she had.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

It's always sad when someone dies, but someone so young and talented as she, who battled her demons for so long, makes it even more tragic. What a truly extraordinary voice. A wonderful message comes from a song she made famous - The Greatest Love of All:
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

CCL - well said. :(