Whitney Huston 1963-2012

Just weeks after the passing of Etta James we are met with the news that Whitney Huston has passed away at age 48. As I write this none of the facts surrounding her death have been released, only that she was found in her Hilton Hotel room and that the police tried to revive her for 20 minutes before pronouncing her dead. She leaves behind her cousin Dionne Warwick, godmother Aretha Franklin, a son (quoted by some sources, denied by others, so not really sure if there is a son), a daughter, her husband Bobby Brown and her mother Cissy.

Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her mother was a gospel singer in the New Hope Baptist Church. After the Newark riots her family moved to East Orange, New Jersey. She would often sing with her mother before she was 15 years old. In my research I learned that she and her mother also performed together in nightclubs. Clive Davis discovered her when she was only 19 and signed her to his record label, Arista Records. Her first album became a best seller.

Her first public appearance was on the Merv Griffin show back in 1983. She married Bobby Brown in 1992. She starred in The Bodyguard with Kevin Cosner in 1992 as well. While her career was going no where but up she and Bobby Brown were getting involved with drugs. Her biggest hit ever was the song she sang in The Bodyguard, a remake of the Dolly Parton hit, I Will Always Love You. That song turned out to be her trademark song and you couldn't hear it without thinking of Whitney Huston.

In the 1990s and early 2000s she had marital and drug problems that threatened her career. She lost weight and always appeared frail.

Around 1994 she started to try to repair her marriage and beat her drug problems. By 2004 her mother had had enough and served Whitney with a court injunction to stop her public life and get her life together. She did. She divorced Brown in 2007 and was awarded sole custody of their daughter. She released a new album in 2007. Seemingly on the road to recovery and doing well. She was scheduled to begin filming a new movie this year.

She started to pull her life together and came out with a new album in 2009.

There are biographies all over the Internet with mostly the same information. The thing I have found out about her is in addition to her amazing talent she was a likable lady. Those who worked with her said she was a true professional and a lady.

Of course it's difficult to find anything written on the Internet now that doesn't involve her death in some way and as most celebrities are saying, that's the pity of it all. She needs to be remember for her great voice and talent, not her death.

IMBD.com lists her as The Prom Queen of Soul. Her hometown was so proud of her they named a school after her, The Whitney E. Houston School of Creative and Performing Arts (East Orange, NJ). According to the same site (imbd) Whitney has fourteen gold singles in the US and is behind only Madonna as a female artist.

Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina is said to have posted private photos on the Internet for the world to see. Click here to view them.

There is also a site called Classic Whitney which was evidently started before Whitney's death and contains some good information and pictures.

I have put this short hub together as a memorial to a terrific talent. The entire music world is turned upside down. The day after her death it is said music celebrities had already twittered over 2 million tweets in her memory and as condolences.

I hope that the entertainment world can see this tragedy as a wake-up call and that parents around the world can use this sad opportunity to talk to their children about drugs. Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" could've been written about Whitney Houston.

It seems they are now saying that Whitney was NOT in the bathtub when she was found and that could possibly mean a heart attack or other illness and not a drug overdose. Her body was half in and half out of the tub! The drugs they did find in the hotel room were a small amount of valium and antibiotics.

The ABC doctor said alcohol and cocaine will show in the toxicology report. Why don't people wait until they have the facts before accusing others. Remember, drug addiction is an illness just like heart disease. You wouldn't condemn someone who died of a heart attack.

In an interview with Diane Sawyer Whitney Houston said, "Pray for me that I'm strong. Don't pray about the drugs. Jesus loves me this I know."

Whitney was a philanthropist interested in helping children. She donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that helped children. For example, $100, 000 to a pediatric hospital in Newark; and proceeds from the premier of Bodyguard wnt to children with Aids. She also donated to Hail House Shelter and veterans...so much not said about her in the past.

Randy Jackson said it was a privilege to work with Whitney on her first two albums. She leaves a legacy of one of the greatest voices of our lifetime.

Mary Brown, who sang back up for Whitney, said Whitney enjoyed life and anted you to enjoy yourself whenever you worked with her. She was very warm and loving.

Gerry Griffith said Whitney was fearless.

One gentleman interviewed sang in the choir with Whitney and he said he could remember looking at her and thinking, "how is that great big voice coming out of that little girl?"

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