On the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards, American singer, actress, producer, and model Whitney Houston, whose image was ravaged by drug use, died. She was only 48 years old. At first, her publicist, Kristen Foster said that the cause and the location of her death are still unknown.
But as of press time, CNN Breaking News reported that Whitney was pronounced dead at 3:55pm at the Beverly Hilton despite resuscitation efforts.
When music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform, he only had one thing to say about her, “The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club, it was such a stunning impact. To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine.”
Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen and also the golden gospel-voiced girl had a lifelong success that went beyond just music. She starred in hits like, “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Bodyguard”. At the height of her career, she was the gorgeous singer who had the perfect image, perfect poise, and perfect voice.
And who can forget one of her most evergreen love ballads ever, “I Will Always Love You”, taken from her movie, “The Bodyguard”:
Whitney singlehandedly influenced a generation of young aspiring singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who all vied to achieve the stardom that she once had. So much so that many of these young singers first made their marks in the music industry sounding so much like Whitney Houston herself.
But, like a tragic star’s story, things soon fell apart. The once top-selling artists in pop music history Whitney went to rehab twice (she confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana, and pills), missed concert dates, got stopped at an airport due to drugs, and had very public meltdowns.
All of which she blamed her husband, Bobby Brown for & claimed to have had an abusive relationship with him.
As for the concerts that she did make it out for, her performances were awry as her voice sounded ragged, raspy, hoarse, and off-key. Obviously unable to hit the pristine high notes she once had. It was clear then that Whitney had lost her shine and sheen.
She then dropped out of the spotlight with immediate effect.
During her troubling time, she once said, “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.”
Well, we guess that’s that for the soulful diva. Rest in peace, Whitney Houston. We will always love you.
