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The Spectacle Blog
Singer Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room in Beverly Hills. She was 48. Her cause of death is not known as of this writing. She had been scheduled to attend a pre-Grammy party tonight hosted by Clive Davis, who signed her to her first recording contract with Arista Records.
Houston dominated the Billboard charts from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s with seven consecutive number one hits and eleven number one hits overall including “How Will I Know”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” from the soundtrack of The Bodyguard in which she co-starred with Kevin Costner. In addition, Houston also appeared in movies such as Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife. In all, Houston sold more than 170 million albums.
However, for the past decade or so she became better known for her tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown and for substance abuse problems. In 2009, she released a comeback album I Look to You (which was produced by Davis) which received good reviews and went Platinum. Late last year she filmed a remake of the 1976 movie Sparkle to which she had bought the rights back in the 1990s. The film will be released in August.
Houston came from a rich musical lineage. Her mother was acclaimed gospel singer Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick were her cousins. For good measure, Aretha Franklin was her Godmother.
I leave you with Houston singing “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV.
beebop2| 2.12.12 @ 7:52AM
Her glorious rendition of our anthem shows you can put your own interpretation on it while still respecting it. It gave me goose bumps. Thank you for sharing this as the red meat of her untimely death is going to be chum for the media circus.
vtwin| 2.12.12 @ 11:11AM
Sorry beebop2, I wrote my post before reading yours. Glad to know we felt the same.
vtwin| 2.12.12 @ 8:47AM
I remember exactly when I first heard her breakthrough hit "Saving all my love". It gave me goosebumps. She was so gifted and charming. A pity she could't rely on somebody worth her class and her talent. Rest in Peace, Whitney, I will always love you too.
Bob Grant| 2.12.12 @ 10:13AM
Whitney was one of the last great classic American singers. She could hold a note like no other. After her, the likes of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez dominated the music scene with their brand of "singing" which I consider something different altogether. Her rendition of the National Anthem was fantastic.
RIP!!
*** On a side note, while perusing TMZ for latest Whitney updates, I came across an article about Samuel L. Jackson's racism. The extent of which I was not aware. This man's blatant racism puts Harry Belafonte's to shame. He should not be supported in any manner. Too bad because I always liked his work. He's dead to me now. ****
Floyd Looney| 2.12.12 @ 12:26PM
My heart does not bleed for celebutards that off themselves through their own actions.
beebop2| 2.12.12 @ 3:19PM
Humanity?
Hardheartedhannah| 2.12.12 @ 8:24PM
As Flannery O'Connor wrote, "In a far healthier time we were less tender-hearted" [about all the wrong things]. I'm with Floyd. There are enough things our hearts should bleed for; Otis Redding/Janis Joplin/Michael Jackson/Amy Winehouse/et.al., are not among them.
garyinfh| 2.13.12 @ 4:02AM
Why include Otis Redding in with those singers whose self-destructive tendencies may have hastened their demises? Otis died in a plane crash, through no fault of his own. Perhaps you have him confused with some other entertainer...
Dr. Detroit| 2.13.12 @ 12:00PM
Redding. Buddy Holly. The Big Bopper. Ritchie Valens. Patsy Cline. Ronnie Van Zandt. All dead of airplane accidents. Keith Relf by accidental electrocution.
Tom Osterman| 2.12.12 @ 1:04PM
The fact that so many were puzzled by the late Ms. Houston's behavior, her drug use and her marriage, should tell us that there was a lot going on behind the scenes that was kept out of the media spotlight. It is also worth mentioning that her oeuvre and attendant "nice girl" image were a focus of criticism, with Houston being accused of not being black enough by types that preferred the raunchy street-gang aesthetic of rap. That may or may not have bothered her; some performers let it get under their skin while others cry all the way to the bank.
My personal favorite of her songs was "You Give Good Love." RIP.
somnolence| 2.12.12 @ 1:20PM
Other than her glorious rendition of The Star Spangled Banner my favorite song of hers was One Moment In Time. I actually prefer jazz singers who use a type of conversational style, such as Diana Krall, or the late Shirley Horn, June Christy, Ella and Billie. But there is no denying Whitney's vocal talent and breath control(although I frankly believe that Sarah Vaughn edged out anyone, including some opera singers in that respect, especially in her early years). Until the drug and spousal abuse took their toll she also presented a pretty fair patriotic image, and seemed genuinely nice to her fans. May you find eternal peace, dear Whitney.
Mimi| 2.12.12 @ 1:23PM
Her voice stirred the hearts of all who ever heard it....remarkable and SPECIAL
2 nights prior to her death she was roaming about in a stupor and attempting head stands...could she have fallen? A Brain Injury? So sad....She was in RELASPE ..!.....JUST the NURSE in me MUSING! Where was the Bodyguard ?
To have that beautiful voice gone forever...what a loss to all of us!
Bill| 2.12.12 @ 5:26PM
Damn it! Bad Romance has 500 million viewers in you tube.
PCP Smoker| 2.13.12 @ 11:51AM
that voice tended to annoy some people.
Bill| 2.12.12 @ 4:37PM
Drug overdose? I don't care.
Dr. X| 2.13.12 @ 9:11AM
Great voice. Insipid songs. Who has been writing songs for the last thirty or forty years anyway? Seventeen year old girls and homosexuals? If you want a good song, you have to listen to Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. The modern stuff is ersatz fluff.
squalis| 2.13.12 @ 9:45AM
Hey Dr. X, plenty of great music outside country. Take a listen to Beethoven's 9th, for starters. Then, as a suggestion, try anything by Genesis, Yes, or Pink Floyd released before 1978.