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Born Whitney Elizabeth Houston on August 9, 1963, she was the most awarded female singer of all time. Her accomplishments made it into the Guinness Book of World Records, which included, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, 6 Grammys and 2 Emmys. Her career award total comes to 415, and her albums have sold more than 170 million across the globe; a number that is sure to rise quickly after her death.
The death of Whitney Houston is as tragic as it gets. All the more so because it seems like such a preventable accident. Unfortunately her death goes out as a reminder to users of prescription sedatives; alcohol and prescription sedatives don't mix. Reports indicate that she mixed alcohol and Xanax, or something similar, which is a bad idea in general. When mixed in high doses the result can, and has, had catastrophic consequences.
Whitney Houston touched the hearts and minds of more people and famous artists than many realize. If you were born into the time before Whitney it might seem like she had had her time and then faded away. But like the best artists of any time in history, Whitney Houston's popularity after her passing has skyrocketed, revealing just what a moving force she was.
It is easy to understand why, too. Few talented singers are comparable to Whitney Houston, with Mariah Carey and now Adele on that list. When it was time to choose someone to sing a tribute to Whitney at the 2012 grammys, I'm sure the list was still short. It took the powerful vocals of Jennifer Hudson to pull it off; and it still wasn't Whitney.
Whitney Houston's life was touched with epic mentors, including godmother Aretha Franklin and close friend Oprah Winfrey. In turn, she was influential on many artists who have achieved fame today. On that list are Mariah Carey, who has unique and legendary vocal styling of her own, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, to name a few. Some say she defined an entire singing genre with her powerful melismatic ("quick runs up and down the scale on one syllable") style so popular today.
If the life of Whitney Houston was filled with superstardom and the drama that comes with it, her death is proving to be somewhat dramatic as well. Some of the highlights:
-Bobby Brown not permitted to attend her funeral; blocked by the family. He is blamed for whitney houston's "descent into substance abuse" by many. An accusation Whitney would probably reject outright. Just sayin', she was a strong woman who made her own decisions...
-Bobby Brown given permission to attend funeral; will perform soon after at a nearby venue. Gracious move by family; he was a big part of her life, and she would probably want him to say goodbye.
-Daughter Bobbi Kristina had trouble dealing with the tragedy. Relatives feared she had become suicidal, following two incidents of hospitalization due to mixing alcohol and Xanax. Ironically, she was found in the same hotel as her mother in one of the incidents.
-There are rumors that Whitney Houston was close to bankruptcy; ostensibly because of her drug habit. Hmmm...
In the end, none of this really matters. Sure, it would be nice to see Bobbi Kristina get over this tragedy and rise to great heights in her life. Yes, it is sad Whitney had to deal with a substance abuse problem, and may have been on the brink of bankruptcy. Whitney Houston was too bright a star, though, and too huge of a talent to have these things alter her legacy.
When she sang, her voice rose to the heavens, and captivated everybody who listened. R.I.P. Whitney. Said and done.
Learn more about Whitney and see Beverly Hilton photographs of her room here:
The Death of Whitney Houston, the Full Story...
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