There are people who believe that the real Paul McCartney died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced with a lookalike. I’ve always felt that way about Whitney Houston. I was never able to reconcile this Whitney —
— the bubbly, bow-wearing Whitney of 1985’s “How Will I Know” — with what she turned into.
The “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” video makes me smile. The entire decade of 1980s fashion is captured here: the hair bows, shoulder pads, neon eyeshadow, colorful earrings, body-con dresses, motorcycle jackets and tutus. I wore all of those, possibly at the same time.
Unfortunately, by 2002, you could get a contact high just from watching Whitney’s notorious “crack is wack” interview with Diane Sawyer.
When I heard tonight that Whitney died — and at this time, the cause is as yet unannounced — I felt sadly unsurprised. After I saw these pictures of Whitney staggering out of a club earlier this week, I feared she wasn’t long for this world. To see her at age 48, looking as bad as ever … even Amy Winehouse , who famously sang “No, no, no” to rehab, seemed to me to have a little more awareness of her substance-abuse problems than Whitney did. It’s always sad to see a talented person destroy herself.
It would be nice if this served as a wake-up call for Courtney Love, who will turn 48 this year, but somehow I doubt it.
UPDATED TO ADD: In this 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Whitney spoke about her troubled relationship with husband Bobby Brown and their substance abuse problems, though she was still trying to spin her story. This review of the televised interview is right on.
UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD MEANDERING THOUGHTS: These are my favorite Whitney songs. Maybe they’re strange choices, but I like ’em.
Some people don’t know that Whitney’s huge hit, “I Will Always Love You,” was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton. I heard Dolly sing it live at the Hollywood Bowl last July. I think both versions are beautiful. Here’s Dolly performing the song in 1974.
I just heard Larry King on CNN comparing Whitney to Judy Garland. A good comparison. Both were enormous vocal talents who had extreme ups and downs, including substance abuse and difficult marriages. They died at almost the same age — Judy turned 47 shortly before her death. Judy’s struggles had a major impact on her career and her voice, as did Whitney’s. I’ve noticed that some people think that after a star’s early and tragic death, it’s a kind of sacrilege to acknowledge the life choices and behaviors that may have led to the end. As a former journalist, I’m disinclined to erase widely known facts from my mind. And, as I’ve said before, that — with one exception for me — an artist’s personal failings shouldn’t detract from his or her professional achievements. Judy Garland’s career, including her vocal ability and her many “comebacks,” is inextricable from her personal life, but her talent is undeniable. The same is and will always be true of Whitney.
One of Judy’s comeback performances was a famous concert at Carnegie Hall. I think this recording from that show is a good note on which to end this post, both for its lyrics and Judy’s damaged-but-still-powerful voice.
So so so so sad, poor Whitney. If this all is what happens to people when they become celebrities, I hope to never be one.
Oh God, I think fame is torture for some people, and unfortunately she was one of them. Hope that daughter is going to be okay but there’s already been talk about her going down her parents’ path.
Did you see the clip of her crashing the Clive/Brandi/Monica interview? Crazy. Now watching old videos of her music that I haven’t listened to in 20 years, how do I still know all of the words??
Re the words, I know I watched the videos again and again and again on MTV. I could probably act them out right now. I gotta check out that clip. Sounds a little like Courtney Love throwing a compact at Madonna during Madonna’s interview…
Never been a fan of her style of music but her talent is undeniable. Such a shame to die at this young age. It’s always baffling why people with so much can’t cope. I saw the video of Always love you on Rage (music video show) a couple of months ago and much to my horror/amusement, Rosie the poodle started singing along! BTW much prefer Dolly’s rendition.
Quick! This is your chance to make Rosie a YouTube star. Singing poodles are hot. I prefer Dolly’s version too. Whitney’s voice is amazing but Dolly’s makes me more emotional.
Jesus wept, I’m on it!
It is always sad to see someone go, but it’s even worse when the damage is self inflicted. We do not know if that is how she died, but over the years she clearly was in a lot of pain. Drugs for many artists serve as some form of escape or a little side trip. It is always the great artists who use them and never quite return to who they were before the drugs. I hope that other users learn from this and seek a form of help that will truly help them. I sang because I wanted to sound just like Whitney and it’s awful that she’s gone now. She will be missed so very much.
Hi Wendy,
I knew you’d write about Whitney. I’d hoped that she would pull herself together and make a comeback, but like you, I didn’t think it was likely. I wasn’t a huge fan (although I always thought that she had a really rare talent) but I can’t believe how sad I am about this. This was a nice tribute (and “It’s Not Right” is my favorite Whitney songs, and one of my favorite pop songs, period).
I wasn’t a huge fan either but she definitely had the goods. Too bad drugs were more important to her. Sad. Nice to hear from you though, as always.
I wasn’t surprised either. Kind of how I felt when MJ died… saw it coming, but still sort of hard to believe he was actually gone.
These kinds of stories always make me sad.
I also prefer the Dolly Parton version of I Will Always Love You, even though country music makes me cry.
It’s sad when you compare how she was when she was younger to her drug-addled appearance in more recent years. I feel sorry for her daughter.
I do too. There’s already been bad reports about the daughter’s behavior. I don’t have much hope for her, honestly. Some people shouldn’t become parents.
Yeah, I think she has already bought a one-way ticket and boarded the train..
My friend texted me about Whitney, and I too, sadly was not surprised. What a terrible loss.
Love the comparison between her and Judy Garland. I think I viewed her the same way you did… just never thinking of her past “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” – my absolute favorite song when I was little.
Can’t believe Courtney Love is almost 48!
I can’t believe I’m not that much younger than her >:-(
I wasn’t surprised about Whitney, either, but I had been harboring hope that she’d kick her habit and come back to us. It’s very sad. I hope she’s resting peacefully now.
“Where do broken hearts go” was the slow dance that closed every dance when I was growing up. I didn’t like the song then, but its evokes a lot of memories when I hear it now.