WHITNEY HOUSTON DEAD

LINK

Damn...

Neither CNN or the NYT have it yet.

I literally JUST read a story this morning that she was being considered for The X Factor. Can't believe this.

WOW

Oh my GOD. Not a shock at all, of course.. but still. Wtf.

Nothing on CNN yet.

it's been denied by her rep.

It's real. Here's a link to the AP story.

Good Lord, it's true. No details yet.

Wikipedia has already been updated though:

I'm shocked. TMZ sounds utterly convinced.

Associated Press is reporting it.

NY1 just broke into regular broadcast to announce it!

Confirmed by AP

R8's post is dated 18 September

Is it too late for a Grammy tribute?

I'm available.

Just ran on bbc. Publicist confirmed.

R8, that seems to be dated September 13

What a waste.

Shoud have treated that severe exhaustion earlier

"Didn't We Almost Have It All" and I spent months together. Sobbing. Shit.

When it comes to celebrity death, TMZ is always out first.

This is certainly going to make for an awkward Grammy awards.

It's not true. It can't be true. Whitney Houston. No way.

Announce on LA's ABC-7 news

Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

AP Music Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."

"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," "You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the "Soul Train Awards" in 1989.

"Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?" she told Katie Couric in 1996. "You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them."

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former

Im at a loss for everything.

Dear lord, they're dropping like flies.

BBC news is running a notice

Just mentioned on FM radio station.

The cause of death will not be a surprise unless it is something ridiculous like hypothermia or cattle stampede.

Not surprising but very sad.

MSNBC is reporting it.

BBC just reported

Holy Shit. Only a couple of days ago I was puzzled about her (coke?) bloated stomach pictures at the Dlisted blog.

Wow pretty shocking

I cannot believe I outlived Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

People are already discussing it on IMDB:

Rest in peace, Whitney. You brought joy to millions with your music and talent.

May those of you who think drugs are chic and cool take note of the true damage they cause.

The AP must have had the obit all typed up and ready to go.

I thought it was going to be another one of those "fell off a cliff" hoaxes.

Not on CNN yet.

Looks like it's been confirmed by the publicist. It'll be interesting to see how people react to this. Not as OTT as MJ but she still had a lot of fans.

This is a vicious hoax. There's no story just headlines.

Nothing on CNN.

Don Lemmon looks really upset.

Sad.

WHAT WAS THE CAUSE?

It was rumoured that she was up as the replacement for Nicole Scherzinger on X Factor - it was supposed to be her big comeback.

DON LEMON is now reporting it on CNN

First Michael Jackson, now her

Jesus, that's sad. She was a mess but I always pulled for her because I loved her music as a kid. Hope she's finally at peace.

DEAD! 48 years old

r44, it's all over the wire services and internet.

All the sources that are reporting it, including TMZ, are citing the AP as the source. But the AP is reliable and wouldn't report this if they didn't have complete confirmation.

Toward the light, Whitney.

Just saw her on the front of the Enquirer, or Star at Walgreens abut 5 minutes ago. I scanned it quickly and I think it said something about a death watch. They always get it right!

R45 I am watching CNN right now and it is being featured. Sad.

[quote]The AP must have had the obit all typed up and ready to go.

Ya think?

BBC confirms:

Cause of death unknown so far according to DON LEMON

Here she is leaving the doctors office on 2/03.

R44, Nicholas Kristoff of the opinion column of the NYT posted it, "reported" on his blog.

I know I'm in the minority, but I really liked her last album!

I'll miss her.

reported in Australia

I get so emotional.

CNN just added a Breaking News crawler.

"The AP must have had the obit all typed up and ready to go."

Newspapers and news services do have obits of famous and infamous people ready to go.

Jezebel has pics of her leaving a nightclub on the 9th. Poor woman was a mess.

"WHAT WAS THE CAUSE?"

Datalounge, Rose...Datalounge.

Great, CNN just dug up Larry King to talk it this.

Don Lemon is sniffing!

From the Gossip site front. Dlisted reported it first and Perez posted it just about a minute ago.

Wonder if 48 Hours Mystery will be per-empted for Whitney coverage

Here she is yesterday, or the day before.

Wiki has her dead.

Shame the white folks don't care about a talented Black woman who was pushed to the edge working in a white industry.

Long live story on Sky UK right now.

Don Lemon now interviewing LARRY KING about his experiences talking to her in the past

Who?

you're right, I'm R8, I forgot to check the date, didn't know there were other WH death announcements. sorry.

Whitney collapses.

Morte.

oh god, now we're going to have to hear "that song" all week...

UNBELIEVABLE ! And yet, not. Sorry for any harsh words Whitney. It was all in fun. You did have it all, but maybe this will help people realize, drugs really do kill.

JUST squeaked in . . .

Omigod. Not surprised, but...

Larry King & Don Lemon talking about Judy Garland!

Crack kills.

Tonight is Clive Davis's Grammy party.

The Grammy awards tomorrow night will be unreal.

Amateur.

I'm still here, bitches!

LA Times headline, but no link.

[quote]The AP must have had the obit all typed up and ready to go.

All famous people have obits on file.

[quote]Shame the white folks don't care about a talented Black woman who was pushed to the edge working in a white industry.

Yes, no one cares. That's why the news is ignoring this story.

So true r76.

Singer Whitney Houston has died at age 48, according to her representative.

Best "Star Spangled Banner", ever.

I used to lipsync 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' as a 6 year old gayling. I am really sad now.

Just in time for a Grammy tribute!

This week several articles had suggested that she was being approached to be a judge on The X-Factor

ONTD is exploding:

Let's not bring race into it R76. Her fanbase outside of America is mostly made up of young white woman. People have stopped paying attention to her because she's been a crack addict since the 90s, was known as a rude diva before that and her last tour was a debacle. Doesn't mean they won't care that she's died. I for one feel very sad for her long suffering daughter.

[quote]Im at a loss for everything.

Including punctuation, it would seem.

Unbelievable. This is incredibly sad.

[quote]First Michael Jackson, now her

And yet Zsa Zsa is still with us.

Who'd have thunk it?

I'll smoke a crackpipe while ramming myself with a giant dildo tonight in her honor.

Larry King told Don Lemon he will be at Clive Davis's party tonight

We were both born in 1963.

I'm so crushed,my mom didn't want to hear it,tears all around...

I wonder if Kelly McGillis and Jodie Foster have anything to say about Whitney now that she has passed on.......

They're doing a 'crawl' across the bottom of the screen on my local station. She's gone.

At the Beverly Hilton as per TMZ

R96, agree, it was magnificent just like her voice at its peak.

TMZ has crashed

You know, while I'm not surprised, but this one does make me kind of sad.

So damned talented and she messed up her life so badly.

Whatever demons she had, I hope she's finally gotten some peace.

Well, I hope all you catty bitches are happy now after you've been bad-mouffing my sweet baby girl

MSNBC even broke into to their Lock-Up Raw marathon, but of course, E!, the channel you think would be all over this, can't turn off the fucking Kardashians.

She was supposed to go to Clive's party tonight.

This is beyond sad.

I feel so bad for Bobbi Christine. Poor girl has been through so much.

It's times like these that I'm grateful for datalounge.

Wow. So unfortunate. Really. However, on a brighter note for all of you posters, you'll now have weeks (months? years?) to make hateful comments about her and her daughter, providing Madge and Gaga with a momentary respite.

Whitney, the best voice of a generation. She was sensational.

RIP

Dawg, I smell a Whitney theme night on Idol this season!

it is sad. I'm not sure the system killed Whitney - she just partied too hard and got hooked. I've seen it happen to other people who were not at all oppressed prior to their addictions.

[quote]I'm still here, bitches!

Show me the receipts, Dionne you hussy!

[quote]We were both born in 1963.

Eldergay!

Eldergay!

Eldergay!

Her final film comes out this year.

Where is the DL Death List thread for 2012? Did anyone predict this?

Jesus, the Grammys will be the biggest cluster fuck since...well, since Whitney and Bobby. A 17-ring circus.

I can't wait!!

This makes me very, very sad ...more than MJ

She had it all ...and lost it ...

Aretha and Diana Ross will both be at Clive's party tonight. Whitney was also expected.

Whitney was so beautiful, radiant and full of promise when she made her debut onto the R&B/pop music scene. I saw her live in an outdoor park concert in the summer of '86 and she was phenomenal. I still recall the cover of "I Am Changing" from Dreamgirls.

Shame that with all that talent, she went down such a bad road.

R112, first Whitney and now TMZ???!!!

[quote]They're doing a 'crawl' across the bottom of the screen on my local station. She's gone.

Well, then that makes it official.

The CNN and BBC links everyone else was posting were only hearsay.

Did TMZ have any details?

Lindsay Lohan will go this year, too.

She was a tormented soul. I pray that she has found peace. I also pray that her daughter will be okay. I will always love her music. When she was at her prime she was the absolute BEST!

Did she miss the cut-off for the In Memorium segment at the Grammys?

The fucking show is going to go long now.

r94 you are so wrong.

Shocking in a weird way. Very, very sad. It's so horrible that no one could prevent this. I wonder if her heart just gave out.

I don't believe it! Whitney Houston is not dead, honestly!

Being black doesn't make you more vulnerable to tragedy, asshat, and nobody forced her into an industry that made her a multi-millionnaire and nobody shoved a crack pipe in her mouth.

Hope she's now finding the peace she didn't while alive. RIP Whitney

Poor dumb girl.

Did we learn nothing from Judy Garland?

I wonder if it was a drug or alchohol overdose?

Shit.

Don Lemon now reading condolences coming in from celebrities

What a sad coincidence. This morning, I was reading up on Whitney's recording of the national anthem and watching the video for it on youtube.

So tragic that she so carelessly threw away such talent.

TMZ reports Whitney died at Beverly Hills Hotel.

Her peak?

Dear God,

I asked you to take BRITNEY

not Whitney!

I saw one of her first public performances, singing with Jermaine Jackson (well, one of them) at the Limelight, when the Jackson 5 were performing in New York. I always really liked her and am saddened by this, but not, the poor thing, surprised. You think someone like her who seemed to have everything in the world could find happiness.

Sing out Don Lemon! He's got it. No computers, no autotune, just purity.

[quote] This makes me very, very sad ...more than MJ

Same here. Despite her problems, Whitney always seemed like a sweet person, like a genuine, happy free spirit.

Her songs made me so happy, and she had the voice that was like no other.

It makes me so sad that she had all these drug problems that ravaged her voice, and like others, I was rooting for her, and hoping she'd get out of it.

I don't usually fawn over celebrities, but this one hit me hard.

Houston won two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards during her record-breaking career. Her album "Whitney" was the first female album to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold 200 million albums world wide.

Whitney Houston is the Billie Holiday of this generation.

"Died at the Beverly Hills Hotel."

We'll at least she went out in style!

she shoved a dick in her hand

ABC report

"Lindsay Lohan will go this year, too."

Nah, Lindsay is like Zsa Zsa. She'll be around forever.

The drag queens will riot at Stonewall tonight.

This news does not seem to have affected my cats; they have remained completely neutral on this event.

Frantic rewriting going on at SNL (with Maya Rudolph as host).

I love her in waiting to exhale. She was so beautiful and talented.

Sad. She could have had a wonderful and comfortable retirement. Traveling, beautiful home, no healthcare issues. Instead, just abusing drugs.

I'm shocked, too. And sad. Even though we all heard about drug rumors or whatever. I wish she could have gotten rid of all of that. Too young. R.I.P. Whitney.

It's sad and a waste. her song - I think it was give me one moment in time - meant so much to me when I was in college, isolated, alone, scared, unsure, trapped in a bad relationship, family not speaking to me because they weren't "used to the idea" of me being gay - I had a cassette tape and played it over and over in my "walkman" and my car - yes I'm old. Well I'll miss her.

Never a big Whitney fan, but sad for her and her family.

And there was just another thread where someone talked about Whitney and, if what they said was true, then she gave up a lot in life to do what her parents wanted - shades of MJ. Sad for anyone to lose their life. Sadder still to have had to fight that all your life. No amount of success or money can make that hurt go away.

Yes, bitches, I'm being serious. Deal.

I can't believe we almost lost George Michael and now this. It's sad that these talented people just can't get it together. Very sad.

Whitney made her TV debut on As The World Turns performing at Marcy's (Marisa Tomei's) prom.

[quote]Did we learn nothing from Judy Garland?

Who is in this "we" you're talking about, r141?

Who do you think is responsible for Whitney Houston's death? Or Judy Garland's, for that matter?

For the past few years, I could never figure out whether she was making progress or back on the drugs. One week, you'd see a picture where she'd look pretty good. The next week, she'd be a mess again.

I just happen to be available to star in the movie of her tragic life.

Damn you R150, you made me laugh and cry at the same time.

r153, same here too. This is tragic. So many female stars are fucked over by drugs and die young.

On Pier Morgan last night, he was just saying that Jennifer Hudson was getting 'near' Whitney Houston in terms of her talent (Whitney was still being held up as the gold standard).

she sang back-up for Janis Siegel on 'Experiment in White'.

I know my washed-up crack ho trivia

Kinda glad Don Lemon is reporting tonight. He gets it.

[quote]The drag queens will riot at Stonewall tonight.

Wendy was right!

All very sad

[quote] Houston holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University in Louisiana.

I misread that as: Honorary Doctorate in Humanities and Gambling

The big question is....

Accident? or Suicide?

She wasn't a "rude diva" before the drugs. The drugs changed her personality. She was a somewhat quiet resesrved person before her addictions.

I'm not sad--I'm just surprised it took so long.

I just got home from an Alanon meeting where there was a lot of discussion of the horrible impact drugs and alcohol has on individuals and families. Whitney is just another casualty of this insidious disease. So sad.

RAY J found Whitney dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel according to CNN

[quote]Shame the white folks don't care about a talented Black woman who was pushed to the edge working in a white industry.

It's always whitey's fault in your world, isn't it?

I'm sure she tried to stop so many times. I'm sure she hated herself. that's addiction. bless her - she did burn bright. Not looking forward to the media outpouring on this one...

Dlisted has crashed.

Ain't it shockin' what crack can do?

Wrong, R148: she died at the Beverly Hilton, per TMZ. Not yet mentioned here is that a crime lab truck is on the scene, which I presume confirms the obvious that she didn't die of natural causes.

CNN is reporting that Ray J was with her at the Bev Hilton.

Back in 1985, when she burst onto the scene singing songs like "Saving All My Love for You" and "How Will I Know," she would have been the last person you'd expect would end up addicted to drugs and dead at such a young age.

RAY J is the one that found her dead at the hotel.

It's too bad she couldn't have gotten her shit together for the sake of her kid.

CNN reports Ray J found the body.

Oh, there's going to be some serious whining on TV. CNN is falling over themselves. Thank God they just happened to have a black anchor on tonight.

Don Lemmon is doing a tremendous job reporting on this over on CNN. Quite the eloquent gentleman he is.

coke heart, R179.

Ray. J found her body at the Beverly Hilton. They have been dating on and off for a few years.

Ray J is Brandy Norwood's brother.

[quote]Who is in this "we" you're talking about, [R141]?

Substance abuse. I'm betting you have a problem as well. Get some help.

They're saying Ray J found her.

I'm pissed. Maya Rudolph is hosting SNL next weekend. Now I guess her Whitney act is off the table.

Menopause is a bitch. I'm serious too.

Goddammit, I am fucking Mary-ing out. She was so beautiful and had such a great fucking voice -- she should have stuck with torchy stuff like 'Saving All My Love,' it suited her better. She was wasted on tripe like 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody.'

And it has to be said: If Clive hadn't made her pretend to be straight, would she have stayed off the crack and lived a long, happy life? Well, would she? Goddammit. RIP, poor Whitney.

Sad. Such a waste of talent and life. I hope her daughter and family find strength. Mostly I wish now she can rest in peace.

The family did try to do an intervention, but Whitney called their bluff and said she would cut her family off.

So the family backed off.

This is so sad. She was a great talent. RIP.

Wouldn't you know Dr. Drew got his ass into the act on CNN.

This is upsetting! I am so upset right now!!!!

Why was Ray J there?

[quote]Shame the white folks don't care about a talented Black woman who was pushed to the edge working in a white industry.

Yes, because there are absolutely NO white people who were pushed to the edge and died in that "white industry", right?

And plenty of white folks are huge Whitney fans. She would never have been a huge worldwide superstar it if white people weren't buying her records.

I blame the closet. The closet and Bobby fucking Brown. All she had to do was be true to herself and stay the fuck away from Bobby who got her hooked on that shit.

I'm crying as I'm typing this, one of the best singers we have ever had.

On the cover of Seventeen in 1981:

um, crime lab trucks often confirm whether a death is natural or homocide. the medical examiner looks at the body. I'm sure every precaution is being taken. I pity the hotel at the moment - not great for business.

r200, that was one of my first reactions, too.

Does Ray J have a reputation for being a big partier? I don't know anything about the guy.

That's not entirely true, r204. They did an intervention but she didn't threaten to cut anybody off.

Rosie O'Donnell's Tweet:

"Dear God … There is a grief that can’t be spoken #DEVASTATED"

Agreed R211...and fuck her for depriving us.

Anderson should join Don Lemon tonight, so they can have a big gay Mary freak out together!

I'm hearing RAY J found her.

Has her Auntie, Dionne Warwick, made a statement yet?

"Ray J no where near there" per Ray J's publicist.

Now CNN is saying RAY J was NOT there.

R216 that is not what she told Diane Sawyer.

She told her mother to get the people out of the room, or you would never see Bobbi Kristina again

I agree with those above who posted that she would never have had drug issues if she'd been out of the closet. The closet is a dangerous fucking place to be, especially so for artists.

This isn't happening! And, the Grammy's are tomorrow. OMG, this is so unreal!

In which room did she die? I want to stay there.

How long before Bobby B is on the prowl?

Ray J is kind of ghetto. He punched out Fabolous in some Vegas fight a few months ago. He's Brandy's younger brother, had a few minor hits.

I AM THOROUGHLY SCANDALIZED!

I can see it's hurting you

I can see your pain

It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain

I know sometimes it's seems as if it's never gonna end

"If Clive hadn't made her pretend to be straight"

Are you saying she was a lesbian?

RAY J not there according to CNN reporter.

Interesting that there is a gay reporter like CNN doing the coverage. A straight guy wouldn't know as much about the history of music, Judy Garland etc. and all the other stuff Don Lemon has been talking about.

Stay away from those Norwood kids. Stone fucking cold killers.

Do you suppose Ray J peed on her corpse before he called 9/11?

Do you think she deliberately died the night before the Grammys? Is the timing just coincidental?

Remember Whitney's basketball teammate, good friend and personal assistant Robin? A black lesbian New York friend of mine always said the source of trouble was good Christian Mama Sissy. Supposedly, Sissy laid down the law that Whitney could not be a lesbian no matter what and that basically she would rather Whitney be a drug addict than gay. BTW, Sissy herself is an alcoholic and Aunt Dionne Warwick is at best a pot head. The whole family's f'd up.

Wow! I am saddened, yet not surprised.

Arguably one of the best female singers of all time.

This story should be shown to every young person growing up today. Kids......crazy men and drugs only lead to death.

RIP

Has a cause of death been reported?

One of the best remixes ever.

Gee you step away from the DL for an hour (to shower and primp for the evening and you miss it!)

D-listed seems to have crashed

Guess they're getting lots of traffic:

A commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live just insinuated that her life took a tragic turn the day she left Robin and decided to marry Bobby Brown.

How long before stories of her being a lesbian get confirmed? Will this work in favour of equality rights, perhaps?

She was pictured with blood spatter on her leg and bloated. Maybe she switched to shooting up heroin to save her voice? It makes me very sad.

Has Kelly Osbourne issued a statement?

Larry King remembers Whitney Houston

Died while barfing into a toilet. They're trying to come up with a better story for the 11 o'clock news.

Why couldn't it have been Lady Gaga instead?

I actually think Bobby helped ground her at times.

Oh shut the fuck up, R245.

Has it been confirmed as a drug overdose?

[quote]Kids......crazy men and drugs only lead to death.

This is where I usually begin belting out "I'm Still Here".

TMZ back up

[quote]Mostly I wish now she can rest in peace

The dead usually do.

Paramedics were called to the Beverly Hilton today when Houston was found unresponsive in her hotel room ... sources tell TMZ.

We're told police arrived to the scene within minutes and fire was already there on another call. According to our sources, paramedics performed CPR but it did not work and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM.

Our sources say there were to signs of foul play. We're told she was ID'ed by family and friends.

D-listed still down:

I always thought she was the "victim" and Bobby Brown was the "bad boy" who got her hooked on drugs, but if you watched their reality show, he certainly came across as the more grounded and responsible one.

Just a goddamn shame all around.

I'm available for interviews/comments

Larry King on CNN comparing her to Judy Garland.

R255, I take it you don't watch Ghost Encounters.

So, was it the closet? Was she primarily tormented for being a closeted lesbian? If so, will anyone say that publicly now?

My Amy better not be brushed aside tomorrow night.

I will always hate Ray J for foisting Kim K and her family on us.

!

[quote]Larry King on CNN comparing her to Judy Garland.

Nuh-uh. I ain't gonna be no Lizamuthafuckin Minnelli. HELL to tha no!

This is Don Lemon's 9/11 moment and don't he know it.

I'd bet money not, r262. She'll be raised to sainthood like MJ, so nobody would mentioned that she allegedly preferred women.

Eulogy time. This is one of her best live clips - One Moment In Time (Grammys 1989)

She was at her absolute peak then - total confidence and control as a singer and performer.

[quote]Larry King on CNN comparing her to Judy Garland.

I'm surprised he didn't compare her to Bessie Smith.

He attended elementary school with her.

Don Lemon is going crazy on CNN about Whitney and blathering on.

All the celebrity crypt-keepers are having a ball tonight.

Clive Davis has cancelled his 2 am escort from Bruce's Buddies. He's obviously upset.

Doody bubble.

I do feel badly for Clive Davis.

I think he loved her like a daughter.

Dionne Warwick is not Whitney's aunt. Whitney and Dionne are cousins.

There are a lot of singers and groups I have liked over the years. I own a lot of music but strangely no Whitney music although we have spent months together, me listening to her, over the years.

I will miss you Whitney. A lot.

No one comes to mind that had a better voice than hers.

Wow.

I will miss you.

Don Lemon is now talking about how he was up late with a bad cold and talking about Googling Adele when he couldn't sleep.

Poor Whitney. The only celebs commenting so far are LaToya Jackson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Mayor of Newark, NJ, Bret Michaels, Johnny Gill... No Mariah, Madonna, Janet or any of her contemporaries.

I really wish there had been some sort of stipulation in Piers Morgan's contract that at times like this, he would have had to step aside and let Larry host Monday night's show.

Celebrity deaths just aren't the same without being able to tune in to "Whitney Houston, Dead at 48. Tonight, Debbie Reynolds and Eva Marie Saint share their thoughts."

Al Sharpton and Quincy Jones are now commenting on CNN.

So much for the Grammys being 'Adele's Big Night'.

Over/Under on that Adele will do one of Whitney's songs?

[quote]No Mariah, Madonna, Janet or any of her contemporaries.

Excuse me, miss, but I have problems of my own.

She has been reported as dead on Yahoo.

Is it true or false?

Ray J's publicist is backtracking re his being with her when she died. No one wants to be the Cathy Smith to Whitney's OD.

Xtina's secretly happy knowing that's one less diva to get in her way.

Sadly, Dr. Drew is on the phone with Don Lemon, giving his expertise, though quick to mention that the cause of Whitney's death has not been determined.

I agree, R280. I liked Larry King's celebrity obituary panels. At least he is on tonight with Don Lemon.

From Mariah Carey on twitter:

Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.

She did the best version of the National Athem EVER!!!

Amy, Etta, Whitney - a great year for Adele, but a bad year for our other divas.

Died at 3:23 Pacific Time, received a phone call that someone was unconscious at B Hilton. Fourth floor. Was on the floor, tried to revive her, friends and fam ID'd her at 3:55. A bodyguard named Ray discovered her body, per Ray J's publicist.

Drew Pinsky says it is telling that they did not even attempt CPR for long.

[quote]Poor Whitney. The only celebs commenting so far are LaToya Jackson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Mayor of Newark, NJ, Bret Michaels, Johnny Gill... No Mariah, Madonna, Janet or any of her contemporaries.

That's because they have lives and spokespeople/PR folks who make sure they say the right thing.

Other than the mayor, the rest of that crowd is so C-list that they can't even afford to go out on a Saturday night.

They live for that phone to ring.

For any reason.

At all.

R284, she's fine. She sends her love!

Mariah Carey @MariahCarey She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.

Mariah Carey @MariahCarey My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world.

Mariah Carey @MariahCarey Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston.

CNN says the mixup with Ray J came because the guy who found her was a bodyguard named Jay

If Christina will be belting one out at Whitney's funeral, she needs to wear Depends.

[quote]Poor Whitney. The only celebs commenting so far are LaToya Jackson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Mayor of Newark, NJ, Bret Michaels, Johnny Gill... No Mariah, Madonna, Janet or any of her contemporaries.

Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey): “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Don Cornelius, Lesley Carter, whitney?

Here is a better clip of whitney and national athem...freaking amazing

Was she is Los Angeles? Was she supposed to be at Clive's party tonight??

What did Whitney die of? You guys have not answered the question, someone must know!

Cheyenne Jackson @cheyennejackson Whitney, I'll always love u.

Mary Hart is going to use the funeral frock she bought for Zsa Zsa Gabor's funeral that didn't happen two years ago.

Sandra Bernhard @SandraBernhard they should have let the lady be, #whitneyhouston one of the greatest voices of our times, beautiful and then lost. we remember her tonight

the National anthem was pre-recorded and lip synched. It was still her but............. come on!

Roseanne Barr @TheRealRoseanne rip whitney houston.

R302, obviously the media will report it when they find out, so stop asking.

Years ago, when I was going through some tough personal issues and thinking about ending it all, I was driving down the highway and "One Moment in Time" came on the radio. I started sobbing so much I had to pull over and gather myself together. In a way, she saved me that day.

I know, Mary! But it did happen.

How much do you want to bet they cover up the real cause of death?

[quote]Al Sharpton and Quincy Jones are now commenting on CNN.

Oh brother.

YES, R309, YES!

Will they cancel the Grammys tomorrow? You know Clive is just dying (no pun) to!

Her voice died a decade ago.

Whoever Don Lemon is talking to said Whitney could act, citing her role, among others, in "The Bodyguard."

I can understand overeacting becuase of shock but, c'mon, that's bullshit. It's enough to cite her astounding vocal talent and early death and leave it at that.

[quote]Brian Stelter @brianstelter Piers Morgan on the way in, per @JonathanWald: RT @CNNPR: #CNN LIVE thru midnight ET on the breaking news on the death of Whitney Houston.

Sorry, all you dead Syrians, one dead American crackhead takes precedence!

This is going to be one helluva funeral. MARY!

[quote]What did Whitney die of? You guys have not answered the question, someone must know!

They probably don't know yet. Recent pics/stories point to a rock-bottom drug relapse. If it wasn't an OD, then probably just that her heart was very damaged from all the years of drug abuse, and today was the day it gave out.

Just guessing like anyone else...

That's sweet, R309. : )

R261, I've sure R255 has never watched The Walking Dead either. So ignorant.

Whitney Houston singing the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl was the greatest rendition ever. It brought tears to my eyes and left me speechlesss.

. . . smokin crack makes life worth living . . .

I'm surprised that an hour-and-a-half after it's announced, the New York Times still has only the AP's obit up. I would have expected them to have a Times-written Whitney obit ready to go for years. It didn't take a crystal ball to see this coming.

Why would "they" do that, r310?

Kathy Griffin @kathygriffin She was A TALENT & A LEGEND. She was never a "reality star" No jokes from me about Miss Houston today.

Police are saying it's not homicide, no drugs were found, basically, Whitney died from nothing. lmao.

So Piers Morgan is being brought in to do a tribute show on CNN?

I wish Larry King would do it instead, but he's at the Grammy's tonight.

Agree, Della. Rev Al kept calling her The Queen of Pop, but isn't that what everyone else calls Madonna?

What's wrong with Sharpton and Jones, R311?

Actually, Whitney wasn't a bad actress. BODYGUARD stunk, but if you watch WAITING TO EXHALE or PREACHER'S WIFE, she gives low key, good performances.

But people thought Angela Bassett's overwrought, Joan Crawford-eque performance in EXHALE was better.

[quote]Whitney Houston singing the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl was the greatest rendition ever. It brought tears to my eyes and left me speechlesss.

Mary!

Whitney Houston and Judy Garland almost the same age when they died. Two of the greatest died so young. Such a tragedy.

[quote]How much do you want to bet they cover up the real cause of death?

As much as you can afford to lose.

Silly.

[quote]Cheyenne Jackson @cheyennejackson Whitney, I'll always love u.

Why did Cheyenne write u instead of you? He has plenty of space before he hits 140 characters. U is hardly appropriate for this delicate situation. Is Cheyenne a 14-year-old girl, illiterate, or just retarded?

The dopey woman said "The Preacher's Wife" was her one and only film. Lemmon came back with the "how great she was in the Bodyguard" stuff as a subtle way of correcting her.

OH MY FUCKING GOD!

Woman on the street just said she will always remember Whitney singing the National Anthem "the year after 9/11."

What a fucking idiot!

Rosie says:

Dear God ... There is a grief that can't be spoken #DEVASTATED

Way to make it about you Ro.

"Tonight, Whitney is remembered by her peers. Liza Minnelli, Lesley Gore, and Toni Tennille are all here to share their memories."

Bret Easton Ellis @BretEastonEllis Whitney Houston: Yes, somewhere tonight Patrick Bateman is weeping, shocked but not surprised, and ordering three hookers instead of two...

OMG, I literally died when I found out about this. I can't believe she's dead. I was just listening to her music this morning. So sad. There is a hole in my heart now that will never heal.

Real classy, Bret.

CNN reporting Grammys will change to pay tribute -possibly performed by jennifer hudson

MARY @R339

What's it like on the other side R339?

Does this mean the highly anticipated planned Waiting to Exhale sequel is now dead?

[quote]OMG, I literally died when I found out about this.

If only!

[quote]OMG, I literally died when I found out about this. I can't believe she's dead. I was just listening to her music this morning. So sad. There is a hole in my heart now that will never heal.

Way to make it about you, Mary.

Syria calling for a cease fire because of Whitney's death.

God, what an asshole Bret is.

[quote] OMG, I literally died when I found out about this.

So you're posting from beyond the grave?

BUT DOES SHE HAVE LIVING PARENTS?

[quote]OMG, I literally died when I found out about this

No, bitch, [bold]I[/bold] [italic]literally[/italic] died.

Just curious if Dolly Parton has issued a statement....

IMDB has now put up a NEWS FLASH banner:

I think this is really sad. I wasn't that upset about MJ, but I really liked Whitney and felt for her struggle. RIP.

From TMZ...

Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston spoke with Whitney Houston by phone just before she died and say Whitney seemed fine ... TMZ has learned.

Whitney's mother, Cissy Houston, spoke with her daughter 25-30 minutes before she died and nothing seemed unusual ... sources tell TMZ. We're told they talked about attending the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party.

Dionne Warwick, Whitney's cousin, called as well ... several hours before Whitney died ... to make sure they were sitting at the same table at Clive's party. And again ... there were no signs of trouble.

The people in touch with Dionne say she is inconsolable adding, "She is an absolute mess."

As for Cissy, we're told she is "hysterical."

Her IMDB board has gone crazy:

They just read a nice statement from Dolly on CNN.

At least it pushed Whitney managed to push the GOP CPAC meeting off the front page.

Wikipedia has been updated:

"As for Cissy, we're told she is "hysterical.""

MARY!

[quote]oh god, now we're going to have to hear "that song" all week...

I know, I'm bracing myself for it. Every news report will play that song. And with Titanic being re-released in 3D soon, we will never escape it.

She was born in 1963 - the year that legendary sci-fi show 'Doctor Who' debuted.

This is the fastest a thread has filled up in months.

[quote] MARY!

No, CISSY!

True, R358.

And Mitt Romney must be mad that now the news of his victory in Maine tonight is getting overshadowed!

Whitney Houston's posthumous turn: As star of 'Sparkle'

The death of Whitney Houston at the age of 48 is a deep loss for the music world. But it also has reverberations in another artistic realm--the movies.

Houston had recently finished shooting "Sparkle," the remake of the 1976 Irene Cara film that, eerily, focuses on talented young musicians whose lives are ruined by addiction. Houston also served as an executive producer on the movie, acquiring rights to the original film more than a decade ago. The movie, shot this past fall and currently in post-production, is scheduled to be released in August. No word yet on any release-date changes; we're awaiting word from a producer.

The original "Sparkle" told the story of the Williams sisters, a trio of 1950s-era Harlem singers whose stories were loosely inspired by the Supremes. Headed by Lonette McKee's Sister, the group also features Sister's sister Sparkle (Cara), Dolores (Dawn Smith) and several friends. As they begin to find success, though, Sister's life spirals out of control, with drug addiction eventually leading to her death.

The new version, directed by Salim Akil ("Jumping the Broom," television series "The Game"), is believed to follow a similar story line, with Jordin Sparks as the titular character who must find a way to achieve stardom despite the drama surrounding her family. Houston plays Emma, the sisters' less-than-encouraging mother. (The original character, named Effie in the 1976 film, was incarnated by Mary Alice.)

Though the film has a heavy music component, it is not known how much Houston's character sings on screen, if at all. Derek Luke and Cee Lo Green co-star opposite Houston, with Carmen Ejogo as Sister Williams.

In another surreal turn, Houston had said she originally wanted Aaliyah for the title role but was forced to reconfigure the project when the R&B singer was killed in a plane crash in August 2001.

Houston's publicist confirmed on Saturday that the star had died in Los Angeles, just a day before the Grammy Awards honoring the music world's finest. No cause of death has been given.

The "Sparkle" remake was supposed to serve as an auspicious return to the big screen for Houston, who gained fame as a silver-screen actress playing a pop star in 1992's "The Bodyguard" and then three years later as TV producer Savannah Jackson in the adaptation of the bestseller "Waiting to Exhale" but hadn't been in a movie since "The Preacher's Wife" sixteen years ago.

Houston also had a strong influence on numerous film soundtracks, producing and recording on "Exhale" and a host of other films. (A number of those songs could get some air time at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.) Houston also had an important if less high-profile role in the movies: she served as a producer on "The Princess Diaries" franchise.

Nobody does a celebrity death like DL, R363!

[quote]As for Cissy, we're told she is "hysterical."

Well it is nice to know she is keeping her sense of humor about the whole thing.

[quote]The people in touch with Dionne say she is inconsolable adding, "She is an absolute mess."

How could they tell anything was different?

WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF DEATH?

I know, R363

From family reports at R355, sounds like she didn't OD. Sad either way.

LOL @ 368.

W&W for r368 - helping laugh through our paint.

Something tells me I will be hearing Adele and Jennifer Hudson singing a tribute at the Grammy's tomorrow night.

r309 I know this is the place to come to be a bitch, but I am so glad that you found something that touched you so that you are still here to post and to well, be a bitch with the rest of us DL posters :)

I just wish Whitney saw the beauty in herself and in her music that you felt that. Somewhere along the way she got lost. And I think Bobby Brown was part of the reason for that.

She choked on a ham sandwich, R369!

She produced The Princess Diaries franchise?!? What exactly did she do?

"I don't want to end up like Madonna, who will burn herself out." -

Whitney, sometime in the '90s

Wow, I turn away from Don Lemon for a second, turn back, and now he's forced to share with Piers Morgan.

Has Dame Julie released a statement??

Is this a bigger, better celebrity death than Michael's? I think so. Particularly if it's just that her poor, abused heart gave out at only 48. Plus the correlation to Judy G's death.

Yes, this one takes the crown.

[quote]I'm pissed. Maya Rudolph is hosting SNL next weekend. Now I guess her Whitney act is off the table.

Why would they pass up on such a great opportunity? I bet they have a Whitney funeral sketch with Maya popping out of the coffin singing "And IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII will always love you." Either that or a Whitney zombie sketch.

R378 Is Madonna going to pretend she was friends with Whitney like she did with Michael?

Dolly issued a touching, heartfelt statement that was read on CNN.

Mariah Carey @MariahCarey Excuse me, Whit, but I have problems of my own.

[quote]Is this a bigger, better celebrity death than Michael's?

No, his was HUGE but Whitney's death is purer in terms of pathos. MJ's, you had half the online commenters saying "good riddance, he was a sick pedo". Whitney, everyone is mostly keeping it classy saying RIP, what a talent, so sad, etc.

When you walk down the cunting road

Heavy burden, heavy fucking load

I will rise and I will walk with you

When you walk through the goddamn night

And you feel like you wanna just give up, give

up, give up on the mongloid fight

I will come and I will walk with you

Walk with you

Until the sun don't even fucking shine!

Maya wasn't the best impersonator of Whitney Houston. That honor goes to the great Debra Wilson from Mad TV. She had Whitney down to a science! Looked and sounded just like Whit, with the mannerisms and all.

Was never a fan - I found her voice hard and cold - but it's still a shock. She seemed like an nice person under the addiction. She was actually older than I thought.

More evidence the closet kills.

I'm sorry she wasn't strong enough to tell her sick family to go fuck themselves and tell them "I'm a dyke, deal with it. And I'm dumping that asshole you forced me to marry, getting back together with Robin, the woman I love, and retiring. If I choose to perform, it will be at Michfest."

Will someone please shut Simon Cowell the fuck up!

Has Celine Dion released a statement? I know she was friends with Whitney and admired her a lot.

R 386=FAIL

Why do we never guess right on the celebrity death watch?

Twitter from Bette Midler:

Please, please someone tell me it's not true...

Fuck Sissy Houston and she should burn n Hell for what she did to her daughter.

WOW! Some of the clips of Whitney's live performances at her concerts are just plain amazing. She had a way of singing a note in the opposite octave  range of what you were expecting and selling it to you as a brilliant choice.

Truly, she was a gifted artist.

CIARAN, what's your take on all of this?!

"Ralph Macchio @ralphmacchio: Wow, just heard - been off the grid the last few hours. So sad. RIP Whitney. THE Voice!"

R381 is a churro who lacks an understanding of the sweep and swoop of these things. Trying to loop Jacko and Judy with this particular train wreck is ridiculous. Chronic, public, tragic, marriage-driven substance addict who ruined her life, her family and her career is far from the inane circus freak carnival of ghouls of the one and the classic, matchless and decent but horrid mess diva lush pill popper of the other. No comparison.

Miss Houston is more like craptastic African American version of the druggie music tale - very dull and familiar. And she was completely unsympathetic, indecent and stupid about it.

"Mary" lacks the bile-curdling creepiness of this eye pecker at R381.

Some third level PR hack is moaning on one of these news channels on and on about Whitney and how God came back for her because he needed her voice in Heaven.

And I screamed at the TV: Bitch, he already CAME for that and snatched it about five years ago!

My first cat was a shelter cat named Whitney Cunt Drops!

[quote] More evidence the closet kills.

As it did Michael.

What is a "churro"? Is that some kind of strange barrio slang term?

Wow, on CNN, Simon Cowell is BARELY containing himself from directly blaming Bobby Brown for this.

Good lord, R398 is one festering oozing heap of bile.

Her isolated vocal track on "How Will I Know".

Probably died of heart failure. Demi is damn lucky she didn't die from it.

You made me cry, r309.

Ain't it the truth, r403? I found Cowell to be very interesting tonight.

[quote]Twitter from Bette Midler:

[quote]Please, please someone tell me it's not true...

From the woman who invented MARY!

I can't believe there are morons on DL who don't know she was a lesbian. It's not like it's only known on here.

Then again, there's this sad idiot: "OMG, I literally died when I found out about this. I can't believe she's dead. I was just listening to her music this morning. So sad. There is a hole in my heart now that will never heal."

So I guess there are quite a few pathetic stupid people on the thread.

I am still crying. I just can't stop. I was going to go out tonight, but everyone is dropping out and are glued to the coverage. She was truly a legend. My thoughts and prayers go out to her daughter and everyone who is trapped in the closet and can't bring themselves to find a way out. I love you. I love you all.

Simon just putting out there what MANY people are thinking.

Pictures from Whitney's last public appearance on Thursday night.

I'm crying as I type this

Crying as I'm listening to "I Have Nothing"...

If you were asked to guess the final survivor of this group 10-15 years ago...

R411 - oh dear!

She'll always have the most memorable quote in Bartlett's...

"First of all, let's get one thing straight: crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack, let's get that straight, okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack."

I could never stand her two-dimensional, tense, yowling vocal style. I found it boring and shallow and unpleasant to listen to I guess it was a reflection of her empty junkie nature.

Is there any truth to the talk that she was found unresponsive in the closet of the hotel room?

I hope Jennifer Hudson isn't the only one they're getting to perform for the tribute tomorrow. They should get Kelly Clarkson to do something. I think she'd kill it.

LOL @ 416

I think a big difference between MJ and Whitney's death is that the media had the freaks from the Jackson family to deal with and they won't in this case.

If she was a lesbian then why was she dating Ray J?

Interesting, r416.

Thx, r418...interesting quote.

419: big time fail!!!

Kim Kardashian@KimKardashian

Just heard the tragic news that Whitney Houston passed away. I pray for her daughter & loved ones. We will always love you Whitney...

from the NYT:

The Rev. Al Sharpton said he would call for a national prayer Sunday morning during a service at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

Salman Rushdie @SalmanRushdie Thank you, Whitney.

Sharon Osbourne@MrsSOsbourne

Clive Davis Grammy party..not going. Mark Burnett party..not going. Can't celebrate tonight when one of the greatest voices ever is dead.

Mariah changed the avatar on her Twitter account to a pic of herself and Whitney.

R362, what the FUCK does Dr. Who have to do w/Whitney? SHUT UP!!!!!

How old is the daughter, Bobbi?

Singing her biggest hit in concert, when she could still sing.

Of course Al Sharpton feels the need to insert himself into the Whitney Houston Grief Circus. What a scumbag.. When he croaks all the disgusting stories about him will surface and he'll forever be branded as the piece of filth he always was.

Melanie Amaro should participate in the Whitney tribute.

[quote] Ain't it the truth, [R403]? I found Cowell to be very interesting tonight.

I think blaming Bobby Brown is too easy -- a typical, knee-jerk response from folks who bought this Pop Princess image that Clive Davis created from the beginning. I agree with Wendy Williams that too many people, including Whitney, kept blaming Bobby for her mistakes when she needed to own up to her drug habit. She never owned up to it.

Blaming Big Bad Black Man Bobby doesn't wash. Cissy Houston said years ago that Whitney was somewhat of a wild child growing up, so maybe she knew about drugs before she got involved with Bobby.

Will anyone else have as much class as Sharon Osbourne and forgo all the partys?

Also, why is Mark Burnett having a party?

This is much bigger than Jackson's death. Even Drudge, who hates everyone, has a lovely picture of her and the heading THE GREATEST VOICE OF ALL.

Janet Jackson's twitter:

Heartbroken and at a loss for words upon learning of Whitney Houston's passing. You will be missed.

My deepest condolences to Whitney's family and loved ones.

Please cherish life and those around you. Tomorrow is never promised.

Good idea, R431. I'm going to change my Twitter and Facebook pic to a photoshopped pic of me and Whitney too.

Just curious... when did we start to hear rumors of a serious drug problem?

Were there rumors in the mid 1990s, around the time of Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife? Or not until later?

Mark Burnett is executive producer of The Voice, R437. And I doubt that the B- and C-listers are going to pass up their twenty seconds on ET by staying home from the parties, especially when they can give memorial shout-outs.

We all knew this was coming.

Janet Jackson's comment was true class

One of Whitney's pubic hairs is already for sale on eBay.

From her website by Brandy...

Brandi202: R.I.P. Princess!!!!!

My world has turned upside down. I never thought in a million yrs my idol would be gone. Also gone before I could meet her and tell her how much she changed my life and made me want to become an actress. My heart pours out to BK and her family. I'm still in a state of shock but I had to come here on her personal site and just say you were simply the best Nippy. The Voice, Icon, Legend, Diva and REAL!!!!! 8/9/63-2/11/12 R.I.P. Sweetheart! I will always love you.

xoxo

Brandi

RIP Whitney. Like a few others on this thread, I've been crying over news of her death. I was never a "major" fan of her music, but I was a fan of her voice. She could sing like no one else's business. Very sad.

Piers needs to start pronouncing her last name as "Hyooston," not "Hooston." Brits are often guilty of this. They need to think of it as Euston with an H in front of it.

Country music legend Dolly Parton, who wrote perhaps the most perfect Whitney Houston song, "I Will Always Love You," has joined the chorus of grieving stars upon hearing the tragic news of the singer's death on Saturday.

"Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston," she says in a statement to Billboard. "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'"

Isn't it interesting how the best Super Bowl performer of all time dies in the same week that produced the worst Super Bowl performer of all time?

Iran announces shutdown of their nuclear program. Ahmadinejad said to be crushed over Whitney Houston's death.

R441, the rumors started in the mid 90s. There was trouble on the set of The Preacher's Wife, with Whitney being late or not showing up at all some days.

In October of 1997, she didn't show up for an appearance to promote Cinderella (Disney live-action version with Brandy) on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Rosie was super-pissed, and remarked on it for days afterward on her show. By this point, Whitney was well known for regularly being a no-show at planned appearances. As well, post-Cinderella, her voice was starting to sound quite rough and people were talking.

So, goodbye.

Please don't cry.

She really did have an amazing voice and seemed to just light up the stage when she sang.

Poor thing - such a shame.

[quote]Probably died of heart failure. Demi is damn lucky she didn't die from it.

Demi is damn lucky she didn't die from it YET.

R439 here. I apologize. Someone RT'd one of "Janet Jackson"'s twitter comments. I went to the page, copied all of the comments, and pasted them here. Upon further inspection, I noticed it's the "Official FAKE Janet Jackson Twitter."

So to sum things up, Janet hasn't tweeted anything about this yet and I'm a moron. Thank you.

Whitney will probably recieve the biggest round of applause during the Oscar memoriam segment.

Madonna Nation@MadonnaNation

R.I.P. Whitney Houston. We will always love you and never forget your voice. May the angels protect you and sadness forget you.

When is The Grammy's?

[quote]I had to come here on her personal site and just say you were simply the best Nippy.

No matter how you read this sentence of Brandy's, I find it incredibly disturbing.

^ oops sorry, not the official madonna twitter

[quote]Whitney will probably recieve the biggest round of applause during the Oscar memoriam segment. by: Sorry Liz

Oh you poor deluded queen.

East Coast, please keep us posted on any Whitney-related stuff on SNL.

"So Emotional" isolated vocal track:

Thank God her #1 fan Osama isn't here to see this! It would break his heart!

R464 --WOW!

The Billie Holiday of her generation -- in more ways than one.

USA Today reporter is at the Clive Davis party right now:

[quote]A noisy, lively crowd gathered at Davis' party, but people are expressing shock at the news of Houston's death and feel there's a certain surreal atmosphere to be celebrating in light of the fact that Houston's body is still in the building. Seen in attendance thus far: Tom and Rita Hanks, Jon Voight, Britney Spears, David Foster, Dianne Warren, Penny Marshall, Neil and Pegi Young and Skrillex.

I believe Mary Kate had lunch with her today, around two.

A lot of Whitney memorabilia sold on Ebay right after her death was announced.

It is one thing to tweet something along the lines of "Shocked to hear about Whitney Houston. Rest in peace", but this nonsense of "I can't breathe" or "May you be wrapped in the wings of angels and sing a song" is so overwraught and dramatic. It's as if people compete to see who has the most heartfelt tweet.

So far, no mention of it, R463. I'd imagine that if they don't say anything during the news, they won't say anything at all.

Tragic. Whitney really did 'almost have it all' and somehow it still wasn't enough. I'm sure family and friends tried to intervene so many times over the years, but still she wasn't able to fully ever get it together again. She really was talented and success hit her very early, so that might have been a big reason for some of her troubles (saying nothing about whether the early rumors about Whitney and her 'friend' Robin ... if all of that were also true, living a lie and denial must've also contributed).

I liked her music and even laughed at some of her later diva-ish ways, but her downfall and tragic end really, really makes me so sad.

Sorry for her mother, daughter and the rest of her family.

I'm sure Bobby Brown is about to be totally vilified.

Cool. I am one step closer to wining the 2012 deal pool!

I just tried explaining to a friend that Whitney started using drugs once she started bearding. This led to the usual: "Whitney wasn't gay! She was with Bobby for so long!" and then "Is there any proof of this or was it just tabloid rumors?" Eh, whatever.

Looks like the wrong Whitney got cancelled.

From the LA Times...

{quote]The Hilton is the scene for Davis’ annual gala. On Thursday, Houston dropped by the rehearsals to offer vocal tips for Brandy and Monica, who were slated to be one of the evening’s headliners.

Press, including The Times, were in attendance for a junket with the reunited R&B divas and Davis. Though Houston greeted people her with a warm smile, she appeared disheveled in mismatched clothes and hair that was dripping wet with either sweat or water.

The visibly bloated singer displayed erratic behavior throughout the afternoon -- flailing her hands frenetically as she spoke to Brandy and Monica, skipping around the ballroom in a child-like fashion and wandering aimlessly about the lobby. It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool.

After leaving rehearsals, Houston returned to the ballroom -- with her teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina in tow -- as camera crews set up for interviews. The singer smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. A Grammy staffer said that during the interviews with Brandy, Monica and Clive, Houston was dancing just off camera to make the singers and Davis laugh. Grammy personnel expressed concern that she'd be caught on camera, and that reporters would write about her behavior.

Finally her daughter pulled Houston out of the room, and the singer skipped off. In our post of the event, we called Houston's behavior "loose and lively."

Addiction isn't a consequence of sexuality, R475.

I'm sorry to Hear Bobbi Christina was there to see her mother in her last sad hours.

That poor girl has had a shitty life thanks to her awful parents.

George Michael better clean up his act or he will be joining her in a year or so. (cant remember what their duet is called).

Has Dionne or Aretha commented yet ?

I could admire her talent but she was never one of my particular favourites - I liked the video for "Its not right but its ok" where she seemed to be having fun in that leather Dolce & Gabbana dress.

[quote]Is Madonna going to pretend she was friends with Whitney like she did with Michael?

Too late. Mariah seems to have already cornered that market all on her own.

Of course not, r478. That isn't what I meant was suggesting. But having to beard and deny your real self is toxic and can lead to destructive behavior.

Ironic that just like Michael Jackson, who was near broke, Whitney Houston, in the same situation, will now have all her money problems solved, as her sales will go through the roof. Her daughter will most likely live off her mothers tragic legacy, and like MJ , the 2 people responseable for creating the sales, haven't lived to reap the rewards.

R480, CNN read a comment from Aretha, basically just saying she was in shock and couldn't talk about it.

TMZ says, "Dionne Warwick, Whitney's cousin, called as well [as Cissy]... several hours before Whitney died ... to make sure they were sitting at the same table at Clive's party. And again ... there were no signs of trouble.

The people in touch with Dionne say she is inconsolable adding, "She is an absolute mess.""

Did she act like she was friends with Amy Winehouse.

Ray J gave us the Kardashians and now he fucking killed Whitney. VILLAIN.

I liked her circa that "I'm Every Woman" video but really I preferred Janet Jackson, in that late 80s/90s period.

[quote]Whitney, everyone is mostly keeping it classy saying RIP, what a talent, so sad, etc.

Except here, of course, where everyone is blaming "the closet" for her death, since God knows that makes her more of a dramatic martyr for gays than just dying from an overdose. I say that btw as a gay man whose first live concert in my teens was Whitney's, and am very sad that she passed; I just find it uncouth for armchair psychologists to have any fucking idea what's been driving her drug/alcohol use and mania for so many years now.

[quote]Did she act like she was friends with Amy Winehouse.

No: that was me.

[quote]I just find it uncouth

Mary!

Don Lemon and Piers Morgan are the same age. Huh.

Deadline just reported that Jennifer Hudson will perform the Whitney tribute at tomorrow night's Oscars.

Take your meds, R432.

I was just pointing out that Whitney was born in a significant year.

The bitches on THE VIEW will be inconsolable on Monday, especially that moron Sherri.

lol r494I thought the same thing

IMDB has now filled in her death date:

Prepare for Dr. Drew to whore himself out even more so he can trot out his addiction specialty and talk about Whitney as if he had ever met her or treated her. The talking heads will look somber and nod in agreement with everything he says, as will the fraus in the audience.

Don't be surprised if Kim K uses this to get back in the press. She'll sell stories to tabloids about how she and Ray J are reconnecting, etc, etc.

Dr. Drew already got himself onto CNN earlier tonight to talk about this.

[quote]As someone who worked for the both of them, let me say that is not true. Bobby, for all of his faults, was trying to be positive influence in her life. Unfortunately, it was more like the blind leading the blind. But he was NOT the cancer. Her addiction was. At least now she is finally free of it. God bless her soul.

This will be as big as Amy Winehouse's death here in England, once the morning news gets going, wonder if the papers got it in time ?

R488, you're an idiot, and you (if you're really gay) ought to get the logic of what people are saying about the closet fueling existing addiction problems.

I thought only moronic straight women wrote shit like yours, or stupidly came to a sarcasm-replete site for comfort and "classy" responses to celebrity overdoses, then lectured people because the comments weren't what they wanted to read.

You sound like a flyover housewife.

Why that little fat fuck...

Kelly Osbourne tweeted:

"not going to any pre grammy parties as i dont feel it is appropriate! see you all on #eredcarpet tomorrow!"

Not appropriate to attend a party but okay to use her death to promote your shit show???

Found dead in the bathtub, TMZ now reporting.

R500, what time do the morning papers there normally go to press? The news broke about 4 or 5 hours ago.

If only she had had taste, intelligence, a decent intelligent family to support her, education, and a grounding in priorities so that she could have done something with that wonderful instrument instead of turning out crap until she ruined herself.

Not one song that wasn't schlock. Not one performance that wasn't just sadly dumb. And so it was all a waste.

It may take a village to raise a child right, but what kind of a village is it that keeps ruining these talented young people and driving them to an early grave? Other great talents aren't bright but still persevere to do great things. All Miss Houston did was caterwaul in a derivative way, flash her gorgeous voice for nothing, and then pour gasoline down her throat, with people egging her on.

Well, Dionne was already "an absoute mess".

Of course he did, r498. I have a hard time watching him, especially when a lot of what he says is derivative pop psychology like "Cocaine is a very addictive drug" or "the addictive personality doesn't think about consequences", etc.

Is it true that authority can't remove the body because the people at the party downstair are refusing to wrap it up?

r502, not trying to defend Kelly, but she does have to show up for her job.

Jane Valez-Mitchell's hair looks normal for once. She looks a lot more attractive than usual.

Has Blue Ivy Carter issued a statement?

In the bathtub - that's a horrible tease, TMZ.

SNL just posted a still with Whitney next to Molly Shannon in a Catholic school girl outfit from a show from years past.

[quote]Will anyone else have as much class as Sharon Osbourne

Now you don't read *that* every day.

[quote]and forgo all the partys?

Or, luckily, that.

It was kind of a shitty comment from Kelly Osbourne, though -- basically saying that it was inappropriate for anyone to attend the event. Maybe some people want to get together with other people who worked with her and knew her. There's nothing wrong with that.

Fine if Kelly doesn't want to go, but she should keep her yap shut about making comments on others who do want to attend.

I can't decide which of these groups of comments I am seeing on Facebook and Twitter bother me more:

1) The "I am literally shaking right now" hysterics.

2) The "Just so you all know, some of our brave troops abroad also died today" quips

3) The people already making jokes

4) The moralistic "What can you expect? She was a drug addict! She brought this on herself" crap

[quote]SNL just posted a still with Whitney next to Molly Shannon in a Catholic school girl outfit from a show from years past.

I know I'll get some "Mary!" comments but I can't believe she's really dead. I mean I was just laughing at those pictures of her this morning of her all fucked up the other night, but I really did think she'd pull herself together one day. She was my favorite when I was a little kid. I couldn't have cared less about Michael Jackson but now I understand what his fans were feeling like.

wasn't Dionne into the psychic network? did she know this was coming?

Reaches over with a tissue for R518.

Sorry for your loss.

r518, yep, that's me too. I didn't get all the Michael Jackson fuss, but this one has hit me hard.

r464.. unbelievable

All I can hope is that her daughter, who has already been photographed doing drugs, can turn her life around and not fall into the traps her mother and father have set for her.

Love this Whitney grammy performance.

It took me a long time to recover from Rue McClanahan's death.

tmz down again. wtf

How many fucking times is CNN going to try to bring a guest on via the phone only for it not to work Are they not 0 for 4 at this point?? Jesus, your a news station. Get it together. WTF?

I think I finally understand how Patsy Ramsey must have felt.

Someone needs to chase down Whitney's "friend" Robin for her comments. Fast, before Whitney's 'estate' gets to her with a big, fat check. In this day and age, Robin should be able to talk about her true feelings and I hope she does, rather than go for a big payoff.

"Tony Bennett came on stage and said, "First, Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse and now Whitney Houston. I'd like to have every gentleman and lady in this room to get the government to legalize drugs.""

WTF? I don't follow his logic.

Tony Mottola - opinions from a mentally abusive cunt crumb. No one really cares what you have to say.

R530, he means the tighter the regulation of drugs, the easier it is to control them. making them all outright illegal makes them harder to confine and control.

Don Lemon seems the most upset.

Tommy.... Not Tony.

Personally, I dread hearing Jennifer Hudson caterwaul her way through a Whitney Houston song.

VH1 --- showing all Whitneys videos.

R530, there are people who believe legalization would allow for more control over drugs on the part of doctors and other health care professionals. They think it will create a situation where everything is above board rather than being hidden. I don't agree that would be the outcome, but they make some interesting arguments for their position.

For those who are discussing whether her sexuality had any effect on her drug usage, I once heard a group of anthropologists discuss the much higher incidence of alcoholism and drug abuse in repressed societies. I've wondered if repression has that kind of effect on entire countries and cultures, why would that not apply to individuals?

[quote]More evidence the closet kills.

I have the feeling if Ms. Houston had been gored by a bull, or lost in a volcano eruption, the Datalounge assessment would still be "More evidence the closet kills"!!

r532, I still don't get the connection he's drawing here. He's saying that if crack were legal, Whitney would have used it in a controlled way, and only sparingly, instead of becoming addicted to it and using it so copiously that it destroyed her body?

I don't see how Whitney being able to buy crack at the corner store would have caused her to use it LESS.

To die the night before the Grammys and in the middle of Black History Month, now that's showmanship!

you're not very smart, I suppose.

And with a movie and soundtrack yet to be released, r540! A diva to the end!

She's dropping a movie, a soundtrack, and a bloated corpse!

Mary, I know, but I just watched her "How Will I Know" video, and I can't stop crying. How sad that she's gone, and so is the time that I'm reminded of.

I'm still crying and just can't stop. Poor Whitney.

...for when this thread soon is filled ...

Belinda Carlisle: "So sad about Whitney Houston. Love and light, you will be missed."

What makes this most tragic is that, with all the money she earned over the years, Whitney could've probably lived full time for years at a rehab facility and gotten a great deal of support from a staff of professionals. And continued to get support afterwards. I know she didn't write the songs she sang (writing is apparently where a lot of the best money is made), but nonetheless, she earned a great deal and could've helped herself more had she been able to. A waste.

Best wishes to every one who has managed to overcome the horrors of whatever addictions they've faced. I hope each one remains sucessful in keeping those demons at bay.

Kristin Chenoweth @KChenoweth RIP WHITNEY HOUSTON.

Bette Midler @BetteMidler Little by little these deaths kill the best part of each of us, the awe and joy we feel when we hear a gift that can only come from God.

Dolly

[quote]Mary, I know, but I just watched her "How Will I Know" video, and I can't stop crying.

*snort*

Kim Jong Un: "I will always love her."

It's not right, but it's ok

Did Saddam have a major hardon for her too?

For the last couple of years, she's had the bloated abdomen of someone with advanced liver disease, possibly Hep C, given her recrational preferences. Liver disease could have played a role in her death.

Or the combination of chronic illness and the loss of her voice drove her to recklessness, or suicide.

this is what died, the talented beauty died years ago

All The Man That I Need

Damn, Whitney was senasational. What a voice! We miss you already.

@BarbraStreisand:

She had everything, beauty, a magnificent voice. How sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us

Kind of a bitch slap no?

No.

It was a heartfelt message from the greatest of them all.

Oh look, it's the 'derivative troll" back at R505 and R507.

Looking back, it's hard to believe how quickly and completely she slid off the shelf of cultural relevance. For someone who was so huge in the 90s, she surely did sink like a stone in the new century. I wonder if most people under 25 even knew who she was.

So whatever happened to Robyn Crawford? She merited mention in Whitney's Wiki entry , but it seems like she's dropped off the face of the earth.

[quote]When Houston was a teenager, she attended a Catholic girls high school, Mount Saint Dominic Academy, where she met her best friend Robyn Crawford, whom she describes as the "sister she never had."[16]

Where is the sister she never had?

My mother was in AA, and it's true -- there were scads of gay people in there who started using in part because of self-loathing/disgust issues.

Sexuality doesn't preclude addiction -- but consistently trying to suppress it creates a spectrum of maladaptive problems, addiction being a common one.

Every trending topic on Twitter in the UK right now is about Whitney.

R562. Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knew Whitney Houston. Simon Cowell has even been quoted as saying that the songs most being sung at American Idol auditions were those of Whitney Houston. And all those people are under 25.

She didn't love Jesus enough. Sorry, cute don't cut it

Meanwhile...

Mary J. Blige [bold]still[/bold] looking at the bright side of Oscar snub

TMZ: First picture of the body being removed.

The C.I.A. killed her.

It's not right and it's NOT okay.

[quote]Not one song that wasn't schlock. Not one performance that wasn't just sadly dumb. And so it was all a waste. All Miss Houston did was caterwaul in a derivative way, flash her gorgeous voice for nothing, and then pour gasoline down her throat, with people egging her on.

You're going to die alone with your "good taste".

Not much of a Whitney fan anymore but this performance (from some Desert Storm cable special I think) is tops. Really amazing.

Cigarettes probably ruined her voice more than drugs. Also I read she had polyps that she never got treated.

[quote]Dolly

And that, I believe, is one of the reasons why Dolly is one of the few celebs that we seem to love without reservation.

In a slightly more cynical question, did she give the AMPAS enough time to include her in the Oscar In Memoriam reel?

I know someone was knocking her for singing pop songs like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" instead of the big, powerful ballads, but as a pre-gay, that was one of my favorite songs. Watching the video, even before she died, made me sad, because you see her there as a smiling, happy girl with a great big voice, and then the drugs happened.

I'm not sitting here weeping, and I'm not surprised, but I am actually sad about this. She deserved better.

During rehearsal for a pre-Grammy event Thursday, Houston appeared disheveled, sweated profusely and her breath smelled of liquor and cigarettes, said a source who was present but not authorized to speak publicly.

VOTN, I think that the various criticisms Whitney got was just as destructive as Bobby Brown and drugs. There is nothing wrong with being pop star. The music as many has written bring joy to people.If music can move some one to experience an emotion, any emotion then it served it's purpose.

Not a bitch slap, R559. I don't know if she wrote it herself or a PR person wrote it for her, but it was a lovely, surprisingly thoughtful statement.

This is my favourite line from that LA Times blog:

[quote]It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool.

Go big or go home! Girl did both it seems.

And to keep this real, Whitney was kind of a bitch to Dolly- I am sure you can google this- so Dolly's statement was pure class. BUT, Dolly said very pointedly "MY SONG".. which I loved.

Essentially she chose the wrong drugs. It's possible to be an alcoholic or even a heroin addict and keep your career together, even to live a more or less normal lifespan. But it's pretty rare. You have to have a lot of drive and discipline and some sort of internal self-regulating mechanism that allows you to pull back and change course when you get too close to destroying yourself.

If you're a functional addict, show business can be very forgiving because you can get in and make a lot of money, then crash and recover and get in again and make more. And nobody really cares as long as you can deliver the goods. I've been surprised to find out how many people I have a pretty high opinion of managed to have very successful careers despite being flat-out junkies or alkies. Of course there's also the fact that the sort of erratic, egocentric behavior that drives people up the wall about addicts is also characteristic of stars in general, so it's not that out of line.

Oh, and I should have added there's no such thing as a functional crack addict, just as there's no such thing as a functional meth addict. Once you start down that road, you are fucked.

r436, Agreed.

What I should have made clear in my post is that it is true that Cowell is blaming Brown, but doesn't say so.

R505, I knew you'd catch a bit of a flaming because of your post. Still, I agree with it 100%. With the exception of "I'm Saving All My Love For You", the rest was schlock.

Although, I far prefer over Houston the more subtle phrasing of say, Marilyn McCoo, nevertheless, the first time (early 80s) I laid ears on "Saving All My Love For You" I was stunned; enthralled.

I'll always give Houston her due and be grateful to her for the pure pleasure of listening to her debut hit single.

lol, r540.

And I agree, for Parton to include "my song" is telling.

[quote]Is it true that authority can't remove the body because the people at the party downstair are refusing to wrap it up?

The party or the body?

Well, it is probably true that most of what she recorded was pretty disposable. You can hear that today in the UK in that a lot of radio stations are reporting the news but you're not hearing much music, unlike Winehouse and Etta James where there were a lot of cherished tracks.

Most stations are marking the occasion with silence because nobody really wants to play I Will Always Love You.

I always like Whitney's dance tracks better than her power ballads.

I'm Your Baby Tonight

So Emotional

Could I Have This Kiss Forever

It's Not Right But It's OK (Thunderpuss)

Queen Of The Night

My Name Is Not Susan

Nothin' But Love

For The Lovers

Most of her ballads were lame, but I did enjoy Miracle, All The Man That I Need and Exhale (Shoop Shoop).

My favorite song is "I Have Nothing"

I'm on this! Don't miss my CNN special Dr. Snjay Gupta - Whitney: Death of a SUPERSTAR! Tuesday night on CNN. 8PM cst

R588, have you seen this clip? A gold-costumed Whitney goes Full Diva with "I Have Nothing", live in South Africa.

lizaminnelli@liza!

shhhee was a pop princhesssh. shhhee will be misshed. Mama would have adored her!

Best I have nothing performance. Live in South Africa 1994

TMZ is reporting that her death is being investigated as a possible drowning, which means they found her in the bathtub where she either passed out, had a heart attack or OD-ed.

So when they saw her in the tub do you think her bodyguard said "Houston, we have a problem"?

crack and meth wouldn't exist without "the war on drugs." In the 30s bootleggers rarely smuggled beer, they brought in a shitload of whiskey tho. The money is in the strongest drug in the smallest quantity. Legalize drugs and nobody would want the hard stuff. They could just buy softer versions of it.

Dolly has always mentioned that "I Will Always Love You" is her song, and has always expressed a great deal of thanks to Whitney for making it a hit. Over the years, I've seen the question brought up in interviews about whether Dolly felt any kind of competition with Whitney, and Dolly's always handled it beautifully, even joked that Whitney made her a millionaire (again).

Dolly has also been long-rumored to be someone who has a girlfriend, but she's managed to make it gracefully through her career, bless her. Though the excessive amount of plastic surgery might be her way of trying to control who she is and how she feels.

I'm still crying. A celebrity's death has never hit me this hard.

[quote]A celebrity's death has never hit me this hard.

She didn't fall on top of you as she died, did she?

600 replies in a little more than 12 hours?

MARY!

or should I say

WHITNEY!

I've been crying watching these Whitney tributes on TV. I've never cried like this in so long.

I look to you….

Not going to work tomorrow, just too upset right now.

[quote]In a slightly more cynical question, did she give the AMPAS enough time to include her in the Oscar In Memoriam reel?

My understanding is that the In Memoriam death montage includes people who died the previous calendar year. This year it will be notable deaths from 2011. Who knows, maybe Whitney is such a biggee they'll find a way to make an exception.