Whitney Houston The Dark Side of Fame

SOURCE: Wikipedia Houston performing at Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston in 1991.
Born	Whitney Elizabeth Houston August 9, 1963 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	February 11, 2012 (aged 48) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Drowning

April 14th, 2012 – (CNN) — The police investigation of Whitney Houston’s death is “officially closed” with the conclusion that her death was an accidental drowning, the Beverly Hills Police Department said Wednesday.  I mentioned I would follow up on my post (below) and so I am.

It is all just so sad isn’t it?  The report from CNN includes this:  Detectives found a “plethora of medications bottles” in the hotel room, although the coroner concluded the prescription drugs “did not contribute to the death.”  Along with cocaine and Xanax, the toxicology tests found other drugs in her body, including marijuana, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the allergy medicine Benadryl, the report said.  Houston won six Grammys and sold 170 million albums, singles and videos over her career.  In recent years, the singer’s accomplishments were overtaken by her struggles with drug addiction.

Who, but Whitney and ultimately God, can say what she was truly dealing with.  This post is not about that.  For these last few years, ever since I learned of Whitney’s battle with drugs, alcohol and “life” in general, I, like many,  suspected that she had not defeated her demons.  Who among us can say we’ve successfully maneuvered every area of our own lives?

I simply want to close out this post series with the comment that according to her own “profession of faith” … Whitney was a child of the living God, a follower of Jesus Christ (albeit flawed, like all of us) and it seems to me that, although this life was not “Heaven on earth” for her, she could be as sure of Heaven as if she was already there (John 5:24).   And here’s why:    The Holy Bible reads:   That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Emphasis mine)   Romans 10:9.  God didn’t say that if you live life perfectly and do everything well “you will be saved”.  He made the conditions for salvation very simple.  So simple even a child could be sure of heaven.  Some of us “live that Christian life” better than others and perhaps with more “outward fruit” than others.  But that doesn’t mean there is no fruit.  God alone will judge Whitney’s life, and mine.

It is my hope and prayer that all of us, especially the young ones following us, will look at Whitney’s life as a sort of cautionary tale.  That we will understand the lure of wealth, the dark side of fame and consider whether Solomon’s words ring true, and then act accordingly.

Therefore, I believe the official cause of death was this:  God simply “called her home”.  He rescued her.  She had had enough.  Life/Fame and all of it was just too much for her.

Good-bye Whitney … we’ll see you on the other side.

What really happened at Calvary

February 18th, 2012~ Guard your heart for therein is the wellspring of life.  Unfortunately for many people, the lure of riches and fame is a trap that few recognize until their hearts and lives have been held captive by it.

I LOVE the graphic you see below.  I have spent not a few hours studying the life of Whitney Houston.  What we really know about her, of course won’t be fully known until weeks, months, maybe years from now, but it seems clear to me that Whitney’s heart was caged.  I believe she showed by her actions that the deep LOVE of her heart was not singing the world’s music.  Rather it was singing to please the Lord who gave her an incredible gift.  What began in Whitney’s young life as a seemingly wonderful place to invest her time and energies, ended up in the end, caging her heart, and her spirit and the only time she felt free was when she could run away.  Running away took various forms and we all could see what forms her escapes embodied.

Scripture says that a if we pursue fantasies we lack wisdom.  Was Whitney’s entire career one of “chasing foolish things” ?  One could make the argument that the incredible income she earned helped many less fortunate people, even providing jobs where there were none.  But … a  person can not serve two masters.  That they will love one but hate the other.  And so, in the end, I think it was Whitney’s desire to uncage her heart, to set it free and she risked it all to accomplish that.  There is so much more I could and want to say about Whitney’s life.  How it could be used as a manual of what to do and what not to do … but for now I’ll share these thoughts from Kevin Costner and others at her funeral service.

Kevin Costner’s words at Whitney’s Home going, in my opinion touch on some of Whitney’s struggles, but it is her Heavenly Father (and perhaps some very very close to her) who fully knew the truth.  The truth I believe, is that God simply called her home.  I believe God said, daughter, “it’s enough … I’ve got you”.

Costner excerpts:
It’s a tree we can all hang from, the unexplainable burden that comes with fame … The Whitney I knew still wondered am I good enough, am I pretty enough, will they like me, it was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end.   Whitney if you could hear me now I would tell you … You weren’t just good enough you were great … people didn’t just like you Whitney, they loved you. What you did is the rarest of achievements.  So to all those young girls dreaming that dream but thinking they aren’t not good enough, I think Whitney would say to them:  Guard your bodies and guard the precious miracle of your own life and then sing your hearts out knowing that there’s a lady in heaven making God himself wonder how he created someone so perfect.  So off you go Whitney, off you go … escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father and when you sing before him don’t you worry, you’ll be good enough …

CLIVE: yes she confessed to Oprah about her searing battles, but when I needed her she was there…

Her bodyguard … she had to have that bible everywhere she went.  She was a wonderful, beautiful caring lady.  God gave us an angel.

The following is an excerpt from Nation Multimedia.  Whitney: “I would close my eyes … and I’d sing. I was so afraid when I’d sing. Then when I would open my eyes, the people would be what we call Holy Ghost fired out. They would be in such a spirit of praise. I think I knew then that it was an infectious thing that God had given me.  I’ve been through a world, a lifetime of stuff. I love to sing, but it’s just not fun anymore,” she said. “It was not about music anymore, it was all about money.”

Maybe that is the reason many talented artists such as Tracy Chapman chose to stay away from the mainstream commercial music industry after having gotten a taste of it. Maybe that is the reason Cesaria Evora of Cape Verde chose to sing without shoes throughout her life, so she would not lose her sense of reality..

FOR THE RECORD:  Whitney’s worst voice surpassed most other’s best.  As someone once wisely said:  Her voice is “A Stradivarius among ordinary violins”.

I have written more about Whitney .. you can read the entire thread by clicking here.

---

Sunday 2.12.12 ~ Whitney Dead at 48 –  Today we learned that Whitney Houston suddenly died and I immediately thought of a post I wrote almost two years ago.   I thought then and I still feel today that the life that Whitney found herself living post fame was just too much for her.

I doubt Whitney would have ever thought that she would live her last days on the darker side of fame.  But that is exactly what the light of day is showing as the sad state of affairs.  A life so full of promise, so full of light during her tender years, snuffed out early.  What took her from us.  We’ll know soon enough.

Law enforcement sources told CBS News that while there were no illegal substances found in Houston’s hotel room, there were prescription drugs. Authorities said the most likely theories for Houston’s death are that she died of a heart attack or a prescription drug overdose.  Media sources report that Whitney’s demise followed a week of erratic behavior.

Perhaps it was just Whitney’s “appointed time” to die or perhaps there were drugs involved.  We won’t know for some time.  The purpose of these posts are not to make up stories or tell half-truths about another’s life.  These postings about Whitney serve only to remind us that life is fragile and to pay attention to warning signs in the lives of others (or perhaps even ourselves) before it is too late.

I’ll update this post again post toxicology reports.

Whitney Houston Remembering her great gift.

At this writing, 11:00 p.m. EST the world does not yet know how Whitney died, but we will know soon. For my part, I feel very sad this night that someone so gifted, and so blessed was taken from us so young. I’ll be writing more after we know the cause of Whitney’s death. I’m sure many will have much to say. For now though I pray God will comfort the heart of all those who knew and loved her. Her struggle is now over and perhaps she is standing right now in the presence of The Lord of all creation and praising Him with that amazing voice he gave her.

Read a portion of the conversation in September of 2009 between Oprah and Whitney.  You can hear it beginning at the 9:22 spot in the video below of Oprah’s Interview Part I of 10 in September 2009.  I remember thinking that even during that interview Whitney seemed to be under the influence of something.  Her speech patterns, mannerisms, it just seemed something was terribly wrong.

_________________________________________
BELOW IS MY ORIGINAL POST FROM APRIL OF 2010

A few days ago, a friend brought Whitney’s song I Love You Lord to my attention.I gave it a listen and that led me to begin thinking a little more about Whitney.  I remembered seeing her a while back on the Oprah Show.  Whitney was telling Oprah and the world about the last decade of her life and her sad relationship with Bobby Brown.

After listening to I love the Lord, (from the 1996 Movie Preacher’s wife) I listened to a more recent clip from her current Australian Tour.  I was reminded of the incredible talent and vocal ability Whitney used to have.  Yes I said “used to have”.  After listening to the recording done more than 10 years ago it is readily apparent that Whitney’s journey through time with Bobby Brown has not enhanced her life. Indeed it has hurt her tremendously.  Give a listen to the two recordings of I love you Lord (in this post) to hear what I mean.  The later version is sung in a noticeably lower key.  It almost sounds Alto.   At her best in years past,  Houston was a high Soprano.  Who would have ever thought a decade ago that anyone would walk out on a Whitney Houston concert, but that is exactly what happened in February in Australia.

Now please don’t think I’m picking on Whitney, in fact I feel troubled about the whole issue and it’s been on my mind the last couple of days.   I love to sing.  God of course did not give me a voice like Whitneys, but I know the thrill of feeling like your are fulfilling something especially placed in you by God.  When I read the account of Whitney’s crowd angering concert in Australia I thought how cruel the world can be.  As long as you’re hitting the high notes and “thrilling them” they love you.  Audience’s can be merciless, and this audience is proof positive of that.

I was telling my husband recently that I wonder from time to time, if circumstances were different, if I had had the breaks, the confidence and the tenacity it takes to “make it” in showbiz, would I have been happy.  Today I can say that I don’t think I would have been.  In fact I’m thankful that God did not allow me to go down that road.  With rare exceptions (American Idol winners perhaps) it is a long hard road to make it to the top of the show biz industry.  What looks like such a wonderful and glamorous life is in reality what Solomon called a “chasing after the wind”.  Vanity Vanity all is vanity Solomon declares.  I think young performers should study the life of Whitney so that they can learn what NOT to do.  A full time professional singer, especially a woman, has a couple of decades (maybe three) to be on her game.  Some female vocalists can stretch it out longer than that, but time will eventually take its toll on their range, their stamina and their looks.  Let’s face it, most people don’t want to look at an old neck.  Men can get away with it, but not women (i.e. the Frank Sinatras of the world, etc.)

…and so…Whitney threw away a decade of her life with Bobbie Brown and by her own admission sank into the life of alcohol and drugs.   I guess she lived that life as long as she could and then one day woke up to the sad reality that she had spiralled down into a very dark place that God never intended her to be.  So I began to wonder what will happen to Whitney now?  Her tour is a mess, and in fact they are calling it a hot mess.  She is 46, heavy, she’s lost that fantastic ability to hit those incredible high notes that made her famous and she has a long road back.  Can she even come back at this age?  I suppose  only a very experienced vocal coach would have to answer that.

But one thing I do know for certain.  Solomon was right.  All is vanity.    According to the Biography section (Wikipedia) on the article about Whitney, she started her singing (like many) in church.  But, the world promised her (and delivered) fame, fortune, adoration.  Certainly not everyone who reaches the pinnacle of stardom ends up this way, but I’d venture a guess that many many do.  I wish somone would warn young, gifted and beautiful young girls about the trap set by the evil one to take our eyes off God and put them on self and things.  But it seems these roads have to be walked by each one of us individually and we all must make our own mistakes and learn our own lessons.  Rare is the young one who is given the gift of wisdom to discern the lies Satan tries to disguise as truth.

God promises peace, purpose and has a wonderful plan for each of our lives.  Another thing I know for certain is that God will always love Whitney, no matter how well or how poorly she sings.  How ironic that two of her monster hits are I love the Lord and Run to You.

I wish I could tell Whitney that God will always be sitting in that front row center seat waiting for his daughter to sing I love you Lord to Him.  And so Whitney … my prayer tonight is that you will (as your song says) run to him (from the song I wanna run to you) … run to God your heavenly Father …. sing to and for him . . . take what you’ve learned and give the Lord the tattered ruins of your life so that he can weave them into a special garment of praise for Him.

Run to Him Whitney . . . run . . .

Whitney At her peak!

September 2, 2009 – Good Morning America

2010 Australian Tour

1991 Whitney Sings The National Anthem

Oprah’s Interview in September 2009
Part 1 of 10 – I wanted out
Part 2 of 10 – I think somewhere inside something happens to a man when a woman has that control
Part 3 of 10 – Whitney shares when the drug usage started & her marriage to Brown
Part 4 of 10 – Whitney shares more about the abuse
Part 5 of 10 – My Time in Rehab
Part 6 of 10 – DAY 2 of Oprah’s interview – Are you drug free? Leaving Bobbie Brown
Part 7 of 10 – My spirit wouldn’t let me – God doesn’t give you gifts like that and “it’s over”.
Part 8 of 10 – I stayed in my P.J.’s for 7 months
Part 9 of 10 – Whitney’s Song – I didn’t know my own strength (A Church Service on Oprah)
Part 10 of 10 – Whitney Shows off her 16 year old daughter Bobbie Christina

Video 7 was especially poignant as Whitney shares the answer to Whitney’s question “Who do you love”.  Whitney answers … “I LOVE THE LORD, my mother, my daughter, my relative, my sisters, my brothers, I love you.”.

DIANE SAWYER’S INTERVIEW in 2002  – Diane asked Whitney in Part 5 of 5 what Whitney would like for her life 10 years from 2002 .. Whiteys answer “retired, watching my daughter grow up” … how sad, how very sad that Whitney is gone from this life so early.

P.S. An excerpt from Wikipedia:  She then met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992.  On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, her only child, and his fourth. Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law, including some jail time.

Related Links:
Aretha Franklin
Talent Development
Rebecca Black