Whitney Houston R.I.P.

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."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/02/whitney-houston-dead-erratic-behavior.html

The big four of 80s pop were MJ, Whitney, Madonna and Prince. We're down to half of them now. (George Michael would arguably be the fifth, and we almost lost him last year.)

Also respect to My Name Is Not Susan

i wasn't sure whether i liked that song or just salt 'n pepa's reference of it on "whatta man," but it turns out i do, in fact, like it.

Wow that story gave me huge "Where are the RECEIPTS?" vibes

that Diane Sawyer interview is one of my favorite things ever. So many quotables.

6 studio albums. and the soundtracks. a holiday album. and one of the biggest selling artists ever. she didn't exactly crank stuff out, but it didn't matter. she was just massive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston_chart_records_and_achievements

like massively massive.

200 million records or something like that.

i know everyone knows that, but just in case someone forgot for a minute...

it is weird how i kind of forgot how massive the soundtrack to Waiting to Exhale was. that weirdo "shoop" song where almost nothing happened.

The big four of 80s pop were MJ, Whitney, Madonna and Prince. We're down to half of them now. (George Michael would arguably be the fifth, and we almost lost him last year.)

The weird consolation I guess is that no one will sell like they did ever again

no big 4 would be complete without mariah, and i just can't imagine how i would feel in this situation. my heart goes out to all the whitney fans who's lives were changed by her music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxIN79n4jVo

filmed where i work!!!!

how i will remember her: summer of 1985, after her first album, opening for jeffrey osborne on the pier in nyc. she came out in a floral print dress, very unassmuing, no superstar trappings yet, opened her mouth and SANG.

everybody was blown away. RIP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjBf3RnZ-EQ

And we have Grammy tribute:

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/66502545.html

The big four of 80s pop were MJ, Whitney, Madonna and Prince. We're down to half of them now. (George Michael would arguably be the fifth, and we almost lost him last year.)

for whatever reason, wanna add brooce to this roster. figure he's in for the long haul.

Clive's party is still happening!

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2012/02/live-clive-davis-pre-grammy-party-continues-as-planned/1

An emotion Clive Davis came onstage at 9:38 p.m. PT.

"I don't have to mask my emotions. I do have a very heavy heart. I am personally devastated. She was so looking forward to tonight," he said. (She was not scheduled to perform, only attend.)

"My heart goes out to her daughter Bobbi Christina and her mother Cissy." Davis talked about the party-goers as Houston's extended family. "Whitney was a beautiful person and she had a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal talent so many times. So, simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on."

He dedicated the evening to Houston and said the gala went on with the blessing of her family. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, let the music begin."

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."

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."

hmmm

never mind that mj died from "legal" drugs anyway (thanks, conrad murray).

I kinda assume that when Clive Davis dies he has a squad of goons at the ready to make sure he's properly mourned or else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DknbDWwUznE

never mind that mj died from "legal" drugs anyway (thanks, conrad murray).

and amy winehouse died from getting off alcohol too quickly. Not sure drug legalization would have kept any of these people from becoming addicts.

that said if tony wants to campaign for legalizing pot i'm for it

Damn, didn't know she sang backup on (Chaka's) "I'm Every Woman" until just now.

This is really sad. RIP

when people vanish behind a veil of something, you sort of lose sight of them in the moment, but keep waiting for them to emerge as something else. and you hope it won't be like this. RIP, whitney.

Loved the voice, hated 90% of the material. I also think I projected too much of her negative influence on so much 90s pop (as someone noted above) onto Whitney herself at the time.

That said, I'd been sorta hoping for a quote-unquote respectable career resuscitation over the last cople years. Give her a nice stripped down production and some songs tailor made for her by, say, Cee Lo or Raphael Saadiq along with some choice covers---not saying it would have been amazing, but certainly interesting.

her voice was gone, though.

reminds me of charlie louvin. he had a brief career resurrection before he died but unfortunately the chief selling point of the louvin bros and his earlier solo work was his high, pure voice, which had been almost completely devastated by old age. so listening to those records was as much sad as inspiring for me.

houston's voice hadn't degenerated that bad, but it lost about everything that had given it its unique character, and she had taken to speak-singing and using autotune to obscure the flaws.

Million dollar bill was a really great track.

This is so fucked up. Was at a bar when I heard and people were cracking really cruel jokes, but that's New Hampshire I guess. Fuck this state.

no that's "bars"

oh shit :( horrible horrible news to wake up to.

my favourite whitney songs were her late 90s comeback ones, but "i will always love you" was my first memory of being completely awestruck by the power of a voice.

mark sinker's essay on it last year was pretty incredible - http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2011/11/i-am-the-0-00000001-percent/

youtube autocorrect already suggests "whitney houston dead" :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GFTeoqAx5I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUE6Zu0FaOc

RIP Whitney

RIP

really sad news to wake up to. RIP :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYTFJvgxx5Q

"How Will I Know" is probably my ultimate favourite, but I love all of the big songs from The Bodyguard, esp. "I Have Nothing". I don't care how schlocky it is. It's like a tidal wave.

RIP Whitney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14Sgnlz719Q

;_; RIP

'tidal wave', 'massively massive' indeed...

:-(

That 98/99 Whitney comeback was really great - certainly better than the Bodyguard balladosaurus era. 80s dancepop Whitney forever though. RIP.

Works shockingly well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7DHjUH2UbM

Wait, this is the better one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKjZAsbLCxQ

I really like the Whitney mash-ups, because they underscore something in her voice that the boilerplate '80s pop backing didn't always convey. And again, that's the real tragedy, that she was rarely matched with music that truly suited her vocal talent. And she truly didn't give a shit, either.

2nd one is great

I really like the Whitney mash-ups, because they underscore something in her voice that the boilerplate '80s pop backing didn't always convey. And again, that's the real tragedy, that she was rarely matched with music that truly suited her vocal talent. And she truly didn't give a shit, either.

It's pretty much the classical definition of a tragedy, isn't it?