http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17001548

Just walked into the office and a colleague told me, was in disbelief.. Currently no news as to what she's passed from..

A true legend in my eyes!!! Wonderful singer and performer and she gave us The Bodyguard :-)

Oh my gosh.

Wow, she was only 48.

How sad :(

Great voice and I too like The Bodyguard.

What a waste!!  RIP Whitney!

Like Amy, she had a serious substance abuse problem and would not be surprised if it was directly or indirectly  involved with that.

Was only talking about her last night as her Aunt - Dionne Warrick was on T.V - Jonathon Ross I think.Was telling OH that she was in the papers sadly looking wasted.

It's about time the "industry" started getting charged for murder.  How many more of these "stars" are going to die?  What a waste of another young life.  Very sad.

I don't think you can blame the industry.  It may be just something that goes with the territory of being creative.  Or the explanation could lie with her choice of partner. 
Either way it is very sad but clearly the damage she had done to herself was never going to allow her to become old bones.

> but clearly the damage she had done to herself

It was always her own choice. People with addictions ultimately have only themselves to blame :(

I don't think you can blame the industry either. Plenty more non-stars succumb to substance abuse and die before their time but, of course, they are not news worthy. I think, sadly, in this case, a destructive co-dependent relationship is more to blame.

I think you can blame the industry, many of these stars actually get into drug abuse at the parties that the industry throw.  There was an interesting TV programme recently, it all seems part and parcel of the industry which to me is soooo wrong.  The industry are the ones that say that they should look a certain way etc.

That's a lot of the use of the word industry lol

Such a waste she had a wonderful voice and I to loved the Bodyguard. RIP Whitney.

why should this so called industry be blamed, NO ONE forced her to take drugs or drink the alcohol she did it to herself, and no body that loved or cared for her could change the way she was, they have to change for themselves .

>I think you can blame the industry, many of these stars actually get into drug abuse at the parties that the industry throw. 

And many, many more celebrities that attend those same parties don't.  It's all about making choices.  Some people just consistently make bad ones and when you couple that with a predisposition towards an addicitive personality then you have a recipe for disaster. 

RIP Whitney. Truly the most talented and awe inspiring voice I think I've ever heard! Feeling very sad to hear of her passing. She was a legend in her lifetime and will now become a legend forever.

I just wish she could have beaten her demons. I feel so sorry for her family, especially her daughter, as she now has to go through life without her mum. That's really the biggest tragedy of all :(.

Ultimately, Whitney led the life she wanted, and it seems she has left this life as a result of those choices. I never liked to see her Divaish behaviour, especially when she was a guest in XFactor (really hated how she treated the young singers!).

Still, whatever her character, however she abused herself, she was undoubtebly the finest talent in recent history. I hope she will be remembered for that.

So sad :-( She had such a Lovely Voice :-( So still very young.

(((hugs))) and prayers to her family and friends.

She truly was the voice, adored her voice and when she was at the height of her career, there was no-one to touch her.

But, I'm sorry for me she died years ago, the Whitney who I adored has been long gone, the moment the drugs and alcohol had a grasp of her she was finished and that is when I said goodbye to her as an artist, she was never going to bounce back. Her last performances were proof of that.

I do feel desperately sorry for her family and close friends, she was a mother and I feel desperately sorry for those she left behind,  they will be heartbroken, she had so much to live for.

And I too blame the whole industry, I would not wish stardom on anyone I loved, seen too many cave in to the pressures of paparazzi and a life no longer your own. Her management should have taken better care of her, the people who loved her should have fought harder maybe, but alas it is always your own choice to get help or not.

Her music will however always live on and that is her lasting legacy I hope and not what she turned into.

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Her management should have taken better care of her,

When someone is hell bent on taking drugs or drinking alcohol, I don't think that anyone can stop them.  Amy Winehouse's dad did his best but all to no avail.

I agree in some respects but there are people who do beat the demons with the right support and the type of people they mix with or have access to.

I am afraid I have to say I never liked Witney Houstons music , hated the Body Guard so can't say I will miss her or her music .

Sorry Oldilocks that link doesn't work. :-)

But, yes, her management and record company carry an awful lot of power they can make or break an artist, they can be in complete control of every action from what they eat, where they go, who they are seen with.  The artist is very rarely in command of these people it is the other way around.

If they do not do as they are told, they are dropped simple as and for artists like this fame is more important than most things and is how they are controlled.

I dare say she was dropped as she has not been around for years, but those who brought her back were not strict enough or simply did not care, saw a fast buck instead, you could see a mile off she was still under the influence so yes, a proportion of the blame is to them, if she wasn't still performing and making albums she would not be funding her habit.

No-one should have touched her until she was 100% clean.

But, apart from that her destiny was always in her own hands but if she could not clean up she should not have been back in the public eye.

It wasn't meant to be a link!  :)  It just appeared like that when I pressed the quotation marks to reply to a post!  Post links...moi?.....I don't think so, that is well beyond me!!  :)  :)

:-D

Carrington,

Her Mum is pretty good too- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFloePvOvXo

Think Whitney had an amazing voice technically but I preferred her when she was ripping up a song 'church' style to the more controlled expositions for the pop market. For me Amy had the nearly greatest female vocal of the century, she also had incredible range and voice control- sadly you only hear her potential on Frank. Think people also really underestimate what KD Lang can do with her voice. The acid test is what they can do live.

I agree with you, have always really loved KD Lnag too.

Karen

Yes KD Lang is good but Annie Lenox to me is one of my favourite female solo artists

I am really enjoying Adele too.............

The black churches are bursting with talent that rarely gets heard by the wider public. Here's a great gospel artist CeCe Winans duetting with Witney- who was really a gospel singer at heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGL099t8i2s&feature=related

Now yes Adele is ok but not one of my favourites.

Two good links, thank you :)
Her mum is a great singer too, sad as always for those left behind, parents and children.

Karen

freelancerukuk,

Your right her mother is extremely talented, another great voice. What a family!!!

Whitney did IMO have the very best 'belt out' voice, makes tingles down your spine, I do love Celine Dion and Christina Agu (not going to bother trying to spell it :-) ) as well though.

Mariah's voice just makes every song sound the same to me so I know she is probably the highest earner in the USA but she has never hit the spot for me. Whitney will always be my favourite diva voice. Well, not so much her last album but previously.

Yes, Christina and Celine kind of followed in her wake, and I agree, Mariah though technically good is somehow anodyne by comparison. However all those vocalists owe their vocal stylings to the gospel tradition- those big vocal runs. If you like that but would be prepared to go for a more raw, gutsy feel then check out the Clark sisters from Detroit. Karen Clark in particular has one of the great gospel voices (I am not a church person at all, just love the voices).

Amy, who I rate very highly indeed was more a jazz vocalist, but Tony Bennett who clearly rates Whitney, said he thought Amy, had she lived, would've been up there with Ella and Dinah!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ludxpkyrab0&feature=related

I have this track of hers on CD in my car, I love it!

I was very surprised to hear her speaking voice as it certainly belies the way she sang.

I have been a Whitney fan for longer than I can remember ... its a well known fact with everyone who knows me well.

I was not that shocked as she has had a lot of bad years.... but to me her music is wonderful and I will carry on listening to it and singing along as I always have.... so sad .....she will be missed.

my favorites are Greatest love of all.... I have nothing.... Run to you and I didnt know my own strength..