The death of Whitney Houston shocked us for it’s timing, and for that classic way of how it came out of nowhere. I was very saddened by her death, for Whitney is one of my all time favorite singers from the 1980’s. She was blessed with everything, from a great voice, great beauty, well she simply had it all. Or so it appeared she did anyway.
Unfortunately, her personal battle with drugs got more headlines than her career, but Whitney deserves to be remembered for her once great talent, and for all she contributed to music and entertainment. To remember her for this in no way excuses her past addictions, and self destructive behavior. It only means she is remembered for her talent, and she deserves that I won’t take that from her.
We will never understand people like Whitney people who have it all only to throw it all away the way she apparently did. In fairness to her however, some of her friends and family, did believe she had banished her demons in order to pursue he a comeback. It’s hard to know if this was indeed true, for it will take weeks, before we even know the cause of death, and this is despite the TMZ reports of Houston taking Xanax mixed with alcohol. Alcohol she had consumed from nights of partying.
It certainly does look like drugs were the cause again as they’ve been the cause of so many Hollywood and celebrity deaths. There seems no end to it. I was watching a tribute they were having for Whitney on Fuse TV, and one fan asked the question “Why have our legends been dying before they turn 50?” I was amazed at the question. I mean the answer has been the same for most of these stars; drugs.
From Marilyn Monroe in 1962, to Elvis in 1977, to Anna Nicole Smith in 2007, to Michael Jackson in 2009, well a pattern of drug abuse has been present for the longest time. Comedian Freddie Prinze abused Quaaludes, and many believe they led him to act erratically until he ended his life also in 1977. Then we had Amy Winehouse, and now Whitney Houston. We can even mention others like Brittany Murphy who was also said to have a lot of prescription and over the counter drugs in her system at the time of her death.
Perhaps what this fan really wanted to ask was not why were our legends dying, but why do they keep dying like this? And why does it continue? Why does it continue? When Freddie Prinze died back in 1977 a column was written about him. The writer had asked the same question: When did it stop? Well here we are in 2012 and we are still asking this sane question.
When I wrote the column about Dr. Conrad Murray I pointed out how crooked doctors like him are willing to prescribe anything as long as they are paid top dollar to do so. This is one major problem here. Yet we have Tony Bennett calling for the legalization of all drugs so we can prevent future deaths. According to him we must legalize drugs so that celebrities can get them from a real doctor and not from gangsters under the table.
This is absurd to say the least. How can the legalization of drugs prevent future deaths? I mean didn’t Michael Jackson get his prescriptions from a doctor? Didn’t Elvis? Didn’t Freddie Prinze? Yes, Whitney had been addicted to street drugs like cocaine and crack, as was her husband Bobby Brown, and they probably did obtain these drugs from such gangsters. However legalizing these drugs is not the answer to this problem.. Legalizing them will not prevent their abuse Legalizing them only adds to the problem, and many stars who have died were abusing prescription drugs.
Perhaps Tony Bennett too only wants a solution to this never ending problem so he suggested this ridiculous suggestion. We do need a solution to this very real problem, but we need a real solution. We cannot solve a problem by becoming a part of it. For one these doctors should face stiffer penalties for over – prescribing medications or for prescribing illegal medication like Dr. Murray did with Propofol. Or they can come up with some drug testing system before stars go to work, Make it mandatory testing.
A solution for this never ending problem is needed. We probably can come up with some, if not many, but people have made suggestions for years. We can hope once again that someone will learn from this death. But we’ve heard this before and we’ll likely hear it again.
As for Whitney Houston I will remember her best days back during the 1980’s when she was at the top of her game. When she was singing wonderful hits like “The Greatest Love of All,” and “Saving All My Love for You,” and my favorite “So Emotional.” The beautiful woman who acted in “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner. She’ll forever be frozen in time for me especially during that time. This is how I prefer to remember her.