Since news of vocal icon Whitney Houston’s death began to circulate late Saturday night, shocked fans have offered up their last good-byes in a variety of ways.
Someone in her entourage was quick-witted enough to set up a website for fans to record their memories of the singer and pay tribute to her. It’s titled simply Remembering Whitney. Fans can leave messages, comment on the contributions of others or just immerse themselves in a worldwide outpouring of love for their cherished diva.
Many have delivered their last regards in the comments section following news stories about the tragedy. One Associated Press story has over 18,000 comments. Most are simple expressions of sadness and condolence.
From the Remember Whitney pages, Gail Toles captures the prevailing sentiment, “My prayers go out to the Houston/Brown family. I am so sadden[ed] and my heart breaks for Bobbi Kristina and Whitney’s mom. R.I.P. Whitney u will be truly missed. And I will always love you!”
Mateo Comacho sends a wish. “Whitney – may you fly with the angels, sing with the Father and finally be home free. Forever more you will be loved!”
Others related occasions when they were fortunate enough to see Whitney sing live during her peak. Many paid homage to her legacy.
Pen Musings recalled seeing a young Whitney perform at a small club in Buckhead, Ga., before she was discovered. “They called her ‘Sweetney,’ and I remember what a wonderful young and untainted voice she had.”
Niecey Denise declared, “she was a child of God who made a dynamic impact in this world.”
“Whitney, you set the standard upon which we can measure if someone is a great singer or not,” noted Lobhana Prophete.
It’s still difficult for a lot of fans to believe that a woman so young – who, for many, provided the soundtrack to their youth – could be gone so soon.
Timf wrote, “I was hoping she would rebound and be celebrated in her later years. Many great stars have dealt with addiction and have gone on to have second careers. What a pure voice she had. I feel sorry for her daughter.”
Jipsonseed added, “…so talented and yet so lost. God bless Whitney…I hope you find peace now.”
One poster wrote, “So very, very sad, but the real Whitney died from drugs many years ago.”
There’s some truth in this. Drug abuse isn’t just a temporary condition, it actually changes the brain in ways that may not be reversible. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Chronic exposure to drugs…disrupts the way critical brain structures interact to control and inhibit behaviors. Drug addiction erodes a person’s self-control and ability to make sound decisions.”
Drug abuse can change the user’s personality, making the need to fulfill the unrelenting cravings trump all other considerations. It’s a slippery slope and many fans laid the blame for Whitney’s demise firmly at the feet of her ex-husband, New Edition frontman Bobby Brown.
Afnewsview wrote, “Her marrying Bobby Brown was without a doubt the BIGGEST MISTAKE of her life…it was this disaster of a marriage along with her drug use that took her from us FAR TOO SOON.”
PC echoed the sentiment, “The WORST drug Whitney ever took was… BOBBY BROWN.”
The woman who stunned the world with her amazing talent has, in the end, become a heartbreaking cautionary tale against the plague of this century, the insidious disease that makes it’s victims kill themselves by ingesting ever increasing doses of poison.
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