I was very sad to learn of Whitney Houston's death, news that I heard when I was contacted in the early hours of Sunday morning by LBC 97.3FM who requested a professional comment regarding the star's demise. The causes of her death are yet to be confirmed, but it looks likely that drugs contributed.
Whitney Houston's addictions have been widely documented - she spent brief periods of time attending rehab, but struggled it would seem to align her actions and decisions with her faith. Addiction is a progressive illness, and Whitney Houston conceded that her addiction brought her to use freebase cocaine.
As the moving tributes from countless celebrities begin to appear on Twitter, I find myself reflecting on the immense tragedy that is the end of somebody's life, somebody who gave so much to the music industry and to the world at large.
According to Guinness World Records, Houston was the most awarded female artist of all time. During her career the mezzo soprano received 2 Emmy Awards and 6 Grammy Awards among a total of 415 career awards. She held the all-time record for the most American Music Award of any single artist and shared the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year with 8 wins in 1994. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide. Although she released relatively few albums, she was ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States, with 55 million albums sold in the US alone.
In this week, of all week's, anticipating Valentine's Day, the music of Whitney Houston will doubtless inundate the radio waves. I wonder what it will take for the the plight of so many who lose their dignity, and ultimately lives to addiction to be considered with the compassion they deserve.
RIP Whitney Houston
I Will Always Love You (1992)
Try it On my Own (2003)
I'm wiser now
I'm not the foolish girl you used to know
So long ago
I'm stronger now
I've learned from my mistakes which way to go
And I should know
I put myself aside to do it your way
But now I need to do it all alone
And I am not afraid to try it on my own
I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'll keep it real you know
Time for me to do it on my own
Yeah yeah, mmm, yeah yeah
It's over now
I can't go back to living through your eyes
Too many lines
And if you don't know by now
I can't go back to being someone else
Not anymore
I never had a chance to do things my way
So now it's time for me to take control
And I am not afraid to try it on my own
I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'm gonna keep it real you know
Time for me to do it
Oh I start again go back to one
I'm running things my way
Can't stop me now, I've just begun
Don't even think about it
There ain't no way about it
I'm taking names, the ones of mine
Yes I'm gonna take my turn
It's time for me to finally stand alone, stand alone
I am not afraid to try it on my own
And I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'm gonna keep it real you know
It's time for me to do it
See I'm not afraid
I'm not the foolish girl you used to know
So long ago
I'm stronger now
I've learned from my mistakes which way to go
And I should know
I put myself aside to do it your way
But now I need to do it all alone
And I am not afraid to try it on my own
I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'll keep it real you know
Time for me to do it on my own
Yeah yeah, mmm, yeah yeah
It's over now
I can't go back to living through your eyes
Too many lines
And if you don't know by now
I can't go back to being someone else
Not anymore
I never had a chance to do things my way
So now it's time for me to take control
And I am not afraid to try it on my own
I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'm gonna keep it real you know
Time for me to do it
Oh I start again go back to one
I'm running things my way
Can't stop me now, I've just begun
Don't even think about it
There ain't no way about it
I'm taking names, the ones of mine
Yes I'm gonna take my turn
It's time for me to finally stand alone, stand alone
I am not afraid to try it on my own
And I don't care if I'm right or wrong
I'll live my life the way I feel
No matter what I'm gonna keep it real you know
It's time for me to do it
See I'm not afraid
I Look to You (2009) R. Kelly for Whitney Houston
As I lay me down
Heaven hear me now
I'm lost without a cause
After giving it my all
Winter storms have come
And darkened my sun
After all that I've been through
Who on earth can I turn to?
I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
About to lose my breath
There's no more fighting left
Sinking to rise no more
Searching for that open door
And every road that I've taken
Led to my regret
And I don't know if I'm gonna make it
Nothing to do but lift my head
I look to you
I look to you
And when all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
My levee's have broken, my walls have come
Crumbling down on me
The rain is falling, defeat is calling
I need you to set me free
Take me far away from the battle
I need you, shine on me
I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength has gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
I look to you
I look to you
Heaven hear me now
I'm lost without a cause
After giving it my all
Winter storms have come
And darkened my sun
After all that I've been through
Who on earth can I turn to?
I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
About to lose my breath
There's no more fighting left
Sinking to rise no more
Searching for that open door
And every road that I've taken
Led to my regret
And I don't know if I'm gonna make it
Nothing to do but lift my head
I look to you
I look to you
And when all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
My levee's have broken, my walls have come
Crumbling down on me
The rain is falling, defeat is calling
I need you to set me free
Take me far away from the battle
I need you, shine on me
I look to you
I look to you
After all my strength has gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you
I look to you
And when melodies are gone
In you I hear a song, I look to you
I look to you
I look to you
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