FLASH: 'QUEEN OF POP' WHITNEY HOUSTON HAS DIED

[Ulysses G.]

It is interesting to me how big this seems to be. I barely noticed her or her music - although I thought it was OK. It is dominating much of the news.

I can remember how shocked I was when this happened with Michael Jackson. I certainly would have expected his death to be reported prominently, but there was very little else on the news for days and that came as a surprise.

I do not think that Whitney would be considered to be in his league, but maybe I'm wrong.

[webfact]

Music world unites in tribute to Whitney

Chen Nan, He Na and Wang Chenyan

China Daily

LOS ANGELES: -- Musicians, producers and fans on Sunday paid tribute to US soul diva Whitney Houston, hailing her as an inspirational figure who opened the door to Western pop music.

The singer, a household name in China since her 1992 mega-hit I Will Always Love You, was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday (Sunday, Beijing time). She was 48.

"She was a queen on the stage," music mogul Song Ke wrote on his micro blog shortly after hearing of Houston's death. "My heart and soul were shocked when I watched her live in concert. We will not find many voices like hers."

Song, founder of Taihe Rye Music and former head of Warner China, said he had seen the diva perform in the United States and China and described being overwhelmed by her talent.

"In this fast-changing world, when a new star pops up every day, it's easy to forget a voice. But for Chinese fans her songs will always be classics," he told China Daily. "She was far too young to die."

Xiao Ke, the popular singer-songwriter, also expressed his shock and said that Houston's style was unforgettable.

"Take a look at what she did and you'll see she was a born singer," said the Beijing-based musician, who has written hits for stars including Faye Wong and Na Ying. "Whitney Houston conquered the world with her voice."

Houston had been in LA for Sunday's Grammy Awards and was staying at the Beverly Hilton, where she was also scheduled to perform at a pre-ceremony party hosted by Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records.

Lieutenant Mark Rosen of the Los Angeles County Police Department told the Associated Press that emergency services were called to the singer's room on the fourth floor. Paramedics, who found her in the bath, were unable to resuscitate her and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm.

The cause of death is still under investigation, he said, adding that there was "no obvious signs of any criminal intent".

A report in The Los Angeles Times said Houston had behaved erratically during an appearance on Thursday at a rehearsal for a Grammy awards party. Although she greeted people with a warm smile, she appeared disheveled, with mismatched clothes and dripping-wet hair, the paper said.

The singer flailed her hands frenetically as she spoke, skipped around the ballroom in a childlike fashion and wandered aimlessly about the lobby, according to the report.

Davis, who had been the diva's longtime mentor, went ahead with his annual concert at the hotel and dedicated the evening to Houston. He asked for a moment of silence, while a photo of the singer, hands wide open, looking to the sky, appeared on the screen.

After bursting on to the scene in the US in the 1980s, Houston went on to become one of the world's biggest R&B stars, with hits including I Have Nothing, All At Once and Get It Back.

To date, she has sold more than 170 million albums and still holds the record for the most Grammy's won by a female artist.

Her success in China came in the early 1990s, following the global hit The Bodyguard, for which she recorded I Will Always Love You. At the time, the only way for many people to hear about Western pop acts was through limited edition tapes and music magazines.

Her only performances in China were in 2004, when she appeared in concert in Beijing and Shanghai. She traveled from the US with her then-husband, Bobby Brown, and their daughter.

Following her divorce from Brown in 2007, Houston is reported to have struggled with alcohol and drug problems, which some critics say seriously affected her vocal range.

"From looking at the news of the last few years, we can see that her physical and mental health has suffered. That's inevitably a bad sign for such an established singer," Song said.

Last year, Houston canceled several dates on her world tour, including concerts in China, citing illness.

However, despite all her offstage problems, the soul diva has remained a huge draw for Chinese music fans.

Zhang Liangying, winner of TV's Supergirl talent show, and Lin Yu-Chun, who is known as Taiwain's answer to Susan Boyle, both said on Sunday that Houston had been a major influence on their lives.

Lin, 24, whose version of I Will Always Love You has been viewed at least 480,000 times on Youtube, the video-sharing website, said he had always wanted to duet with the US sensation. "My dream can never be fulfilled now," he was quoted as saying by media in Taiwan. "My heart is broken."

Many other stars from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland expressed their grief on the Internet.

"Whitney your great voice was the spark that ignited the explosion of stars who followed behind you," wrote Taiwan singer-songwriter Tanya Tsia on her micro blog.

The blog sphere was also lit by messages of grief from Houston's fans across China's mainland, many of whom grew up in the 1980s. Most said they were left speechless by the tragic news.

"Whitney Houston, you were my first contact with a foreign female singer. Thanks for your songs for so many years. I'll never forget your voice," wrote one of the 500,000 bloggers who had posted on Sina Weibo, a popular micro-blogging website, as of 4:30 pm on Sunday.

"What a pity!" wrote Vicky Hao, a Chinese Canadian who works as a simultaneous interpreter in Beijing. She added that Houston had "one of the most powerful voices in the business" and that her songs were always moving.

Yu Yang, a 30-year-old engineer at a State-owned enterprise in Beijing, told China Daily that he remembers being surprised by how well Houston could act when he watched The Bodyguard.

"I first listened to her songs and I thought she just a singer, but in fact she was a great entertainer," he said.

Johnny Jiang, who works for PayPal in Shanghai, said he was devastated by the news of Houston's death. He has been listening to the diva's music since he was at middle school.

"She was blessed with talent. Her voice was the soundtrack to an era," he said.

-- ANN 2012-02-13

[sparebox2]

Sad. very sad.

[maidu]

I remember Whitney's 1st big hit "How Will I Know'. Loved her in that. Looked like she had a perpetual lollipop in her smiling mouth. Later, she shouted more than sang. I liked her cousin Dionne, better as a real singer. If Whitney had picked a decent guy like me to be her steady guy, instead of a tough-guy wannabe like the punk she picked, she'd be healthy and doing fine now.

[mrdome]

Sadly, her final years were at times like a car crash in slow motion. One wanted it to stop - for her, so she could regain some dignity. R.I.P.

Edited February 13, 2012 by Scott
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[tootall]

She said it herself "Crack (Jabba) is whack". She chose her path in life like every one else. I saw a few reality weekly shows of her and Bobby Brown. She felt she was above every one around her and was quite an ass on the show.

[kerryk]

My GF told me. I said, "Oh you mean that chick that had the hit with the Dolly Parton song." That was a mistake because then I had to explain the title of the movie.

[Trouble]

Some pretty tasteless and heartless statements coming out on this topic. I would bet if you put every poster together and compared how much Miss Houston did for people and the like to all of us. None of us would qualify to be a pimple on her arse

Really? I can't think of any scholarships Whitney set up.How about patronship of some charities? Lena Horne, arguably one of the most beautiful and talented stars that graced the stage, film screen and recording studio did that. So did Ella Fitzgerald, an icon of jazz. I appreciate that some people enjoyed Miss Houston's music. Fine. I respect that and I won't belittle anyone for their own preferences. However, a pillar of philanthropy, she was not. Miss Houston didn't do much for anyone. Her contribution back to society was minimal.

Many of the stars that partied at the Clive Davis function while she lay in a non leak body bag upstairs, cried crocodile tears. The rending of garments will continue, the beating of the chests will thump and the tabloid induced despair will go on for a week or two as PR agents position their clients for poses showing their contrived sadness. The outpouring of statements from the music industry is so much hot air. Last month she was being ridiculed by the very same people now singing her praises in a performance worthy of North Korea.

Just for the record, in 1989 Whitney set up The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children that cares for such problems as homelessness, children with cancer and AIDS, etc.

The Guinness World Records lists Whitney as music's "most awarded female artist of all time" in 2006. Since then she has been awarded two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 23 American Music Awards, MTV VMAs in the United States and Europe, NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and so on

Technically, Houston was a mezzo-soprano. Her vocal range extended from G below Middle C (G₃) to high B-flat (B♭₅); she could belt out to treble F (F₅).

Did she have her demons? Of course. Does it make anyone feel better to dwell on the negative of a person's life? The tastless comments are nothing new on ThaiVisa, as this forum is full of mostly negative comments on any range of subjects. Whitney's legacy is that millions of people around the world enjoyed her talent and they will miss that. I would hope that the autopsy report turns up nothing. I would like to think that she had overcome her problems. But even if the worst comes to light, it will change nothing in what she accomplished.

While comparing Whitney Houston to other singers maybe a natural occurrance, it is really quite foolish. One cannot compare singers easily. The voice Whitney Houston had was a gift, the feeling (soul) with which she delivered her music was a gift. Her talent came from within her. Whether the naysayers value her contribution is irrelevant. What is relevant is that she was indeed a talented singer that pleased hundreds of millions of people. Her songs and delivery moved millions of people. She filled millions of people with joy and with sadness through her songs and performances on stage and in movies. That's what really counts in the end. It will be a long time before another female singer tops what Whitney Houston accomplished musically in her life. She was a gifted individual and no amount of negative comments by a few will deminish her stature for those who were touched by her talent.

RIP Whitney.