Like the majority of people, I was shocked and saddened to hear that Whitney Houston passed away today aged 48.
It still amazes me just how fast news travels, especially across social networking sites. Within a few minutes of seeing the very first person update their status to "RIP Whitney Houston" I decided to do a Google search, just to make sure it wasn't one of those RIP hoaxes that have been circulating a lot recently. Only two articles had announced she had died with no further details.
About ten minutes later, it was everywhere; 25 news articles, statuses on Facebook and Twitter and more video links than I could blink at. It was now overwhelming clear to me that Whitney Houston was indeed, as I had first assumed, dead.
It would be entirely untruthful for me to paint myself as a huge Whitney Houston fan. But, as a young girl her music reached out and touched me. It inspired me. I used to listen to her songs to help me write. And I can picture as though it were yesterday, the hours me and a neighbour spent dancing around my living room, hairbrushes in hand singing along to her songs. - We had convinced ourselves, after a few short hours and a performance to our parents that we wanted to be in a girl band. We wanted to sing a song for Whitney. At 16, I sung a rendition of 'I Will Always Love You' at my birthday party and 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' was one of the songs played at my Year 13 prom. - even when I hear it now, it reminds me of how great it was and how happy I was with my friends that night.
Whether you were a fan or not, or you liked her music or not. Just like Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse before her, everyone knows Whitney Houston and... just as with their deaths, everyone has an opinion. Celebrity or not, it is still sad when someone dies. And how they do so, or your views on their personal life, does not make it acceptable to be disrespectful to them.
I saw the same with Amy Winehouse as I've witnessed again tonight. The spiteful digs about being a drug addict, how the death is deserved, how the drug dealers will be bankrupt now they're gone and believe me that's just skimming the surface of the horror that is out there. I honestly cannot comprehend how some people can be so heartless; they are someone's family, someone's friend. How would you feel if it was someone you loved, who had just died? I think this quote describes it best; "It seems to some people if a person struggles with drugs and substance abuse they somehow lose their value as a human being. And when they die, you don't have to give them even the littlest bit of good thought or respect. It's good to know that there are so many people, who live perfect lives; who think they are so much better than others, and only make flawless life choices. That their life is worth more than, someone's like that".
Whether you were a fan or not, or you liked her music or not. Just like Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse before her, everyone knows Whitney Houston and... just as with their deaths, everyone has an opinion. Celebrity or not, it is still sad when someone dies. And how they do so, or your views on their personal life, does not make it acceptable to be disrespectful to them.
I saw the same with Amy Winehouse as I've witnessed again tonight. The spiteful digs about being a drug addict, how the death is deserved, how the drug dealers will be bankrupt now they're gone and believe me that's just skimming the surface of the horror that is out there. I honestly cannot comprehend how some people can be so heartless; they are someone's family, someone's friend. How would you feel if it was someone you loved, who had just died? I think this quote describes it best; "It seems to some people if a person struggles with drugs and substance abuse they somehow lose their value as a human being. And when they die, you don't have to give them even the littlest bit of good thought or respect. It's good to know that there are so many people, who live perfect lives; who think they are so much better than others, and only make flawless life choices. That their life is worth more than, someone's like that".
Drugs are dangerous and in a perfect world it is probably wise to never wander there. But people do and it happens. For reasons we can't understand some people become addicts - and breaking a cycle of addiction is hard to do, some die trying. I am a firm believer in never judging anyone, until you have walked in their shoes, you have no idea what they have suffered or encountered in their personal lives that has helped shape the person that they are. But whatever it is, addiction makes them no less human than you or I. At the end of the day celebrities just as us non-celebrities, have fears, insecurities and anxieties because like us, they are just as human as the next person.
No matter what her cause of death, Whitney Houston was undoubtedly one of the greats and personal problems or not, she was very talented. My heart goes out to her family, friends and her fans, I'm sure she will be sorely missed.
Thank you for the gift of your persona, voice and talent Whitney. Thank you for inspiring a little girl to be a singer, to believe in herself, for helping her write and reminding her of the happier times. Your legacy of music and your spirit will always live on. RIP X
No matter what her cause of death, Whitney Houston was undoubtedly one of the greats and personal problems or not, she was very talented. My heart goes out to her family, friends and her fans, I'm sure she will be sorely missed.
Thank you for the gift of your persona, voice and talent Whitney. Thank you for inspiring a little girl to be a singer, to believe in herself, for helping her write and reminding her of the happier times. Your legacy of music and your spirit will always live on. RIP X
“Amy, Etta, Whitney. Their music will NEVER die. What a great girl group in heaven” – Mitch Winehouse.
