Whitney Houston, pop superstar and Newark native, has died at the age of 48. Houston started singing as part of the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church. More about her childhood in Newark and rise to stardom from the Star Ledger, including that a recording of Houston’s fantastic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner opened every Newark Council Meeting.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker tweets “RIP Whitney Houston, a Legend and great American artist. And always, one of Newark’s and New Jersey’s treasured daughters.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupsPg5H6aE&feature=related
This is extremely sad news indeed. She was my favorite singer. RIP beautiful Whitney.
Sad. But that is what happens to long term drug addicts. Will always remember her voice…a gift from God.
She was truly amazing and gave me chills every time I heard her sing. I hope she finds the peace that eluded her during her too-short life.
I am stunned to hear this.
Very sad–addiction is a terrible thing. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has not belted out an “Eyyyye-E-eyyyyye will always love youuuu,” at some point in their lives.
She was a fabulous singer & entertainer – sadly though, the drugs will win in the end, every time.
It is a tragedy when a great talent dies young. She’s gone the way of Hank Williams Sr., Jimi Hendrix and too many others.
Stunning to see the posts on foxnews.com this morning with regard to this story, including plenty of folks twisted enough to trash her utilizing their own contrived version of ebonics to do so. Always worth knowing that more than a few fellow Americans are consumed with a very primitive form of hatred.
In quiet moments, alone (usually) I will STILL close my eyes, bite my lip, flip my hand in the air as I sing along to my favorite Whitney song, “I Have Nothing” (sing along for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19LPgLKrgLE)
The last Chorus gets met every time…. RIP Whitney.
Don’t make me close one more door
I don’t wanna hurt anymore
Stay in my arms if you dare
Must I imagine you there?
Don’t walk away from me
I Have Nothing
Nothing
Nothing, if i don’t have you
This is my favorite Whitney song. I sang it over and over as a broken hearted teenage.
https://youtu.be/7nqVWm2XTjY
So sad to have lost an amazing talent.
Sad news, but I’m scratching my head about all the people being interviewed in print and on the boob tube who are “shocked” to hear the news. Just floored. Stunned. Really? Really?
Perhaps people should hold off on the finger wagging until the cause of her death has been established.
RIP Whitney.
Even leaving aside your questionable interpretation of what constitutes “ebonics” (particularly faux ebonics), good ol’ Spiro T, I find it appalling that you used the occasion of Whitney Houston’s death as an excuse for an ad hominem attack on both Fox News and the people you assume watch it. That was base even by your own commonly low standards.
Enough. She was talented and now her voice is stilled forever. And neither Fox News nor even “People” Magazine or her record label played any role in it. Houston’s death is tragedy enough for now.
That’s a good one, ‘gette.
Yeah, she really put it out there, didn’t she. Didn’t hold back. Beautiful woman and beautiful singer.
Thanks prof for I Have Nothing, haven’t heard that one in ages.
Her voice and her songs always remind me of “home”…heavenly choir music from church concerts in East Orange and Newark…her talented family….passing by her cousin Dionne Warwick’s fabulous “mushroom tudor” house on Gregory Avenue…in West Orange…her dad worked with my aunt in Newark…
When I lived far away in Italy, her songs would always bring my heart home….there is an unmistakable local “Newark and the Oranges” atmosphere is Whitney’s talent and personality…so familliar…
When I do projects in East Orange, I would wonder how the children felt about her success and especially her struggles. There is an elementary school named after her. The children were aware of the struggles and understand the seriousness of the problematics….and hoping that she would get through. Somehow, I’ve felt that the children learn something valuable from Whitney Houston’s life’s reality. Its so sad, however…and now a tragedy. My thoughts and love to Whitney Houston and her loved ones.
I knew I’d smoke you out with my post, cathar.
But if you read it more carefully this time, you will see that I was referring not to all the viewers of the cable station you refer to, but rather, a significant number of people who post on the accompanying website.
And they have never been more vile. So it was not I who chose to abuse this sad event, but rather, those who had hideous things to say about a beautiful but tormented woman, or who used her untimely death as another occasion to vent their grotesque rantings against an entire group of “others”.
I brought their darkness into view, you didn’t like it, I’m not surprised.
…not to be disrespectful but her tragic death makes me feel so sad and I cant stop thinking of her cousin, Dionne Warwick’s famous song from the Valley of the Dolls …
Gotta get off, gonna get
Have to get off from this ride
Gotta get hold, gonna get
Need to get hold of my pride
When did I get, where did I
How was I caught in this game
When will I know, where will I
How will I think of my name
When did I stop feeling sure, feeling safe
And start wondering why, wondering why
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
What’s in back of the sky, why do we cry
Gotta get off, gonna get
Out of this merry-go-round
Gotta get off, gonna get
Need to get on where I’m bound
When did I get, where did I
Why am I lost as a lamb
When will I know, where will I
How will I learn who I am
Is this a dream, am I here, where are you
Tell me, when will I know, how will I know
When will I know why?
Even leaving aside your questionable interpretation of what constitutes “ebonics” (particularly faux ebonics), good ol’ Spiro T, I find it appalling that you used the occasion of Whitney Houston’s death as an excuse for an ad hominem attack on both Fox News and the people you assume watch it. That was base even by your own commonly low standards.
God, Spiro, haven’t you realized by now that cathar is THE arbiter of what’s appropriate around here? You should really have learned that by now.
Seriously, it’s definitely recommended for folks to head over to the Foxnews story about Whitney, because you’ll see the kind of lowlife comments that certain fans of a certain network can make about a dead person. Fair and balanced!
Did you ever hear her sing it in Italian, frank?
Devo scendere, gonna get
Devo scendere da questa corsa
Devo entrare in possesso, gonna get
È necessario entrare in possesso del mio orgoglio
Quando sono arrivato, dove ho fatto
Come mi è stato catturato in questo gioco
Quando saprò, dove voglio
Come penso a mio nome
Quando mi fermo sentirsi più sicuri, sentirsi al sicuro
E iniziare a chiedersi perché, chiedendosi perché
È questo un sogno, io sono qui, dove sei
Cosa c’è nel retro del cielo, perché piangiamo
Devo scendere, gonna get
Da questo merry-go-round
Devo scendere, gonna get
Necessità di andare avanti, dove sono costretto
Quando sono arrivato, dove ho fatto
Perché ho perso come un agnello
Quando saprò, dove voglio
Come faccio a sapere chi sono
È questo un sogno, io sono qui, dove sei
Dimmi, quando sarà lo so, come faccio a sapere
Quando saprò perché?
Spiro bringing “their darkness into view” on this site only spreads their filth. Why give them more attention? I read that site and haven’t found any more “significant” crazies filled with hatred then elsewhere. Notice too that frequent Fox posters agree with you and have chastied these idiots. I always taught my kids to ignor nasty/aggressive playmates. It works with adults too.
As with most I am saddened by this tragic loss. Her voice was one of my favorites. I can’t pick a favorite song there are so many that I like. Sincere condolences to her loved ones.
Spiro bringing “their darkness into view” on this site only spreads their filth. Why give them more attention?
Yeah, Spiro, why let anyone know that there’s racism and filth in this world? Just ignore it, would ya? God.
DagT, I enjoy and respect your opinions on a regular basis, but I need to disagree here – this hideous stuff must be brought into bright light, where it often withers. But you do have a point, I went to another on-line news site and found similarly depraved comments there too.
Grazie Walleroo…Che triste…
Sad, yes.
I love the music execs coming out today to ask the public for privacy and not to listen to media speculation about her cause of death . . . she provided the speculation by herself . . .
At the time, Sawyer asked Houston about ongoing drug rumors that had started in 2000, when airport security guards found marijuana in Houston and Brown’s bags at a Hawaiian airport. The singer alluded to having used cocaine, pills and marijuana — but drew the line at crack in what turned into an infamous rant.
“First of all, let’s get one thing straight,” she told Sawyer. “Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight. OK? We don’t do crack. We don’t do that. Crack is wack.”
And they say drug dealing and use is a victimless crime . . . . I’m sure the taxpayers in CA love it everytime LAPD logs the OT when one of these idiots is found toes-up.
I remember about 6 or 7 years ago stumbling across the Whitney Houston Academy of Performing and Creative Arts (I think that is the name of the school) in East Orange. It is just south of Montclair, across from that terrific library that houses the children’s science museum. When I saw the school sign, I immediately thought how nice it was to name a school after someone still alive–someone who could actually appreciate the honor. Which just got me thinking…isn’t it about time we paid tribute to Montclair’s Buzz Aldrin, before he dies? And yes, like Whitney, Buzz also battled addiction–he’s brutally honest about his struggles w/ alcoholism and depression in his recent memoir. It is a crime that we don’t have at least a street named after him, let alone a school.
Buzz Aldrin High School
‘Nuff said.
Spiro meet Albert
nicky meet db
and puss they had a chance but Buzz is too white to name a school after
Whitney was too pop for my taste so I cant really tell you much about her music. Back in those days my discman was filled with REM, The Jam and the Cure. However, in that video ‘i wanna dance with somebody ‘ she could have been one the prettiest women on the planet, so cute. Heart breaking to see her struggles played out in the press all those years and you have to feel really bad for her daughter.