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Saddened by Whitney Houston's death

  • Originally published March 2, 2012 at 5:30 p.m., updated March 2, 2012 at 5:45 p.m.

Editor, the Advocate:

The premature passing of Whitney Houston saddened me, as I am sure it made millions of her fans feel.

Whitney's music just made your heart feel happy. Her range of voice was spectacular. Her music ability was expanded into the acting profession by the movie, "The Bodyguard," with Kevin Costner. She was exceptionally great, singing one of my favorite songs, "I Will Always Love You," which was written by the sassy Dolly Parton.

The surprise to me about the downfall of Whitney's life and career was that she had a Christian upbringing in her hometown Baptist church in Newark, N.J., where she sang in the choir. She actually began her career as a swimsuit model for Seventeen Magazine. She gained a professional singing career that exploded on the musical charts in the early 1980s.

Whitney was generous, donating $100,000 plus to develop a pediatric ward to a hospital in New Jersey, where children received medical attention they needed, who may have otherwise died. A school in New Jersey is also named in her honor.

Usually, the public hears of the disturbing side of most superstars. It is rumored that Whitney was a functioning drug addict. In my opinion, the most toxic chemical in her life was her ex-husband, Bobby Brown. And, even though Brown had a music career of his own (if you call that music), he was apparently jealous of Whitney's career and success, marked predominantly by the on-and-off-again domestic abuse.

The last image of Whitney Houston was provided by the "loving" television media. Whitney looked bloated and puffy and very much not the usually glossy and glamorous Whitney. She just looked like she belonged in a hospital, not another Hollywood party, which in my opinion her condition warranted.

The sadness of her untimely demise is only compounded by the fact that she left behind a teenage daughter.

Hopefully, the watchful guiding of Whitney's family will keep her daughter on a non-destructive path.

Lynette Brown, Victoria