Whitney Houston: dead at 48

With the news that singer Whitney Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel yesterday afternoon, there have and will be countless family members, friends, music writers, industry insiders and fans who will have plenty to say about the death and legacy of the 48-year-old singer.

In situations like this (and I can remember so many, as far back as when Elvis Presley died when he was only 42 in 1977), I always see it best as to remember an artist for the music they left that affects you (the listener) most deeply. CNN and Fox News were broadcasting coverage non-stop in the aftermath and there will surely be a tribute at tonight's GRAMMY Awards ceremony too.

I won't opine here as to the cause of Houston's untimely death; her tragic battle with drugs is well-known and kept the tabloids thrilled (as did Amy Winehouse's lost battle with substance abuse). But what I will say is that Houston was a singer who in her prime in the 1980s and early 1990s, sang with a power and range that few others ever have.
One can only pray that young singers might be inspired by her voice, but wary of the lifestyle that robbed her of her life at such a young age.

I would really recommend checking out Orange County Register writer Ben Wener's wonderful tribute in his Soundcheck blog too.