In many ways, few can be surprised that Whitney Houston, the mega singing star of the 1980s and '90s, has died. The last decade or so has been a lesson in how not to manage a career and how not to live, with a very public drug addiction, as well as a troubled and abusive marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
Her fall from grace was immense. She sang some of the most iconic songs of the previous two decades including I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Love Me), I Will Always Love You, Saving All My Love For You and One Moment in Time.
Houston was related to show biz royalty; Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick were cousins, and Aretha Franklin was her Godmother. She grew up singing in a Baptist church in New Jersey, and progressed into a gospel choir. She also learned to play the piano.
It was the mid-80s when she rocketed to stardom topping the charts with hit after hit, and going on huge world tours. many saw her as the female Michael Jackson. Awards followed; she won Grammy awards, Emmy awards, etc. and her debut album was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Definitive 200 list and Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums. St one point she had seven consecutive US number ones, breaking a record previously held by The Beatles and The Bee Gees.
Houston was, arguably, best known for her ballads which were a fantastic vehicle for her hugely powerful voice that provided a soundtrack for a generation that has influenced countless performers and wannabees since.
She was also an actress, most notably in The Bodyguard which met with commercial, but not critical success but which, of course, gave the world her OTT performance of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You (for me one of the worst records ever - her breathing is all over the place).
Houston was due to attend this weekend's Grammy awards. Still an icon to a generation of singers, she had made many guest appearances including on talent shows and there had been several false start comebacks.
She had admitted to crack cocaine use and addictions to alcohol, pills and other drugs. The exact circumstances of her death are yet to be revealed, though it is understood her body was found in a bath in an hotel room in Los Angeles.
A tainted star who lead a tumultuous life that took her from a pinnacle to which few can aspire
to the depths none can ever imagine but with a back catalogue that will live on beyond her.
My favourite Whitney Houston track? It has to be One Moment in Time - the song recorded for the 1988 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.
Showing posts with label obituary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obituary. Show all posts
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Saturday, 29 October 2011
OBITUARY: Jimmy Savile (1926-2011)
To say that Jimmy Savile, the radio and television star who has died today aged 84, was an enigma is, perhaps, an understatement.
When I was a child Saturday evenings always began with Jim'll Fix It. He'd sit, dressed in tracksuit and bling (though it wasn't called bling back then), saying nonsensical things like "Now then, Now then!", puffing on a cigar (was it ever really lit?) and helping to make various people's dreams come true. Who can forget the Scouts eating a meal on the rollercoaster or the boys team beating Manchester United? To me, even then, he was always a little odd; there was something of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang!'s child-catcher about him.
His media career had followed time as a coal miner and a failed wrestler. He was the first presenter of Top of the Pops (and, when that show came to an end, he was also it's its last).
Savile has been attributed with large amounts of charity work, including running many marathons (there are, however, stories that He would start and finish a lot of marathons but maybe didn't actually run the full 26 miles!).
His involvement in the Stoke Mandeville Hospital (where he had a suite of rooms!) and Broadmoor Secure Hospital are well-known but his connections appear to have included Prime Ministers, royalty and Israel politicians (he claims to have addressed the Israel cabinet a one point). For someone who was just an entertainer his influence appears to have been rather broad and questions about how have been raised at various points - Free Masonry seems to be the popular answer.
Savile was always keen to publicize himself; "surprise visits" to a hospital would be met by a television crew and he rarely missed an opportunity to tell others about his "good works".
He lived an odd and isolated life in Leeds and never quite recovered from his mother's death in 1973. The flat where "The Duchess" lived has been kept as she left it ever since and he had her clothes dry-cleaned annually, claiming that they're better than any photograph.
His private life, no partners and living by himself, has raised many questions. When Louis Theroux made a programme about him a few years ago, he seemed to find Savile a rate troubled and difficult person.
I suspect there's a lot that will come out over the coming months. Why, for instance, did Jimmy Savile have an injunction preventing News International from reporting, and using photographs, of his visits to the notorious children's home in Jersey where Wilfred Bramble, from Steptoe and Son, took part in child abuse?
There are many, many stories about Jimmy Savile that raise eyebrows, the truth will neve be known, but it's fair to say he was successful in his chosen careers. Whether his reputation will survive his death... Only time will tell.
When I was a child Saturday evenings always began with Jim'll Fix It. He'd sit, dressed in tracksuit and bling (though it wasn't called bling back then), saying nonsensical things like "Now then, Now then!", puffing on a cigar (was it ever really lit?) and helping to make various people's dreams come true. Who can forget the Scouts eating a meal on the rollercoaster or the boys team beating Manchester United? To me, even then, he was always a little odd; there was something of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang!'s child-catcher about him.
His media career had followed time as a coal miner and a failed wrestler. He was the first presenter of Top of the Pops (and, when that show came to an end, he was also it's its last).
Savile has been attributed with large amounts of charity work, including running many marathons (there are, however, stories that He would start and finish a lot of marathons but maybe didn't actually run the full 26 miles!).
His involvement in the Stoke Mandeville Hospital (where he had a suite of rooms!) and Broadmoor Secure Hospital are well-known but his connections appear to have included Prime Ministers, royalty and Israel politicians (he claims to have addressed the Israel cabinet a one point). For someone who was just an entertainer his influence appears to have been rather broad and questions about how have been raised at various points - Free Masonry seems to be the popular answer.
Savile was always keen to publicize himself; "surprise visits" to a hospital would be met by a television crew and he rarely missed an opportunity to tell others about his "good works".
He lived an odd and isolated life in Leeds and never quite recovered from his mother's death in 1973. The flat where "The Duchess" lived has been kept as she left it ever since and he had her clothes dry-cleaned annually, claiming that they're better than any photograph.
His private life, no partners and living by himself, has raised many questions. When Louis Theroux made a programme about him a few years ago, he seemed to find Savile a rate troubled and difficult person.
I suspect there's a lot that will come out over the coming months. Why, for instance, did Jimmy Savile have an injunction preventing News International from reporting, and using photographs, of his visits to the notorious children's home in Jersey where Wilfred Bramble, from Steptoe and Son, took part in child abuse?
There are many, many stories about Jimmy Savile that raise eyebrows, the truth will neve be known, but it's fair to say he was successful in his chosen careers. Whether his reputation will survive his death... Only time will tell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)