I heard from a friend with some insight into the industry that she was prescribed some Xanax and had been drinking champagne. That was probably just enough to relax her to the point where she drowned in the bathtub.

Sounds very plausible.

It's being reported now that Whitney's young daughter Bobbi Kristina was rushed to hospital and being treated for anxiety. Poor kid.


TIS

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57376195/whitney-houstons-daughter-rushed-to-hosptial/

Very telling that while the daughter is apparently having an understandable nervous breakdown, Bobby Brown is halfway across the country still doing his stupid concerts for the New Edition reunion tour.

"This is for you Whitney!"

More like he needs the money to pay off his crack budget, because that shit is expensive. And fighting a lawsuit from promoters suing him for skipping some concerts because of a family emergency would drain more money from his crack budget. I bet that he'll cash in on this notoriety. I mean what else has that useless asshole done on his own since New Edition? Nothing.

Almost reminds me of Michael Jackson's own "family" after he died, shamelessly beating his corpse for even more money and opportunities for their has-been (or never-were) careers. (Except Janet, she actually had a successful career w/o pathetically hanging onto "Mike." But the rest were leeches.)

Makes me sick.

Why isn't he by his daughter who obviously needs him. Poor girl. I hope she makes it thru her life without any major roadblocks.



TIS

Patricia Stephens Due passed away. She was a noted civil rights activist and author. She was also the mother of author Tananarive Due and mother-in-law of author Steve Barnes.

Times Obit

Oh I disagree with this. First off Houston wasn't really a soul singer and never really pretended to be. She was always pop. Secondly I think Winehouse was horribly derivative and frankly wasn't that talented. That said I don't have to like or dislike someone's music to be sad that they're gone too soon however it occurred.

Winehouse had a great voice that was all,cant imagine her concerts where very uplifting..

I love Winehouse's "Back to Black". I think she was a talent, although certainly not in Whitney's league. Whitney's "I Will Always Love You" was just an amazing take on what was originally a Dolly Parton country song. Although Dolly's version was beautiful, nothing could touch Whitney's.

When my daughter was a toddler, she loved to watch "The Bodyguard" with me, but she called it "Lady Who Sings". A definite chick flick,

What a beautiful instrument she had.

SB

My daughters were teenagers and they loved that same scene. Definitely a chick thing.



TIS

Hall of Fame catcher, Gary Carter, a former NY Met died today at age 57.

R.I.P. to an exciting player gone way too soon.

I'm very saddened by this.

RIP Gary, and thanks for some of the best memories of my entire life at Shea Stadium.

Anyone watching Whitney's funeral service?

Having worked with almost every faith during my 25 years in the funeral service industry, I can tell you that I've never been to a Baptist service that didn't last at least two to three hours. And that's for John Q. Public. This will be a long one.

It's been in very good taste so far. Not that I'd expect anything less, it's just that I've worked my share of celebrity funerals over the years, and sometimes they get really out of hand.

you worked with celebrity funerals? can you name a couple that you worked with?

I did catch most of Whitney's funeral. It was very nice, though very lengthy. Stevie Wonder was among many celebs there. Aretha Franklin was suppose to attend but had health problems and cancelled. Kevin Costner's tribute was very moving. I hear Bobby Brown came but didn't stay for the funeral. Don't know the details.



TIS

TIS - TMZ reported:



Two questions

(1) why a 9 person entourage for a funeral?
(2) 9 people still want to hang around with Bobby Brown?

What I also heard about Bobby Brown was that he was not allowed to see his estranged daughter at the service, but I heard yesterday that it was the daughter who said that she did not want to see him. He also complained that he was told to change his seat three times.

I saw parts of the service - some of Stevie Wonder's performance, some of Kevin Costner's tribute, and a few other people I can't exactly recall right now. I had the television on and was doing a few other things around the apartment, so I was glancing at the screen from time to time. It seemed very long, and I don't really have that kind of attention span for celebrity funerals.

But I'm sure there will be lots of highlights tonight on all the news shows.

Signor V.

I missed the memorial, but I've read his remarks in several news stories. How very sweet!

^^ Thanks for posting that video, rrA. I had the funeral service on tv this afternoon but I was doing a lot of other things and I hadn't seen Kevin Costner's appearance.

Very touching.

Costner really sounded sincere and a little broken up toward the end. He had said earlier that he waited an entire year to make "The Bodyguard" because Whitney wasn't available, and he wanted her in it.

As for Bobby Brown, I heard he had complained about being moved several times during or before the service but didn't hear about his entourage. I agree with RR though, who follow him anymore? An entourage?

They played part of an interview with Whitney and Oprah, in which Whitney said (roughly) that Bobby couldn't take the fact that she was more famous then he was.

Oh, and I can't say I've been a fan or know a lot of his music, but wasn't is only greatest HIT "My Prerogative?"

TIS

I just rewatched the video with Kevin Costner's eulogy. (I was really impressed).

I noticed something funny.... at 2:15 of the tape, Costner had just mentioned that he, too, had been raised in a Baptist Church, and as the audience reacted, there is an older man seated behind Kostner (to the left of the screen) who kind of leans into a young gal seated next to him. She was having none of that, and the look on her face as she looked at the older guy is absolutely priceless.

SC,

I just played that part. He said something and she totally turned away and seemed to ignore him.



TIS

No, he didn't say anything to her. He just leaned closer and she bugged out.

Watch the video on YouTube itself. It will allow you to make it Full Screen and you'll see it better.

Yea, you're right. Makes me wonder why the heck he was leaning toward her. Maybe there's a totally plausible explanation that we aren't seeing, but it does look she's dissing him big time.


TIS

To me it looks like he was trying to see something, leaning towards her, and bumped into her. I'd be annoyed, too.

I think that's it, Geoff. You notice he does that a few other times when Costner said something to which the audience reacted. I know Oprah Winfrey was sitting in the second row just to the left side of the screen, and I think the guy was looking at Oprah to see her reaction.

Just the same, it's hilarious at how the gal onstage reacted.

TMZ:

It is all a very sad ! Bobby Brown was nothing but a big downfall to her, with drugs, promises, etc.. She was weak and he knew it ! And took advantage ! to bad this isn't a spit!

She had alot of talent and like so many other entertainer's , from those before Elvis, and and many after. That is never going to end. We all play , no matter what life, famous or what! And we all let thing's destroy us ! Why? Is it stupidity,money, family, importance, fame, etc.. ?

Hey I love Whitney as much as the next person and I'm no Bobby Brown fan fo sho. But facts are facts, and the facts are, as Whitney herself has said time and time again in interviews...she was a junkie before she met Bobby and she was the one that introduced him to coke, being that she's somewhat older than he is and had been into it already. She also said to Oprah that without Bobby she had no desire to be high. Guess that wasn't the case either, since they've been divorced for 3 years now.
Let's not let the blame lie with only Bobby here, is all I'm saying. She was a junkie thru and thru..Bobby or not.

That being said... the celebrities and rockstars that abused old fashioned street drugs are still with us pretty much. Too many people don't get how dangerous benzy's and painkillers are when overprescribed and abused.