Whitney is dead. She died yesterday at the age of 48 and no one knows why so they say. She was found in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. She leaves us a significant musical legacy. “Share My Life Take Me For What I Am” yes the words to one of her many songs from the 1980’s through the Nineties that filled our minds and souls. Whitney Houston had the style and breath control comparable to the legends like Elvis and Sinatra and like them we all saw them grow up and succeed in their careers and like Elvis and Amy Winehouse, we witnessed their decline.

She was scheduled to appear at her friend Clive Davis’s and business partner’s Grammy party last night. He was her producer and mentor but she didn’t attend. She died instead. She was still a teenager when in 1985 she appeared on The Merv Griffin show back in 1985 and the world first saw and heard her. Se was Sissy Houston’s daughter a well known Gospel Singer. She lived up to all her expectations and more. “I shouldn’t exist being last on your list, but no other man’s gonna do. So I’m savin’ all my love for you” yeah words from another of her songs.

Her voice possessed Gospel, soul rock and Pop. It was a young voice but a belting older voice too. She could elevate a mediocre song with her taste and iconic style. “And I Will Always Love You” the words to another song where she could stretch out one line into a 30 second rant of music. She was a public figure her entire adult life. Tonight at the Grammy’s everyone praised her. They mentioned her name in the middle of their songs in tribute.

Her first album sold millions of copies and launched her career by becoming one of the top selling singers of all time. Her musical success was also shown in her movies as in her movie called “The Bodyguard” where she acted in a leading role with Kevin Costner. While she was spinning out hits her life was spinning out of control. Her 15 year marriage to Rhythm and Blues star Bobby Brown was tumultuous and at times violent.

There were rumors then of some heavy drug use. The couple has a daughter but by the time the divorced in 2007 Houston’s record sales had gone way down. Her once pure voice became raspy, and her attempts at a comeback failed. The brilliance of her talent and the troubles she encountered in life is well known around the world.

We all know she probably died from some awful addiction like Amy or Elvis that no one could stop. But leave it alone. Ignore the gossip press and scandal media like TMZ, National Enquirer and any other medium that makes their money by annoying successful people in their field of expertise. We know they will try to exploit her memory now that she can’t defend herself. Whitney Houston touched all of us but she didn’t belong to us.

She was Sissy’s daughter who was a Grammy winning Gospel singer, She was the God daughter of Aretha Franklin, she was the cousin of 60’s pop star Deon Warwick who gave Whitney her first of 6 Grammy’s, she was a girl named Bobby’s Mother, she was Bobby Brown’s wife and her memory belongs to them. For the rest of us, we will always have her music. Let's just let her rest in peace. Thanks girl.