I thought it was appropriate to address the celebration of the life and songs of Whitney Houston who passed away last week. There is so much speculation. So much gossip...so much...too much.
I would never want to walk in Whitney's shoes...don't get me wrong, I could never afford them in the first place! But let's just say that there is not really any singer out there who "hit" it like Whitney. The Diva had fame and fortune at such a young age but unlike the cookie cutter pop stars, Whitney had real talent.
And it came with a heavy price.
Being a diehard Jersey girl, I really took this to heart. My best friend's sister was in Whitney's graduating class at Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell, NJ always telling us about this beautiful girl, an aspiring model who was going to be a star.
She was not wrong.
Whitney is now "home." She's back in Jersey where she came from and where she gave back. Known for her generosity in abundance to various charities, sadly these are the mitzvahs that the gossip columns failed to address as she tried to wrestle the demons, bring back her voice, keep her family together and maintain her dignity.
Governor Christie is going to fly flags in NJ at half-mast and people in LA ask me why... as she was not a hero. Make no mistake about it: Whitney Houston was indeed a hero, an idol to young girls who dared to dream. She was indeed a hero coming out of Newark and going to Hollywood and always going back to Jersey to "give back."
She was certainly an idol to my girls who own every song on their iPods! Her understated generosity to her community is what I remember most. Yes, she was a hero. A hero with a horrible disease known as "addiction." Her fight is over with the demons that had a hold on her and robbed the world of her beautiful instrument: "The Voice."
She was beautiful as she was talented. Diva was really what described Whitney. Although the reality show began later, Whitney STARTED out a star.
Watching people in Jersey hover over her hearse brought tears to my eyes. I'm lying. I sobbed. A mother lost her daughter. A daughter lost her mother.
Much like Michael Jackson, every time you hear the angels sing "that" tune that brings back a specific memory going to the depth of your soul.... you remember where you were and what you were doing when the song came out.
Not only will we always love you, Whitney...to this day when I hear "I Wanna Dance with Somebody!" I really want to dance with somebody! I grab my girls and we boogie to the ol' skool beat.
Whitney Houston, may you rest in peace. You will never be forgotten. Now...I wanna dance with somebody! I celebrate with VJ fans, the life of Whitney Houston.
STARTED out a star.
