Whitney Houstons Private Hell and Inevitable Death. Along that downhill road, Houstons drug use led her to forget the lyrics to her most famous songs, blow off concert dates at a moments notice, lose her fortune, ruin her voice, and even sometimes ignore the basic needs of her only daughter. She planned her day around the drugs, and nothing else mattered, says one of her closest friends, who requested anonymity because she herself often partied with Houston. Drug sellers loved her, and everyone wanted to sell to her because she paid in cash. She would spend thousands of dollars a week buying drugs and stockpile it in the house so she wouldnt run out. The house would be a mess, with trash and dirty clothes everywhere, but she didnt want anyone to clean up, because she didnt want people to see how bad everything was. She didnt want a nanny for Bobbi Kristina for the same reason. Houstons tragic end, say friends and associates, was the result of many factors and the fault of many people, with Houston herself at the top of the list. The once fresh faced teenager with the sculpted cheekbones and sinewy figure grew up in East Orange, N. J., where her family moved after living in Newark during the 1. Her parents did what they could to provide well for Whitney and her older brothers, Gary and Michael. But somewhere along the way, her brothers fell victim to drug use, and their little sister wasnt far behind. It wasnt Bobby Brown who introduced her to drugs, says Monique Houston, who married Gary Houston early in Whitneys career and divorced him in 2. Dont Be Cruel Whitney Houstons Bodyguard Blames Bobby Brown For Divas Death Marriage to New Edition alum was too toxicDrugs were around her for years before she met Bobby and continued after he left. It was worse when they were together, but he didnt cause it. Brown, whom Houston met at the 1. Soul Train Music Awards and married three years later, has long carried the blame for her fall from grace. But those who knew the two well say Houston wasnt someone easily led into doing things she didnt want to do. Houston dabbled only in light drugs during the initial stages of her career, say several people who were around her at the time. But as her fame grew by leaps and bounds, so did the pressure to succeed and her need to escape from it all. It was hard, given her two brothers were into drugs, Monique Houston says. Drug overdose and intoxication are significant causes of accidental death, and can also be used as a form of suicide. Death can occur from overdosing on a single or. In the 35 years she rode atop the pop radio waves, Whitney Houston garnered more awards than any other femaleincluding seven Grammy Awards, 33 Billboard Awards. During the early and mid 8. Gary was in rehab several times for it. I think it was hard for her to go a different way with such easy access to it and those around her doing it, too. Neither Gary Houston nor Michael Houston would comment for this article. By the time Houston had reached superstardomsinging The Star Spangled Banner during the Super Bowl in 1. Hollywood movie, The Bodyguard, in 1. It really got bad for her around the time of The Bodyguard and after her marriage to Bobby, says her former assistant. She was trying hard to be this kind of prissy, girly girl people wanted her to be, but she wasnt. She was trying to be everyone to everybody while also taking care of everybody. That took its toll. Houstons pressures included pleasing both her strong willed mother, Cissy, whod long dreamed of success of her own, and her mentor Clive Davis, who had a vested interest in keeping her music as mainstream as possible. Davis discouraged Houston from writing her own lyrics and flatly dismissed her desire to be less pop. Davis and Cissy Houston both declined comment. Some African American audiences felt Houston and her music lacked soulso much so that they dubbed her Whitey Houston and booed her at the 1. Soul Train Music Awards, the same event where she met Brown. I dont think people knew how much that hurt her and made her second guess herself, says Monique, who recalls seeing Houston near tears at the awards show. She grew up in the inner city and certainly wanted to be loved by her people. Particularly since the real Whitney Houston, stripped of her long evening gowns, flawless makeup, and heels, was a down home, hard core Jersey girl who loved nothing better than to drink, smoke pot, and have a good time. She was indeed the perfect match for R B bad boy Brown, who routinely got in trouble with the law and had several children by different women when the two met. They both lived lives where they were poor in the early years, had a lot of family they felt responsible for, and had success at a young age. They could relate well to each other in some ways, Monique says. That doesnt mean they were right for each other, but Bobby wasnt a bad guy. He also wasnt the person Houston needed to help get her life on track and off the drugs she was taking with increasing frequency. This business is brutal, and its very easy to get caught up in stuff you shouldnt, even with the right people around you, says singer Chaka Khan, who struggled for years with a cocaine habit and admits to getting high with Brown and Houston, who was one of Khans backup singers as a teenager. Before Brown arrived on the scene, Houstons rock had been her longtime friend and business associate Robyn Crawford, and many thought the two were having a romantic relationship. She and Robyn were very close. They had known each other since high school, says the former assistant. They had a strong attachment to each other, and I cant say more than that. But as the lesbian rumors persisted, even after her marriage to Brown rumors that Houston denied but that posed a potential threat to those invested in her careerCrawford disappeared from Houstons life in the mid 9. When she left, Whitney felt lost, says the former associate. She needed her. Clive Davis signed Houston in 1. Ebet Roberts Redferns Getty Images Instead, Houston and Brown descended further into their addictions. Bobby could get the drugs easier than she could, because he could go down to the streets and fit in better than Whitney did, says Houstons close friend who did drugs with her. Their messy life was a boon to Browns family, who regularly sold pictures to the tabloids for thousands and thousands of dollars. Bobbys family sold Whitney out so many times, but Whitney would just get higher to forget their betrayal. Many people tried to get Houstons family to intervene, but they refused, according to several friends and associates of Houstons. The family was afraid of the embarrassment on some level and wouldnt confront her early on, Monique Houston says. Her mother would always say, I dont understand this drug thing. And she didnt. They let it get too bad before they understood she needed serious help, and then it was too late. Houstons brothers couldnt help, because they were dealing with their own drug abuse. Gary played a year in the NBA, where he struggled with drugs and injuries, and wound up a backup singer for his sister. As for Michael, friends and family say he often goes missing for weeks at a time because of drugs and has been particularly unstable since his sisters death. A lot of times the family isnt able to get to the one they love, says singer Jermaine Jackson, who understands all too well the Houston familys struggle. I saw that with Michael for years. We couldnt get to him, because those who just wanted him to work and make money didnt care if he was sick or drugged out. Thats a tough battle to fight. Ultimately, though, no one could help Houston unless she was willing to accept that she needed help. You couldnt make Whitney do anything she didnt want to, plain and simple, her former assistant says. People did try to get her help, and her mother certainly wanted to help her daughter. But in many ways they didnt know what to do. Whitney was the breadwinner and called the shots. Former employees say confronting Houston about her drug use was a sure way to end up jobless. She could get someone else to do whatever you were doing for her in a heartbeat, says a former security guard. I quit because I was tired of looking the other way and tired of pretending this wasnt going to turn out exactly the way it eventually did. Ironically, Houstons drug use only grew worse after the birth of her beloved Bobbi Kristina, who arrived after several earlier miscarriages. She loved that little girl with all her heart, but she was far too sick by the time her baby came to be the kind of mother she needed to be, says a family friend. Sometimes Whitney would be so out of it, the baby wouldnt be changed for days at a time. Thats what drugs will do to you, and it doesnt matter how rich you are. Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston. AKA Whitney Elizabeth Houston. Born 9 Aug 1. 96. Birthplace Newark, NJDied 1. Feb 2. 01. 2Location of death Los Angeles, CACause of death Accident Drowning. Remains Buried, Fairview Cemetery, Westfield, NJGender Female. Religion Baptist. Race or Ethnicity Black. Sexual orientation Straight. Occupation Singer. Nationality United States. Executive summary Diva and cautionary tale. Whitney Houston was a fashion model before becoming a singer, and as a teen appeared on the cover of Glamour. Houston had seven consecutive 1 hit singles, and had 2. Top Ten. Her 1. 99. Dolly Partons I Will Always Love You remains one of the best selling songs of all time. Houstons mother, noted R B singer Cissy Houston, recorded Midnight Train to Georgia years before Gladys Knight the Pips. Cissys group the Sweet Inspirations also sang back up on many Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley hits. Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are Houstons cousins. Her parents divorced when Whitney was in kindergarten, but her father acted as her business manager through Houstons rise. He later sued to receive millions in past due compensation. He died in 2. 00. For years there were perpetual whispers that Whitney Houston had an eating disorder or, more obviously, drug problems. She was in and out of rehab repeatedly, to overcome reported addictions to cocaine, marijuana, and assorted pills. In January 2. 00. Houston was arrested at an airport checkpoint after two plastic baggies of marijuana and three partially smoked joints were found in her luggage. She eventually reached a plea bargain, and despite missing the courts deadline to submit proof of passing a substance abuse evaluation, her police record was wiped clean five months later. Once literally movie star beautiful in films like The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale, photos of the latter day Houston were shocking in her rare public appearances, she was frequently referred as frightfully emaciated, skeletal and frail scarily skinny, etc. In 2. 00. 2, she told Diane Sawyer, First of all, lets get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Lets get that straight, okay We dont do crack. We dont do that. Crack is wack. In 2. Bobby Brown, was charged with battery after an argument with Houston left her with facial injuries. In 2. 00. 5, she was hospitalized with what was called food poisoning. Houston and Brown separated in October 2. Georgia mansion and numerous possessions were subsequently sold to settle long overdue mortgage payments and other debts. Her death in 2. 01. Father John Houston entertainment executive, b. Sep 1. 92. 0, d. Feb 2. 00. 3 heart diseaseMother Cissy Houston Emily Drinkard, singer, b. Sep 1. 93. 3Brother Michael Houston musicianBrother Gary Garland stepbrotherBrother John Russell Houston III stepbrotherMother Peggy Houston stepmother, m. John HoustonSister Alana Houston stepsister, born to John and Peggy HoustonHusband Bobby Brown musician, m. Jul 1. 99. 2, sep. Oct 2. 00. 6, div. Apr 2. 00. 7, one childDaughter Bobbi Kristina Brown b. Mar 1. 99. 3, d. Jul 2. 01. 5Boyfriend Ray J rapper, dated 2. United Negro College Fund. Drug Possession Marijuana Keahole Kona Intl Airport, Hawaii Jan 2. Atlanta, checked in 1. March 2. 00. 4, stayed five daysunknown detox facility checked in Mar 2. Sierra Tucson checked in Apr 2. May 2. 01. 1Endorsement of Coca Cola Diet Coke 1. Miscarriage Jul 1. Miscarriage 1. 9 Dec 1. Intervention organized by Clive Davis with Courtney Love. Autopsy 4 Apr 2. Grammy 1. 98. 5, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, for Saving All My Love For YouGrammy 1. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, for I Wanna Dance With SomebodyGrammy 1. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, for I Will Always Love YouGrammy 1. Album of the Year, for The Bodyguard soundtrack. Grammy 1. 99. 3, Record of the Year, for I Will Always Love YouGrammy 1. Best Female R B Vocal Performance, for Its Not Right But Its OkayRisk Factors Cocaine, Smoking, Marijuana. FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTORSparkle 1. Aug 2. 01. 2 Emma. Cinderella 2 Nov 1. The Preachers Wife 1. Dec 1. 99. 6 Julia Biggs. Waiting to Exhale 2. Dec 1. 99. 5 Savannah. The Bodyguard 2. Nov 1. 99. 2 Rachel Marron. Official Website http www. Requires Flash 7 and Javascript. Do you know something we dont Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. 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