Whitney Houston passed away on 2/11/12 - Part 2

[21merc7]

Because I think a funeral of someone close to you (if not close to Whitney at the time of her death, she was definitely close to Cissy) should take precedence over a concert. Makes sense to me. If she was able to do the concert that night, there is no reason she shouldn't have been able to make it to Whitney's funeral. She should have been there.

The video has been pulled, I tried to link it yesterday. When Aretha was on the Today Show she was evading answering what she would sing at the funeral. Then she went reflective - body language. Al Roker was left filling in the gap. She did read the poem, but it could be taken as derogatory if another Diva. It was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but a couple of words changed to make it about Whitney. I don't know their relationship, but I don't see a lot of coverage about them spending time together throughout the years, so maybe she didn't feel obligated. She also found out via television news. She is in her 70's though, and in poor health, so maybe it was just too much for her to deal with. We can guess till the cows come home and will not tell us the truth. There could be some bad blood. Maybe she just couldn't been around addicts and drugs, who knows.

As I so indelicately pointed out, I could not have sat through that lengthy funeral. I need potty breaks, lol! I would imagine medication times, meals, moving around would also be a factor. If she has been taking any cancer treatment (I think that was the news) she probably could not handle that and a show. Nor get back in time for a show.

 

[Luzianne]

Interesting question. A bit premature, she did look high already, perhaps they just saw it coming. Or is there more to it?

???? Not sure what you're referring to!

 

[21merc7]

???? Not sure what you're referring to!

Oops. The question about would she want that song played at her funeral in the middle of big event. I can tell she is just high enough from watching co-workers in a restaurant or 3 over 20 years ago. They would go in the bathroom and do just enough heroin or just enough crack to get through. You could find aluminum foil crack pipes all over the bathroom, just laying around, and aluminum inhalers, or syringes in the (gross!) toilet tank, behind the mirror, behind the toilet, in the spare roll, you name it. With the heroin there was a couple of seconds nod off. Like the head would drop to one side as if falling asleep before it kicked in. With the crack they just started talking fast and crazy. The eyelids got droopy, pupils would give the cause, and insanity to shortly follow, given whichever drug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkkQDVVHQhA&feature=youtu.be

 

[alwaysonmymind]

Interesting article/speculation regarding the estate of Whitney Houston.

Some have speculated that Whitney’s estate will be worth between $10 and $20 million, or more.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/trialan...ws-trouble-already-brewing-around-her-estate/

 

[Nova]

I know that would be best, but I'm betting she won't do that. She is 18 and I think going from the lifestyle she had with her mother to what would probably, to her, be a boring "normal" life in New Jersey with her grandmother would be major culture shock I think. I think she will get out of New Jersey as soon as she can and back to the life she knows.

I worry about what that will do to Cissy, though. She is 79. I think she has aged so much in the last few years and I'm afraid all of this is going to be too much for her.

I read the Aretha did a concert the evening of Whitney's funeral. I know I shouldn't judge, but I think she should have been at the funeral come hell or high water, even if she had to come in a wheelchair (her leg was bothering her), and if she had to cancel something it should have been the concert, not the funeral.

Again, it's easy to say someone should cancel a concert. But doing so puts hundreds of people out of work for the day, most of whom never knew Whitney Houston personally. How is that right?

 

[daisy.faithfull]

You're right. That was one of the Oprah interviews. Where she finally admitted to pot laced with crack, and Brown cutting her head off a huge portrait and drawing creepy eyes all over the bedroom walls, spitting on her, etc... I think it was the 2009 interview, there are a couple of them. I got lost in interviews after a while, lol.

I haven't watched the interview yet, how horribly hideous!:maddening:

Haven't there been reports that Ray J might have been smoking pot laced with crack?

I grew up with a lot of people who became addicts, and when I look at statistics my friends have a higher rate of recovery compared to national averages... way higher and I try to focus on that because I've lost friends to addiction too. I've gone to sooooooo many yearly anniversary chip celebrations and it really is a "cunning and baffling" disease. I understand that aspect of it that the drugs make people feel good and they get hooked, but I don't get taking an upper and downer at the same time. Wouldn't they cancel each other out? ETA: But I guess if it distorts realty and alters their state of mind that is all that is necessary.

What would that kind of mixture do to your system? Seems like it would be an even greater shock to the system than just taking one or the other alone. If reports are accurate that she was denied plastic surgery due to health concerns she was not in good health. Especially since it seems like celeb plastic surgery docs don't know how to say no to a stars request even if it is clearly is a bad idea. Maybe it wasn't her prescribed meds that finally did her in, although it is very disturbing a doc did give her those meds.

Is it possible Whitney had only recently relapsed? She really did look great, not like she did when we know she was using, and we know it wasn't the result of surgery although she could have had fillers and botox injections.

Maybe they couldn't find evidence of doctor shopping because she had only just started manipulating docs for drugs.

If this was a relapse wouldn't the drugs have an even greater chance of overwhelming her system?

 

[Luzianne]

I haven't watched the interview yet, how horribly hideous!:maddening:

Haven't there been reports that Ray J might have been smoking pot laced with crack?

I grew up with a lot of people who became addicts, and when I look at statistics my friends have a higher rate of recovery compared to national averages... way higher and I try to focus on that because I've lost friends to addiction too. I've gone to sooooooo many yearly anniversary chip celebrations and it really is a "cunning and baffling" disease. I understand that aspect of it that the drugs make people feel good and they get hooked, but I don't get taking an upper and downer at the same time. Wouldn't they cancel each other out?

What would that kind of mixture do to your system? Seems like it would be an even greater shock to the system than just taking one or the other alone. If reports are accurate that she was denied plastic surgery due to health concerns she was not in good health. Especially since it seems like celeb plastic surgery docs don't know how to say no to a stars request even if it is clearly is a bad idea. Maybe it wasn't her prescribed meds that finally did her in, although it is very disturbing a doc did give her those meds.

Is it possible Whitney had only recently relapsed? She really did look great, not like she did when we know she was using, and we know it wasn't the result of surgery although she could have had fillers and botox injections.

Maybe they couldn't find evidence of doctor shopping because she had only just started manipulating docs for drugs.

If this was a relapse wouldn't the drugs have an even greater chance of overwhelming her system?

From what I have read, crack and pot are used together to "level off" - I assume meaning the pot would level off the effects of the crack or something, that crack would hype you up and pot would calm you down. Apparently that was what Whitney had been smoking at some point. But I also read reports that she was smoking that with Ray J and "Young Buck" the night before she died.

About the medical clearance for surgery, we may never know what the reasons were for her being turned down for surgery due to privacy of her medical records. But I hope we do find out. I think Whitney's death can educate the rest of us on the effects of drugs on the body. I think normally if you are over 50 they do a medical clearance automatically if you having surgery. Whitney wasn't 50, and she wasn't overweight. Maybe a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon routinely does medical clearance anyway, though, just because of the caliber of their clientele and wanting to cover all their bases before doing surgery on a star.

When I had surgery they did lab work, a chest x-ray and an EKG. I wonder if Whitney's EKG might have showed heart rhythm disturbances as a result of her cocaine use?

 

[21merc7]

Taking an upper and a downer together will cause your heart to stop. Maybe not the first time, but it will. The upper cranks your body and mind really fast and hard, the downer mellows that out a bit, and may - I don't know-help with the really hard crash of the upper. I think the combo may prolong the upper. Crack/cocaine/meth users could keep doing a dose every few minutes to keep that high going. If something is added to prolong perceived effect, you have a problem.

I believe it was called speedballing in the '70's.

Whitney is said to have been to another rehab, (I think she only did outpatient which I have only heard of methodone clinics for that so who knows why kind of rehab), in May 2011. She was said to be okay at first while filming Sparkle, but started using noticeably during filming.

I am sorry about your friends. I wish I could have helped mine, I helped one years later, but most do not want help and addiction rules - makes them angry and violently so, along with the stealing, lying, bumming, you name it ugliness. I hate to see it bring good people down so far and they cannot kick it.

 

[21merc7]

When I had surgery they did lab work, a chest x-ray and an EKG. I wonder if Whitney's EKG might have showed heart rhythm disturbances as a result of her cocaine use?

Sadly I think a lot of damage was done. She did a lot of drugs! She admitted on Oprah that one day she realized she had been in her pajamas and sitting on the couch for seven months! We know the drug use/abuse was longer than that. So heart, lungs, were in trouble. Liver if it goes through it as the doc said he tested for on all patients, he could not say about WH. I imagine there was some artery and brain damage too. I have realized that smoking crack is what destroyed her voice, not just age. Ever talk to a raspy voiced crack head? It must just burn layers.

(I wouldn't mind seven months in pj's without having to work, just saying, lol.)

ETA: Just saw the question about relapse. That could mean instant death if doing the same dose you did when you quit and not easing back into it, at least on heroin it does, so I've seen. 23 and 24 years old.

 

[shana]

I thought her Twitter account was: https://twitter.com/#!/realbkbrown

I just spent some time going thru the photos at Bobbi Kristina's Twitter account, and then on to her bff's Twitter, etc.

Although they are not so recent, BK's photos show a happy teenage girl with a strong love of family (her Mother's) and of her friends, matched with her sense of spirituality and appreciation of life. If you choose to view the photos, do read her captions.

I hope her bff Bess was there in NJ, and her 'pups' Bella too.

fwiw: BK appeared to be a 'normal' teenager which gave me a sense of encouragement. Also, she did not post trashy stuff as certain other teen girls with a famous mother have done. :-x

 

[daisy.faithfull]

Will do in a second.

I keep wondering why she still got so upset about magazines and spin. The National Enquirer she saw in the hotel the day before she died was no big deal. She'd been doing this since the late '80's. I think it was title Whitney Collapses, bankrupt, blah blah blah. Why get so upset? It is old hat by now. Was it b/c of the grammy party? How could she be embarrassed after doing that drugged up show with hubby and drugged up interviews and performances?

Off to watch...

It is, but if she was trying to convince people in her life that she was not using drugs that kind of article would fuel concerns that investing in her career would be a huge mistake.

Honestly with her history, it is a miracle that she could find work. I don't think I've seen anything that talks about Whitney's behavior on the set of her new movie so maybe she was on her best behavior, she might have been really hoping for another comeback.

 

[Luzianne]

Again, it's easy to say someone should cancel a concert. But doing so puts hundreds of people out of work for the day, most of whom never knew Whitney Houston personally. How is that right?

So she couldn't have gone to the funeral and done the concert? All I'm saying is, if she was well enough to do a concert, she was well enough to go to Whitney's funeral, and she should have been there.

 

[daisy.faithfull]

From what I have read, crack and pot are used together to "level off" - I assume meaning the pot would level off the effects of the crack or something, that crack would hype you up and pot would calm you down. Apparently that was what Whitney had been smoking at some point. But I also read reports that she was smoking that with Ray J and "Young Buck" the night before she died.

About the medical clearance for surgery, we may never know what the reasons were for her being turned down for surgery due to privacy of her medical records. But I hope we do find out. I think Whitney's death can educate the rest of us on the effects of drugs on the body. I think normally if you are over 50 they do a medical clearance automatically if you having surgery. Whitney wasn't 50, and she wasn't overweight. Maybe a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon routinely does medical clearance anyway, though, just because of the caliber of their clientele and wanting to cover all their bases before doing surgery on a star.

When I had surgery they did lab work, a chest x-ray and an EKG. I wonder if Whitney's EKG might have showed heart rhythm disturbances as a result of her cocaine use?

That makes sense, I've never had that kind of work done before my surgeries, but I'm still under 40 and thank goodness don't have any on the horizon.

 

[21merc7]

It is, but if she was trying to convince people in her life that she was not using drugs that kind of article would fuel concerns that investing in her career would be a huge mistake.

Honestly with her history, it is a miracle that she could find work. I don't think I've seen anything that talks about Whitney's behavior on the set of her new movie so maybe she was on her best behavior, she might have been really hoping for another comeback.

I read somewhere the other day that she was using on the set of Sparkle, I cannot remember where. I also read that the Bobbi K tub incident was a suicide attempt, again cannot remember where, I've been all over the internet this week on Whitney stuff. That could have sent WH into reality for a moment.

I think she wanted a come back, but I think she also thought she was still all that and it may have been too much to find out she was not anymore. A comeback was not going to be 20 year old Whitney either. With a boyfriend about the age of her daughter she may have gotten trapped in time when the drugs began and did not realize she was not the same person for herself, her daughter, or a comeback that she was when she was 20. The conversation Clive Davis mentioned at the funeral sounded unrealistic - the one about getting back in shape, getting the high notes back, being ready by August. He knew it too. She also asked El DeBarge to help her stay clean the night before she died, everyone knew she wasn't. Especially Clive.

Whitney always tried to outspin spin by denial. Unfortunately that does not work when everything you do is captured on film and audio.

 

[Luzianne]

BK was chubby all through childhood and then the next thing we knew she was thin. I really hope that wasn't a result of drug use. Some kids have a growth spurt at puberty and slim down as they reach their teens. I really hope that is what happened with her, or that she dieted and got the weight off, and that it's not from drug use.

It's pretty obvious when Whitney was and wasn't using crack based on her weight. It was also shocking when Diane Sawyer showed Whitney that picture of her looking skeletal and you could tell Whitney saw nothing wrong with the way she looked in that picture. You could say she was pretending not to think she was too thin in the picture, but I really got the sense that she really thought she looked fine. Scary.

 

[hannahsnana]

From what I have read, crack and pot are used together to "level off" - I assume meaning the pot would level off the effects of the crack or something, that crack would hype you up and pot would calm you down. Apparently that was what Whitney had been smoking at some point. But I also read reports that she was smoking that with Ray J and "Young Buck" the night before she died.

About the medical clearance for surgery, we may never know what the reasons were for her being turned down for surgery due to privacy of her medical records. But I hope we do find out. I think Whitney's death can educate the rest of us on the effects of drugs on the body. I think normally if you are over 50 they do a medical clearance automatically if you having surgery. Whitney wasn't 50, and she wasn't overweight. Maybe a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon routinely does medical clearance anyway, though, just because of the caliber of their clientele and wanting to cover all their bases before doing surgery on a star.

When I had surgery they did lab work, a chest x-ray and an EKG. I wonder if Whitney's EKG might have showed heart rhythm disturbances as a result of her cocaine use?

Even without the drugs, many plastic surgeons won't perform the surgery if you are just a cigarette smoker. They want you to quit first, because supposedly smoking interferes with healing.

 

[21merc7]

The Queen of Soul’s spokeswoman strenuously denied that Franklin missed Whitney Houston’s funeral on Saturday afternoon because she angered the late singer’s mother, Cissy Houston, with comments she made during a “Today” show interview on Friday.ordan adds that Franklin walked out of Radio City “barefoot” Friday night because the swelling in one of her legs prevented her from wearing shoes. “She had to keep off her leg and keep it elevated Saturday.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/a...and-article-1.1025450?localLinksEnabled=false

 

[Luzianne]

That makes sense, I've never had that kind of work done before my surgeries, but I'm still under 40 and thank goodness don't have any on the horizon.

I was kind of surprised when they ordered medical clearance for me, because I had never had to have anything before surgery either.

 

[Luzianne]

Even without the drugs, many plastic surgeons won't perform the surgery if you are just a cigarette smoker. They want you to quit first, because supposedly smoking interferes with healing.

Yes, smoking does interfere with healing.

 

[21merc7]

Scroll to the second video screen for the Oprah interview - where Bobbi Kristina was, etc...

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/09/whitney-houston-interview-with-oprah-part-2.html