Drugs ruined Houston's voice, life

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February 15, 2012

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Wed Feb 15, 2012, 12:41 PM EST

Super Bowl XXV, on Jan. 27, 1991, was memorable for several reasons.

It was played nine days into the Desert Storm invasion of Iraq.

It is still the only Super Bowl decided by only one point, as the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills, 20-19.

It was decided by a last-second miss on a 47-yard field goal attempt by Bills kicker Scott Norwood that sailed to the right of the goal post.

Because of that miss, it's sometimes known as the "Wide Right Game."

But mostly, it is remembered as the "Whitney Houston Game."

Ms. Houston was so talented that she could even make the vocally challenging "Star-Spangled Banner" a huge hit.

If you have access to a computer, Google the rendition of the national anthem she performed before the game. If you don't get chills down your back, you were probably born in another country.

Except maybe Canada. In addition to the song being a huge seller in the United States, it also climbed the charts in Canada, too. In 1991, Houston donated her royalties from the song to raise funds for soldiers in the Gulf War and their families. She did the same for firefighters and victims after the 9/11 attacks. That's when it hit No. 5 in Canada.

Whitney Houston was an immensely talented singer. She was beautiful. She more than held her own on-screen acting with Kevin Costner in "The Bodyguard."

She seemingly had it all.

Then she lost it all.

We won't know for sure what led to Houston's death at age 48 on Saturday until final autopsy results, but reports said it was a fatal combination of prescription drugs and alcohol.

Sadly, as much as there is a sense of loss, there is little if no surprise.

For more than a decade, Houston was a human train wreck, hooked on crack cocaine and other drugs, destroying her voice, her looks, and despite earning more than $100 million in her career, she reportedly died broke.

Singing star Celine Dion put it as well as anyone when she spoke to the "Good Morning America" program.

"It's just really unfortunate that drugs, bad people, bad influences took over her dreams, her motherhood.

"When you think about Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse, to get into drugs like that, for whatever reason," she said. "... What happens when you have everything?"

Everything obviously wasn't enough. It wasn't enough for Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix or Judy Garland or Heath Ledger or John Belushi or Chris Farley or River Phoenix or Jim Morrison or Kurt Cobain ... or ... or ... or ...

Whitney Houston.