Liner notes: I’m your baby tonight

Anna Taylor
Features Editor

It shocks me when I hear about a famous person dying, especially when they die young.

Sure, everyone has to die, (yes, even famous people) but for whatever reason, I’m still somewhat in denial that Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston are really dead.

I feel like famous people just aren’t supposed to die, at least not publicly. Everything would be better if the public never found out about a famous celebrity’s death and just assumed that like many other people right now in the country, they are simply unemployed and out of the picture.

Unfortunately, people like tragedy and when a celebrity is involved, word gets out quickly.

At just 48, American recording artist and actress, Houston, died Saturday in her suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel due to what the media has reported might have been drug and alcohol usage.

The L.A. County Coroner said Houston’s hair dresser found the star unconscious and underwater in her suite’s bathtub. Prescription anxiety pills were found in her hotel room.

While not completely positive of what actually caused Houston’s death, investigators are checking Houston’s prescriptions and seeing if they find anything that was not actually prescribed to the pop star. The investigators are also checking Houston’s drug history, The L.A. Times reported.

I’ll go ahead and admit I don’t know a lot about Whitney Houston’s music. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear her name is “I Will Always Love You,” and that’s not even her song.

Houston also had a very popular remake of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” But, that too was not actually her song.

Then there is “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Of course, I am only familiar with this song because of the movie “13 Going On 30.” Luckily, this song is one of her very own, and a very catchy track.

Needless to say, I did some research online and found that other songs exist by Houston.

“I Will Always Love You” was performed Sunday, the day after Houston was found dead, at the Grammy Awards by Jennifer Hudson. Her tribute to the late Houston was completed with the soulful sound of Hudson’s vocals and even a Houston-inspired hairstyle.

Is it too cliché to say there was not a dry eye in the house by the end of Hudson’s performance?

The same song was heard on this week’s episode of “Glee.” Diva-in-training Mercedes, played by Amber Riley, sang Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” What’s a little strange is that the producers, writers and actors obviously had no idea that when the episode would air, Houston would have just recently died. Of course, considering the song aired on the Valentine’s Day episode, it would have been a part of the show’s soundtrack regardless.

What are some of your favorite Houston songs? Tweet me @MSUNewsFeatures.

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