Cloud of Sorrow Surrounding Tonight’s Grammy Awards: The Voice is Gone

Queen of Pop Whitney Houston's untimely death at age 48 has sent a cloud of sorrow over the Grammy Awards tonight - a show at which she would have appeared. Instead of her physical presence tonight, her spirit no doubt will fill the Staples Center in Los Angeles as entertainers will memorialize her with a tribute to her lifelong legacy to the music industry.

The Diva had more number one hits and sold more records in the 80s and 90s than any of her peers before and since. She had an amazing voice - the kind of talent that is God-given. Though her last decade was wrought with problems with alcohol and drug addiction, she launched a comeback with an album that sold well and even tried a tour of Europe.
Tonight, she will be honored in a tribute by Jennifer Hudson and no doubt some other entertainers.
Houston died mysteriously on the eve of the Grammy's at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she was to have been the guest of honor at a pre-Grammy party. She was found in her bathtub and a police investigation so far has revealed she had prescription drugs - one of which was Xanax. She was seen drinking and partying the night before and earlier last week at a club in Los Angeles and at the Beverly Hilton.
Houston's daughter, 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina was treated at a hospital for stress and anxiety and has been released.
Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, the rapper, went on stage last night with his band, New Edition, in northern Mississippi. As he took the stage, he was crying.
"First of all, I want to tell you that I love you all," he told fans gathered at a nearly sold-out 7,500-seat venue. "Second, I would like to say, `I love you, Whitney.' The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage."
Whitney Houston was the product of gospel music royalty. The daughter of gospel singer, Cissy Houston and cousin of star Dion Warwick. She was also goddaughter to Aretha Franklin.
The world will definitely miss the Voice of a Generation. But thankfully, her gift of music to us will live on forever.