Whitney Houston's untimely death serves as a reminder that achieving celebrity status isn’t always what it seems, writes Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell.
… Houston’s music was unforgettable. So was her life.
Because Houston’s problems received media attention, some of us got caught up in her personal drama like we really knew her.
This phenomenon grew exponentially because of social media. By the time Houston joined her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, on what turned out to be a lowbrow reality show, we had just about had it with this diva.
But when Houston came back in 2009 with a new album, and seemingly a new attitude, we came back too.
I remember listening to a couple of songs on her last album: “I Look To You,” and thinking that while it wasn’t the same voice, it was Whitney. She was trying. She still had a chance.
But was there really any way for Houston to get back what she had lost over the years? While her star was falling, other stars were rising. That’s just life. For most, the latter part of life never measures up.
Frankly, it isn’t surprising that investigators found prescription bottles of antidepressants in the suite where Houston died.
Read Mary Mitchell's entire column at the Chicago Sun-Times.