Classic Rant #501 (May 10, 2011): Houston, We Have a Problem

Whitney Houston, the once golden-voiced diva who sold millions of records during her heyday in the 1980s, and who has battled drug addiction for years, has entered rehab once again.

She is reportedly in a drug and alcohol treatment rehab program at an undisclosed location. She can leave the facility, but only with a monitor.

Lots of people thought that something was awry as far back as 2009. Houston, supposedly clean--released an album--the name of which I can't remember--and it played to mainly negative reviews, but more importantly, most people not only questioned the quality of the material, but the quality of her voice.

Her voice, once considered by many to be as velvety smooth as silk, had become wretched, evidently wracked by many years of abuse, including of the drug and alcohol kind.

On her tour to promote the album, she cancelled numerous dates due to illness, and negative reviews also impacted the tour.

Now we pretty much know what was going on--not that we didn't figure that this was what was happening.

Personally, I have never been a fan of Houston. She was the first of what I call the shriekers or screechers, who don't necessarily sing, more than shriek or screech. They may have good voices, but you would never know it by the way they handle a song, warbling rather than singing, using vocal gymnastics more than actual technique.

But you can't argue her popularity as one of the most popular singers in the world for a number of years.

Her success opened the floodgates for similar screechers, including Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera.

What can I say? I just don't like these types of singers.

But Houston was plenty popular. She sold millions of records--including "I Will Always Love You," the Dolly Parton song that is one of the biggest sellers in history--she acted, she was ubiquitous in every form of media for a while.

Her high profile marriage to Bobby Brown kept her, and him, in the headlines for years, mostly for negatives rather than positives.

And the descent has been precipitous.

My, how the mighty have fallen.

When I heard about Houston, I also heard that the Ah-nold and Maria Shriver marriage may be kaput.

Sometimes, you reach the top of the mountain, but even though you've hit the summit, the top is too steep.

I think that that is what happened to Houston, to Ah-nold and his wife, and to so many others.

Gravity sets in, and maybe a little reality too.