Monday, February 13, 2012

Talent Isn't Enough.

My wife said, "How will the Grammys put together a tribute in under 24 hours?" I replied,  "They will pull an all-nighter buoyed by cocaine. That would be the most fitting tribute to Whitney Houston."
source: Wikipedia

Whitney Houston could act a little and sing a whole lot. Whitney, the daughter of Cissy Houston, cousin of Dionne Warwick and god daughter of Aretha Franklin should have had some insight into the dark side of the fame and fortune that often accompanies exceptional talent.Then again, maybe insight isn't enough of a shield when money, drugs and insecurity come together.

The world should have been able to enjoy the voice of Whitney Houston for another 25+ years. Unfortunately, Whitney Houston didn't have the proper mix of drive, dedication and discipline to showcase her tremendous talent into her later years. Without drive, dedication and discipline, talent isn't a blessing. Without drive, dedication and discipline talent might even be a curse.

The fact that Whitney Houston's death is self-inflicted (an autopsy isn't necessary to determine that long-term substance abuse was contributory) doesn't diminish the sadness surrounding her death. It's time to tighten up my schedule. Maybe I'll watch "The Rose" for additional motivation.

2 comments:

  1. I think for me, hope faltered.

    We all knew she had problems with addiction, we all knew it was up to her to decide enough was enough and get clean, we all hoped she'd figure it out before it was too late.

    It is a tough job to sit on the sidelines and just hope it works out--but really--unless she wanted it for herself, she would never get clean and stay clean. Through it all--we kept hoping for the best, as her true fans only wanted the best for her.

    So sad,

    Jenn.

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    Replies
    1. Jenn,
      It's always sad when someone dies in the prime of their life. It's even sadder when the death is primarily self-inflicted. The only thing left is to hope her daughter can rise above and live a clean, healthy and happy life. That's no simple task. Ar least 2 of Judy Garland's kids had challenges similar to their Mom's. What's left is hope, even when hope falters. Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to share your thoughts frequently.

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