On Whitney Housten.

Well it seems another chart sensation of ages past has unexpectedly shuffled off the mortal coil and is currently being auditioned for the choir invisible. Yes, Whitney Houston’s sudden disintegration was a shock to me - but how does that relate to a guy who listens mostly to rock and punk based music, I hear you cry from the depths of the dancefloor?

You are correct on the grounds that I am no fan of 80s Electro pop, New Wave or just singer songwriters renowned for pouring out love ballad after love ballad. But, in all honesty, I do feel a bit sorry for poor old Whitney. 

The reason being, that her rise to stardom and fall into obscurity is yet another classic tale of a superstar selling their soul to narcotics and eventually the only remnants of her once inescapability are the odd smash hits which become more and more saccharine year after year. And for someone whose source of income is relying on the release of shoddy compilation albums by EMI, Island Records or whichever other music giant for nearly 30 years does make my heart sink.

Whitney Houston was a natural talent whom I don’t think shot to fame via a horrific talent show or “search for the next big thing” malarkey – so her sudden demise does make me feel a tad down for how hard she must have worked and then watched herself become a mere nostalgia novelty; which is churned out at every Yuppie gathering or Primary School disco, (as I was introduced to her lip-wobbling.)

Though it does seem to me, that as a homage and payback for having to put up with such an embarrassing status in the music industry for so long: Simon Cowell, Richard Branson and their endless cronies at EMI and Virgin will be quick to martyr her as a symbol of Pop Music’s evolution. It won’t be long before the music industry will be portraying her as a goddess who stands upon the proverbial Mount Olympus alongside Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Once you see fairly ornate porcelain dolls of Whitney in her prime on sale in London or New York, only then will you know that she has become a worshipful icon.

“It’s amazing how a once adored talent is shot to stardom and then slandered and has their private life raped and ridiculed by the very same people.” That my friend is the music industry for you.