What Were Whitney Houston's Last Words?

Although she had a troubled life and struggled with drugs, Whitney Houston was an amazing singer who shocked audiences every time she performed. Her death had a strong impact on both fans and loved ones and her last words make it that much more heartbreaking. 

Whitney Houston’s last words were “I just want to love and be loved. I want to love like Jesus did. Unconditionally.” She was out partying at a club with her hairdresser, Tiffanie Dixon when the renowned singer said that to her.

Then, on February 11th, 2012 she was pronounced dead after failed attempts of CPR, at 3:55 pm. Yet the wonderful memories she has left behind will always live on, along with her beautiful voice.

Substance Abuse – A Path to Death

Whitney’s cocaine consumption started when she was only 14 years old, as she told Robyn Crawford in a private confession. The two girls met in 1980 while they worked together in East Orange as camp counselors.

Their chemistry sparked right away and they spent all the time they could together, smoking marihuana. Whitney would always tell her friend that when she became a star she was going to quit using cocaine.

Crawford was able to stop and Whitney admired her for this because she was never able to let go of the addiction. The singer reached fame at a young age and married Bobbie Brown in 1990.

This change of life and success with her incredible voice did nothing to help her quit cocaine. Pressured to be the breadwinner for her husband’s family and the demands of the music industry, she sank deeper. 

Adding to this stress was the fact that she had a romantic relationship with Crawford. She knew her mother would never accept this.

In 2002, Crawford left her after trying many times to get her to quit using cocaine. Their break up hit Whitney hard and made her isolate herself more and more.

Her last few days she went partying with her 19-year-old daughter. On February 9th, 2012 they both hit the Tru Hollywood nightclub where they were invited to Kelly Price’s party “Kelly Price and Friends Unplugged: For the Love of R&B Grammy Party”

She performed the last time in a duet with Price before going on to mingle with the other stars at the party. The following night she was at the bar of the hotel she was staying in, getting drunk and being rowdy.

On her last day alive she talked with relatives until 30 minutes before someone from her staff found her facedown in the bathtub. They called for help immediately but it was of no use and they pronounced her dead on the spot, at only 48 years old. 

The coroner’s report concluded that she had died of drowning, but the high cocaine consumption and heart conditions had made her more likely to die like that. 

Career and Fame

Whitney Houston started singing early on when she was her mother’s backup singer during tours. Chaka Khan included her back up singing in her hit “I’m Every Woman” by the time she was only 15. 

Her mother insisted she should finish high school before signing any kind of record deal. This gives us a good idea of how strict her mother was in getting her to do things her way. 

She signed a contract with Arista Records at 19 and her second solo single “You Give Good Love” had R&B fans falling in love with Whitney and her first album. 

That album received three Grammy Award nominations and Grammy Awards. Success was coming fast, spurring her use of cocaine and providing the money to support it. 

In the ’90s she recorded “I Will Always Love You” as part of the soundtrack for the movie “The Bodyguard”. She also had the opportunity to act in that movie next to Kevin Costner.

Jennifer Hudson had the honor of paying tribute to Whitney at the 2012 Grammys by singing “I Will Always Love You” and she did a beautiful job of expressing her grief about her idol’s death.

Whitney’s Impact on the Industry

When Whitney Huston took the world by storm with her voice, she was a vibrant young African American woman. She made a particular impact among the African American little girls that saw her as an inspiration and a role model. 

But her influence proved to go beyond skin color and gender, as many artists have said that she is a big part of why they got into the business. Singers like Christina Aguilera, Kelly, and Justin Timberlake all count her among their biggest influences.

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