Whitney Houston, the singer whose songs have been an inspiration to drag queen performances around the world, has died, aged 48. Her vocalisation of soaring pop anthems and regal bearing have been emulated in drag performances for more than two decades. Through the late 1980s and 90s, the height of the huge gay dance party phenonemon which encompassed the Hero and Devotion part series in New Zealand, Houston was one of the world's biggest selling musical performers. She even crossed over into movies, starring in the highly successfull The Bodyguard opposite Kevin Costner. However, in recent years whe fell victim to drug abuse, reportedly including marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills. Her gospel-trained voice lost its timbre and the high notes disappeared. "The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy,'' she told an interviewer in 2002. Her much publicised abusive relationship with singer Bobby Brown hastened her slide into personal and professional oblivion. The place and specific cause of Houston's death have not yet been released.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 12th February 2012 - 2:33pm