Tragic Death of a Music Legend: How Whitney Houston Died

Robert Griffin
Whitney Houston
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Whitney Houston will go down as one of the most talented artists to have ever existed. Nicknamed 'The Voice,' Houston came from a family of extremely talented artists; however, it was Whitney who broke into the mainstream with her own work and became a household name. Houston is one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 200 million records worldwide. The Where do Broken Hearts Go star won a plethora of awards both when she was alive as well as posthumously, two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records, as well as induction into the Grammy, Rhythm and Blues Music, and Rock and Roll halls of fame to be precise.

Battling Addiction

Whitney Houston
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It is safe to say that Whitney Houston was extremely successful with millions of fans all around the world adoring her music as well as her as a person. With all of this going on for her, a tragic end to such a wonderful life in February 2012 was hard to come to grips with for both her family as well as her fans. In a 2019 memoir, A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston, Houston’s best friend, Robyn Crawford revealed that her best friend first tried cocaine when she was 14 and had since been addicted to the drug.

How Was She Found?

Houston passed away on February 11th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. A member of her entourage found her unresponsive in her room and alerted the authorities about the same.

Cause of Death?

According to the coroner's report, at the time of her death, Houston had cocaine, marijuana, Xanax, Benadryl, and other substances in her system. The coroner's assistant said that Houston's death was down to two possible scenarios, "She could’ve passed out first due to the intoxication from the cocaine, or she could’ve had a heart attack and then drowned."

Cissy Houston Speaks Out

Needless to say, after the death of Whitney Houston, her mother Cissy Houston had some thoughts to share regarding what had transpired. She said, "She started partying and she didn’t really know how to stop. I used to wonder what she was doing at night, where she was. Whitney hid from me.” Houston was laid to rest at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, on February 19, 2012. She was placed right next to her father John Russell Houston. A truly tragic end to a magnificent life and talent.