The first event to feel the impact of the singer’s death will be the annual Clive Davis party, hosted at the Beverly Hills Hilton–the same hotel where Houston’s body was found. It’s too late to cancel the 800-person dinner, and thus the event will likely turn from celebration to memorial. Davis, who guided Houston’s career, figures to be among those most heavily affected by the sad news.
The 54th annual Grammy awards will still take place tomorrow night at 8pm Eastern Time, and the ceremony promises to be the most somber iteration in recent memory. Tribute plans have not yet been finalized, but organizers will doubtlessly be working late into the night to incorporate a memorial aspect into a show set to include performances by Coldplay, Rihanna and Paul McCartney; all can be expected to pay homage to the late star.
Others have already begun.
“Nothing I could write on Twitter could possibly express what Whitney Houston means to me personally and professionally,” wrote songwriter Claude Kelly, a frequent Houston collaborator, earlier this evening. “Nothing. Speechless.”
Houston was one of the most celebrated artists in recent memory. She sold over 55 million records in the U.S. alone, perhaps best known for her work on the soundtrack for The Bodyguard. But she fell victim to offstage demons, struggling with substance abuse issues while enduring a tumultuous relationship with New Edition singer Bobby Brown.
“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in 2002 interview.
Just 48 years old when she passed away, Houston now joins the ranks of Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse–gifted stars gone too soon. If there’s any solace to be taken, it’s the fact that stars like Jackson continue to live on through productions like Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour.
Perhaps someday soon, Houston will live on in a similar manner. For now, her legacy will be her music.
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