Bobby Brown

[VoiceofReason]

Do you think that Bobby Brown has to take some of the responsibility for Whitney Houstons drug addiction and untimely death?

[ummmm]

No...

We are each responsible for our own choices.

She had the money to buy drugs. She had the money to pay for rehab.

She split with Bobby years ago.

[DTCwordfan]

Probably yes but I do not think this is the time to speculate when there has been no announcement to the cause of her death and also to allow any initial mourning to take place.........

[VHG]

If someone I know was taking drugs I would certainly not take them as well, so I am afraid Whitney was responsible for her actions.

Nobody "forced" her to take them.

[DTCwordfan]

But indirectly so, I had forgotten that she had split with him years ago - thanks ummmm for that info.

[andy-hughes]

Indirectly - but only insofar as any of us take any responsibility for anything that those close to us do - which is very little.

Adults do what they wish to do - good or bad. In Whitney Houston case it was singing and drugs, and she did both of those with varying degrees of success.

[ummmm]

Not really DT...my best mate was (or became) a heroin addict. Not once was I influenced or tempted to try it.

[ummmm]

How does anyone know it was him?

Why are people presuming she didn't take drugs before she got with him?

[DTCwordfan]

Sorry to hear that, ummmm - you avoided it, perhaps she fell for it - or even was addicted pre BB....

I think Barbara Streisland has made the most poignant comment about it.

I paraphrase: Whitney gave much happiness to millions but could not find happiness in herself.

[DTCwordfan]

(we crossed there with the same point....whatever, I think BB wasn't exactly the best influence on her, but that is speculation)

[NOX]

No, drug addicts become drug adicts becuase of other issues, whoever first gives them drugs usually has their own issues and are as much a victim usually.

[ummmm]

It was a 'he'. I didn't avoid it....he remained my friend. I chose not to take it.

I'm not anti drugs....but just a glimpse at that life. That dirty rotten life...

Btw...he held down a full time job!!

[andy-hughes]

I sympathise entirely with the loss of Whtiney Houston to the music world, and her family and friends, but I temper that with the mortal dread that we shall have a massive upsurge in the playing of her gawdawful version of 'I Will Always Love You' which has always been a gigantic example of technique over soul, and ham over content. I'm bracing myself now.

For anyone who wants to know how this song should be sung - please check out the YouTube link and wonder at how different a song can sing when an artist lets the song come out, and doesn't bury it under her vocal pyrotechnics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D090T2MSxKY

[MarkRae]

I completely agree, Andy - Whitney bawling her way through Dolly's classic is indeed one of the worst cover versions in history.

However, as so often, the original is the best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZO1iT4kD0

[ummmm]

I agree with Andy and Mark.

[jackthehat]

She should never have let Robyn leave...;o)

[andy-hughes]

We must agree to differ there MarkRae.

Few people ever sing a song as well as its creator, and Dolly's hymn to her good friend and musical collaborator Porter Waggoner is beautiful in its fragility and pain, but i still think LR has the edge - partly because of the gorgeous arrangement by her own good friend and colaborator Andrew Gold who lets his own piano and the slide guitar bleed in and out just the correct amount, and if you can get Dolly herself and Emmylou Harris to do your backing vocals with you, then you have a musical treat indeed which goes a long way towards making WH's version a distant nightmare.

[DTCwordfan]

you misread me ummmm - I was referring to WH......

[ummmm]

Oh...lol

[NOX]

I prefer Witney Houston's version to either of them, but not mad gone on it as a song at all tbh.

[MarkRae]

I can see what you're saying, Andy, but I think it's precisely the over-arrangement which I don't care for (though nothing like Phil Spector's massacre of "Let It Be"), and the slide guitar is such a Nashville cliché that it just gets in the way, IMO.

Anyway, this is moving seriously off-topic now...