My first experience with Whitney Houston was in elementary school. I took the cheese wagon to school and the bus driver had the radio on every morning. "Greatest Love of All" had plenty of rotation during the rush hour. Later that year, I didn't want to hear that song ever again because Mr. Broward, our music teacher, had us singing it EVERY SINGLE DAY!
A few years later, I developed a boyhood crush on Whitney
(along with many other MTV women). She was dressed in that slinky pinkish
dress with long flowing brown curls draped over her mahogany shoulders in her
video for the song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." I would later discover the
wonders of weave and wigs. Give me a break. I was a little kid, ok?! She would
go on to make hit after hit and I was one of the ga-zillion fans that witnessed
her become a multi-platinum icon.
The day I found out she married Bobby Brown, I thought what most of you thought, "Oh no."
Don't get me wrong. I was a fan of Bobby even from his
"Don't be Cruel" days. But, when you looked at them together, they were like friends
of yours who you just knew shouldn't be dating each other. It just didn't seem
right and, let's be honest, we were more concerned for the welfare of Whitney
than for Mr. Humpin' Around. I don't doubt that, as a husband, Bobby had
influence on Whitney's struggle, as I'm sure they shared their struggle
together. But I also don't blame him for her demise, as many have done. When she passed on February 11, it had been almost 5 years since their divorce.
What really puzzles me is how this church-bred prodigy became
so entangled in the web of addiction. How could she have strayed so far that she could
not muster the will to return to her very Biblical roots that could sure enough
pull her out of the pit? Girl grew up in a Baptist Church in New Jersey singing
to the Lord and she's found dead about three decades later from drugs and
alcohol (of course pending toxicology results). Polar opposites from
beginning to end.
It doesn't cease to blow my mind when I see celebrities who
were raised in the church eventually get so lost. Oprah, former church-goer,
was turned off of Christianity because God is a jealous god. Shock Rock singer
Marilyn Manson went to a Christian private school as a child. Katy Perry's
parents are ministers. Can you see the common denominator? Fame and riches. Are
you listening, Justin Bieber and Tim Tebow?
Is it that simple? Does this trend make the scripture "Do not seek to be rich" any more truthfully jarring? Because I want money and most of the tasks I do day-to-day point toward a goal of making mula, I try to keep a heavenly perspective and "seek the kingdom first" mindset. But I would be lying if I told you that one of my goals WASN'T to be wealthy. I wonder if I would be that vulnerable to the world's agenda if I were to be in the same position as Whitney, Marilyn, Katy and Oprah? Would I be a sucker for Dr. Phil and Deepak Chopra propaganda?
How would you fare if you were lavished with millions of dollars, adoring fans and industry heads telling you what you want to hear? It's easy to rely on the Lord when you're broke because you ain't got a choice! Your bank account is in the negative; the landlord and repo man are stalking you, so God is all you got.
To the common Christian, getting on your knees about it is a
no-brainer. How often would you kneel if you were ballin'? I find it
astonishing how quickly people forget about God or show that they never were
serious about Him in the first place when they never have to worry about a
mortgage for the rest of their life.
I made up my mind long ago that ANYTHING the Bible has to
say about EVERYTHING is the absolute truth. So when I'm placed in a situation
where someone is telling me "all roads lead to heaven," I know that's opposed to
what Jesus said, "I am the way" and I immediately shoot down the thought as a
lie. Could these very same celebrities not take the same stance? I'm left to
believe that they really didn't believe or care for what the Bible stood for in
the first place.
Katy Perry certainly had no issue abandoning the Christian
music industry to go on to sing a pro-lesbian anthem. Her motive was obvious
because, as a Christian artist, you have to be prepared for rejection from the
world. It comes with the territory of following Christ.
Am I lumping Whitney in the same hot mess that Katy's in now?
I mean, Whitney never sang about making out with chicks but I can't recall her
ever living out the truth of Christ on a very public level. Did she forget?
That's not for me to decide. But, I know whenever I am financially successful,
Imma slam the door shut should Deepak Chopra want to teach his version of
spirituality.
Let me be clear: I don't proclaim to have it all together. I
have an affinity for foods that make you fat though Xanax would never tempt me. I hate the
taste of liquor. I do, however, like the taste of pizza and Krispy Kreme
doughnuts.
If I become a multi-platinum artist like Whitney, would that
mean I would fall prey to gluttony and be found partying hard at the buffet
line on Grammy weekend? Being grounded in the word, I know God has given me a
"Spirit of self-control and sound mind...," so the answer should be a resounding
no. I have the scriptures to combat temptations that attempt to throw me off
course at my disposal. Again, I'm a work in progress.
That's why it's important to be grounded in truth. Everybody
falls shorts but it's important to get back up and walk in the right direction
when you do fall. When these folks fell, the deceiver himself helped them
up. They were either not knowledgeable of the Word, flat out sellouts to
the truth they once followed or they were simply duped.
We'll never know or understand what Whitney was thinking or
going through within the last year of her life. She was trying to revive her
career beginning at Clive Davis' annual Grammy party and defy the effects that
drugs and alcohol had on her vocal cords. Her last moments at an R&B Grammy
party report a social Whitney with drink at hand. Then there was a belligerent
Whitney who confronted ex-X-Factor contestant Stacy Francis. Ray J, out of all
people and players, had to come to Stacy's defense.
Does her last night of drugs and alcohol take her ticket to
heaven away? That's not for me to judge and I doubt taking Xanax and being
tipsy sentences a Christian to hell. Everyone has their hang up until they
conquer them. Being raised in the church doesn't guarantee one will never
succumb to the temptations of a dark world. But being grounded in the truth at
least assures you that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the
world and He has overcome the world."
Unfortunately, this is the last memory Whitney leaves
behind. One of early success and a gradual descent into depression,
self-perceived failure and a weakness that she apparently could never overcome.
As days pass, I'm certain we'll be finding out more and more about her last
days. I certainly thought Whitney Houston (and Michael Jackson) were going to
live a long time.
The last song she performed was a karaoke-ish moment with
R&B singer Kelly Price singing a few bars of "Yes, Jesus loves me." I pray
that she was grounded in that truth to her last breath.
The self-proclaimed Zig Ziglar of rap,
Billy Delgado, is a Music Producer/Artist and Writer by day and sleeping
pillow-drooler by night. He is currently producing the debut album for his band
The 288’s, a God-inspired Hip Hop/R&B group that combines soul-baring
lyricism with an electric innovative sound, breaking from the norm and reaching
all cultures & ages (save senior citizens). He still can’t believe he’s
a family man with a beautiful wife Mari & three boys Chris, Nelson and
Joshua, so he continues to pinch himself silly to this day.