Whitney Houston

Right on the heels of the death of journalist and author Jeffrey Zaslow, ("The Last Lecture" and "The Girls from Ames") at age 53, comes the news that Whitney Houston has died, at 48 . Both died much, much too young.  Houston was know for singing, rather than writing. But her roller-coaster life was the stuff of novels. And for readers of a certain age, her music brings back plenty of memories. As the Associated Press obituary noted: "Houston made her album debut in 1985 with 'Whitney Houston,' which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. 'Saving All My Love for You' brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal.

"Teamwork makes the dream work" was the motto for the first night of the live playoff rounds. Finally, America gets its chance to vote on who moves on to the Top 12. There was no time for nerves or mistakes as the remaining four members of Adam's and Usher's teams faced off in night one of the three night event. It was all about stamina as Team Usher kicked off the show with a performance of Sam Sparrow's “Black and Gold" after a training session in a boxing ring (or maybe shameless early promotion for Usher's upcoming acting gig as boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard … either way we will take it)

It wasn't scandalous by tabloid standards, but it was a rebellious act for the young women at the Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a small all-girls Catholic high school in New Jersey. Whitney Houston, class of 1981, sometimes wore mismatched socks and rolled up her sleeves. The mischievous gospel singer would then push the maroon-colored dress code just a bit further. She would "roll up her little skirt, just a little bit above the knees, and wouldn't care if she got a detention," said Dr. Maria Pane, who lives in Lutherville and sat next to Houston in high school home room.

Deep Creek Lake Deep Creek Dunk Missed the Polar Bear Plunge in January? Here is your second chance to freeze for the Special Olympics. The 15th Annual Maryland State Police Deep Creek Dunk will be held Feb. 23. After dunking into the frigid water, there will be plenty of food and a wine tasting to warm you up. Registration for the Deep Creek Dunk is noon Febg. 23, with the dunk scheduled at 2 p.m. There is a $50 minimum donation to register. You may also register online at dunkmd.com.

Whoever coined the phrase "Where there's smoke, there's fire" obviously had never heard Whitney Houston.Cue up "I'm Your Baby Tonight" (Arista 8616), her first album in three years, which arrives in record stores today, and it sounds like this 27-year-old is really smoking -- almost every song is packed with sultry moans, note-bending asides, window-rattling gospel shouts, the works. Without a doubt, her performance shows all the hallmarks of great soul singing.Except soul itself, that is. Somehow, the emotional fire that usually burns behind such singing never quite ignites for Houston.

LATE LAST October, Arista Records chief Clive Davis sat at his desk, playing bits of songs from Whitney Houston's third album and peppering the preview with his own judgment -- mostly using the word "great."It was, he proclaimed, a fine album, more mature and funkier than Houston's first two releases. It should, he said, be a monster seller like its predecessors -- which have sold almost 40 million copies and launched a record-setting string of seven consecutive No. 1 hits.But, cautioned Davis, "we don't approach this with any sense of aggressiveness or cockiness.

Update 2 p.m. Monday: Preliminary Nielsen ratings say 3.5 million viewers watched Winfrey's interviews Sunday night. That is more than twice the previous high of 1.6 million for any program ever on her OWN channel. And she rated highest with the target demo of women 25 to 54. Read on for my overnight rave of Winfrey's interviewing performance. There is no reason to whine about missing Oprah's syndicated show when she is doing work like this on OWN. Oprah Winfrey 's OWN cable channel might still be underperforming, but the legendary talk TV host showed in an interview with members of Whitney Houston's family Sunday night that she can still bring it like few others on television.

Whitney Houston appears to have scored big at the Super Bowl -- her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to kick off the game will be released as a single, an Arista spokesman said yesterday.Although the CD and cassette singles won't be in stores for several days, followed a week later by a video of the performance, radio stations already are playing the stirring version of the national anthem."The audience seems to like it, and we've had some requests for it," said Roy Sampson, program director for V-103 FM, where the song can be heard several times a day. "We're playing it in support of the men and women in the Persian Gulf."

It's hard to be a diva without drama.When we listen to someone like Whitney Houston sing about love, we expect it to be larger-than-life love. Likewise, when she sings about sorrow and heartbreak, we want to come away feeling as if we've shared in the depths of her suffering. Because we know that, as a diva, she's had higher highs and lower lows than any of us.Trouble is, separating real-life troubles from something a songwriter made up can be really tricky -- especially for those fans who only know the stars through what they read in the gossip columns.

NEW YORK -- The media and those who rule the media seem to generate increasing amounts of news ink and air time, especially in the broadcasting and publishing capital of New York. But in the nationwide beauty pageant of newsstand sales, media titans were not even among the finalists last year.Time Warner Chairman Gerald Levin, whose every public utterance is covered by news organizations, was on the cover of Business Week's and Forbes' worst-selling issues in 1995.Michael Ovitz, then the omnipotent head of the Creative Artists Agency and now president of Walt Disney Co., graced the cover of Newsweek's second-worst-selling issue last year.

The glee kids say goodbye to each other and the late, great Whitney Houston the best way they know how...through song, of course. Mercedes starts this week's episode with a heartfelt a cappella version of "How Will I Know?" Rachel, Kurt and Santana (aka the other good singers in the glee club) join in and it's an eerie and emotional performance. Good job, glee kids, good job. Mr. Schu is surprised the kids are taking Ms. Houston's death so hard after two months, so Emma shares the story about her reaction to Lady Di's death.

Update 2 p.m. Monday: Preliminary Nielsen ratings say 3.5 million viewers watched Winfrey's interviews Sunday night. That is more than twice the previous high of 1.6 million for any program ever on her OWN channel. And she rated highest with the target demo of women 25 to 54. Read on for my overnight rave of Winfrey's interviewing performance. There is no reason to whine about missing Oprah's syndicated show when she is doing work like this on OWN. Oprah Winfrey 's OWN cable channel might still be underperforming, but the legendary talk TV host showed in an interview with members of Whitney Houston's family Sunday night that she can still bring it like few others on television.

I went to church on CNN Saturday, and it was one of the most powerful, uplifting and spiritual experiences I've had in years. Yes, watching six hours of cable TV coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral was a spiritual experience, and I am not using that word carelessly. It was profound and elevating, and the way in which media bring us together for such experiences makes up for one hell of a lot of cable TV's daily sins. CNN certainly wasn't the only cable channel with wall-to-wall coverage.

It wasn't scandalous by tabloid standards, but it was a rebellious act for the young women at the Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a small all-girls Catholic high school in New Jersey. Whitney Houston, class of 1981, sometimes wore mismatched socks and rolled up her sleeves. The mischievous gospel singer would then push the maroon-colored dress code just a bit further. She would "roll up her little skirt, just a little bit above the knees, and wouldn't care if she got a detention," said Dr. Maria Pane, who lives in Lutherville and sat next to Houston in high school home room.

Right on the heels of the death of journalist and author Jeffrey Zaslow, ("The Last Lecture" and "The Girls from Ames") at age 53, comes the news that Whitney Houston has died, at 48 . Both died much, much too young.  Houston was know for singing, rather than writing. But her roller-coaster life was the stuff of novels. And for readers of a certain age, her music brings back plenty of memories. As the Associated Press obituary noted: "Houston made her album debut in 1985 with 'Whitney Houston,' which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. 'Saving All My Love for You' brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal.

Touch a screen at the new Fort McHenry Visitor and Education Center and the sounds of "The Star- Spangled Banner," eight different versions, spring forth. Some feature singers who belt out the words, "the land of the free. " Others are instrumentals, some jazzy, some martial, and two more are waiting in the wings. To make it to Fort McHenry, these performances had to be serious and timely. "We ruled out any goofy versions," said Fort Superintendent Gay Vietzke, "or ones where the artists were simply seeking publicity.

"Teamwork makes the dream work" was the motto for the first night of the live playoff rounds. Finally, America gets its chance to vote on who moves on to the Top 12. There was no time for nerves or mistakes as the remaining four members of Adam's and Usher's teams faced off in night one of the three night event. It was all about stamina as Team Usher kicked off the show with a performance of Sam Sparrow's “Black and Gold" after a training session in a boxing ring (or maybe shameless early promotion for Usher's upcoming acting gig as boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard … either way we will take it)

THE FIRST question needed to be addressed after seeing a Whitney Houston concert is which of the four we saw is the "real" Whitney Houston?Is it the one who began last night's show in a skin-tight cat suit and awkwardly fumbled through the dance steps and breathy, over-souled lyrics in the first four songs? Is it the one in the evening dress who followed it by belting out another quartet of love songs with power and passion rarely seen at Merriweather Post Pavilion?Is the real Whitney the one who wore a headgear microphone, white tank-top and knickers, who danced, rather suggestively, with her four male dance partners?

David Copperfield sued for sexual assault A Seattle woman has sued magician David Copperfield, contending he sexually assaulted and threatened her while she was a guest on his private island in the Bahamas. Copperfield's lawyers, Angelo Calfo and Patty Eakes, deny the allegations and say the lawsuit is "extortion for money, plain and simple." No criminal charges have been filed. The Seattle Times describes the woman as a 22-year-old fashion model and former Miss Washington USA contestant.

Despite being kicked off American Idol during Season 3, Jennifer Hudson has become one of the most celebrated performers of her generation. The Chicago native's ascension to pop superstardom has been nothing short of meteoric. Her first acting turn, a memorable performance in Dreamgirls, won her an Academy Award for best supporting actress. Her first album, a sometimes-vibrant but mostly spotty self-titled effort, earned a Grammy. Her first tour, which stops at the Lyric Opera House on April 4, has been packing venues across the country.