Whitney Houston Reportedly Drank Heavily Days Before She Died
Five days after the tragic death of Whitney Houston, reports of her final days continue to filter in. The latest unseemly details surrounding the late 48-year-old singer’s stay at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she died last Saturday, indicate that the “I Will Always Love You” hit-maker was drinking heavily in the days leading up to last weekend. A source told CNN that Houston was seen “consuming considerable quantities of alcohol” at the Beverly Hilton on last Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The source also claimed that the singer ordered the drinks before 10 a.m. on those days from the bars in the lobby and pool area.
Whitney had struggled with addiction in the past, and admitted to using marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs, which are also said to have played a part in her death, during various interviews in recent years.
According to CNN’s source, guests at the Beverly Hilton overheard Houston loudly complaining about her drinks and accusing bartenders of “watering down” or “putting too much ice” in them. Apparently, the chart-topping songstress was alone for some of the time last Wednesday and Thursday, but was also seen at the pool drinking with her entourage and a male companion.
On the day she died, Whitney was seen drinking at the pool in the morning. The source noted witnesses said her behavior did not appear erratic.
No cause of death has been announced yet following Houston’s autopsy, but Los Angeles police stated that an emergency call was placed at 3:23 p.m. on Saturday saying that the singer was unconscious on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Authorities arrived within two minutes, but attempts to resuscitate Houston failed and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
The singer’s funeral, which will be streamed online, is to be held in her home state of New Jersey on Saturday. Attendees are said to include Houston’s godmother Aretha Franklin, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Whitney’s longtime mentor Clive Davis.
In the wake of Houston’s death, her 2000 collection Whitney – The Greatest Hits re-entered the Top 200 album chart at #6 this week. Other Whitney titles that received a posthumous bump include Whitney Houston (in at #72 after roughly 8,000 copies were sold), The Bodyguard soundtrack (#80, 8,000), I Look To You (#118, 5,000), Whitney (#122, 5,000) and The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack (#183, 4,000).
As for Houston’s individual songs, 887,000 downloads were sold this past week. “I Will Always Love You” led the pack with 195,000, and it re-entered the Hot 100 at #7. Previously the song spent 14 weeks at #1 between 1992 and 1993.
