A voice silenced: Whitney Houston. What a loss.

There are many object lessons to be learned from the life and death of legendary singer Whitney Houston -- the danger of drug use, the pitfalls of stardom and the horror of a marriage that does not uplift but leads to a downfall.

And all that will be discussed ad nauseam over the next few days as the press tries to unlock the singer's fateful last day.

It is a sad story. Ms. Houston had such a promising start -- the child of a famous gospel singer, she was gifted with the voice of an angel and the power to send it soaring to the heavens.

But all that promise and possibility ended when she began using drugs and spiraling out of control. She tried to get her life and career back, but critics say her voice simply was gone.

And now, we have lost a legend.

Despite her personal failings, Ms. Houston was a trailblazer who paved the way for today's female vocalists. And she will be missed.

We can add her name to the long list of stars whose lives ended long before they should have -- a tragic side effect of fame for some.

Let's hope she is now resting in peace.

Published in Editorials on February 13, 2012 10:42 AM