Singer Kelly Price told CNN on Monday that she performed an impromptu duet with Whitney Houston at a party two days before Houston's death.
"She did not seem disheveled. She was dancing, she was laughing. ... We were having a good time," said Price said of the party two days before the Grammys. "What I saw on Thursday night was not erratic behavior. I didn't see someone who was high."
Friend: Whitney was 'joyful and upbeat'
Beverly Hills police have requested a "security hold" on the coroner's report, a common practice in high-profile cases that limits what can be revealed about a probe while it is ongoing.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Ed Winter, assistant chief of the Los Angeles county coroner's office, refused to speculate on a cause of death, saying testing is ongoing. Winter on Sunday said no additional details, including what was discovered in Whitney Houston's room, would be released.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, singer Tony Bennett, who won two Grammys Sunday night, recalled to Rolling Stone the first time he heard Houston's voice. "I called Clive Davis up," he said of the record label boss who discovered Houston. "And I said, 'Clive, that's the best singer I ever heard in my life. You really got something on your hands.' Sure enough, at the beginning she was singing everything so beautiful.
A source close to Houston, however, told CNN Monday that her body will be flown to her native New Jersey, and a funeral service will be held there Friday or Saturday.
Whitney Houston's music skyrocketed to the top of the charts in the wake of the singer's death, which was announced on Saturday.
Houston's recordings ruled the top 175 songs on Apple's iTunes on Monday, led by her recording of the Dolly Parton song, "I Will Always Love You."
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Greatest Love of All," both from Houston's "The Greatest Hits" album, clocked in at numbers two and three.
Houston's songs dominate iTunes
Tributes continue to pour in Monday while questions remain in the wake of pop diva Whitney Houston's sudden death, which loomed over the music world's biggest stage this weekend, the Grammys.
Coroners on Sunday completed an autopsy on Houston, who was found dead Saturday in her suite in the upscale Beverly Hilton hours before she was to attend a pre-Grammy Awards bash at the hotel.
Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office told reporters "there will be no cause of death at this time because it is pending toxicology reports." Those lab results are expected in six to eight weeks.
On Sunday night, the Grammy Awards feted a new siren, Adele, even as it mourned a classic one, with celebrities paying tribute to Houston on the star-studded night.
Host LL Cool J opened with a prayer for Houston, a six-time Grammy winner. "How do we speak to this time, to this day? There is no way around this. We've had a death in our family. At least to me, the only thing that seems right is to begin with a prayer for the woman that we loved, for our fallen sister, Whitney Houston." The crowd paused as the rapper and actor said a quick prayer.
Earlier Sunday, Houston's 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was taken to a Los Angeles hospital, police said.
Beverly Hills police said Sunday the teen went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at about 11:15 a.m. She was released later Sunday and was expected to head to New Jersey, where her grandmother lives, said a source close to the family.
Singer Kim Burrell, a family friend, told CNN she was with the teenager Saturday at the Beverly Hilton after Houston died. "As to be expected, she's overwhelmed – it's her mother. She knows how much her mother meant to the world. And Bobbi Kristina has a huge heart, just like her mother," Burrell said from the red carpet at the Grammys.
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
She struggled as do many who die every day of similar causes and there are no glowing tributes on worldwide TV, no hovering helicopters, no TMZ reports, just the passing of another person who fell victim to the world and it's evils, and hopefully if nothing else she will be remembered by those who also struggle with drugs or alchohol and perhaps will keep someone sober or drug-free and in the end it will prevent them from ending up the same way. May she rest in God's peace...
Rip Whitney...such a great talent.
It's a sad story – so many people dying from drug related issues. We turn our backs on these people way too often. A word from the biggest enabler in the world. Catch it early on, the longer you ignore your "friends" or "familys" issues the worse the addiction gets. It's easier to turn our backs and try to convince ourselves it's only a temporary thing. If you have a loved one in trouble "speak up" and help them get the help they need quickly. Ignoring the issue doesn't make you a very good friend or relative.
Anonymous junkie or hero? Both or neither? If the "book" of Whitney's Houston life were opened – what would we find? Would we find a woman genetically predisposed to addiction? Would we discover a childhood that was "less than perfect?"
Surely we would read details that are totally unknown to us now. We pass judgement based on very little information. Isn't curious that we feel a need to pass any judgement at all?
It is frightening to wonder what CNN may write about my life or yours if we merited so much press. Would any of it be "fair, accurate, objective?" We wouldn't be alive to fill in the blanks, to tie the pieces together, to explain anything. We would be defending ourselves from the grave.
Maybe a better of use our limited time & attention is to – a) give thanks for her life; b) consider our own lives. What do we value? What kind of obituary would we want written about us? Would we want to be known as just famous or rich? How many of us would honestly say that we value being a caring, loving person – that we want that to be our signature?
Thank you, thank you for posting something that is actually sane, respectful and thought provoking. Blessings to you.
I woke up at 6:30AM (EST) yesterday and went to CNN.com as I always do first thing. They reported two loud booms and a thud (reported that all morning long) from Whitney's room. Now nothing about that. What are they suppressing????RIP Whitney. I hope we get to find out the truth.
Boom goes the dynamite!
and...
Thud goes a face palm!
From a Canadian's point of view and a fan of Whitney's. What I am reading here with all the comments is a bunch of negative, self righteous s.o.b.'s – calm down, love each other and be peaceful and let her rest in peace.
Sorry, I prefer Snickers over KitKats. And you came to the CNN comments expecting something else?! Boy are you dillusional!
Autopsy results = crack
WHAT WAS IN THAT NOTE WHITNEY PASSED TO BRANDY WHEN BRANDY AND MONICA WERE BEING INTERVIEWED ON TV?. WHITENY AND HER DAUGHTER CHRISTINA VISITED THE SET RIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW STARTED. THEY SHOWED WHITNEY PASSING BRANDY A NOTE ON CAMERA.
And you received your medical degree from what college?
hard to understand it why CNN is making so much of this woman, yes , she was a good singer, buy by any meas she can be a role model to girls. She died doing whay she loved to do. doing drugs.
SINCE DRUGS ARE SO COMMON IN HOLLYWOOD. ENOUGH ABOUT BENING A ROLE MODEL, SHE WAS A DRUG ADDICT. ENOUGH OF THAT.
@Sharon:
It said "turn your caps-lock key off."
WOW I cant even read anymore of this... may god have mercy on .....well.... clearly alot of u dont have a soul... seems most of u think u are perfect.. good luck with that... wonder what ever happened to the saying " if u dont have something nice to say then dont say anything at all"??? such DISRESPECT !!! one day u will have to answer for your disrespect.... keep that in mind... im done here!!!!!
Thank you Tesla, there's the door.
I agree TESLA–well said. My sentiments exactly.
Words of smart woman!! No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but if you can't have compassion and say nice things then keep your mouth shut! No one ever needs to hear such negativity. That's like telling someone if they have done something wrong like being a drug addict that there is no point in getting better because that's all anyone will ever see you as, which is crap. We NEED to be better people.
I woke up at 6:30AM (EST) yesterday and went to CNN.com as I always do first thing. They reported two loud booms and a thud (reported that all morning long) from Whitney's room. Now nothing about that. What are they suppressing????RIP Whitney. I hope we get to find out the truth
Strange Pedo Bear – I knew you would be the one to respond...why....cause you get your kicks from trying to manipulate people and yes I agree with your own concept of yourself – you really don't care. What sad people that surround themselves with your friendship, they must cut from the same cloth.....over & out, my work break is over now – bye bye
and maybe change your name to "get over myself"
Give me back my MSNBC!
What a tragic loss for her family and for all of us who sat amazed at the soulful and beautiful voice that emanated through the air waves. She was one of the truly great artists of our century and the world is a lesser place without her. Drugs and alcohol have occupied the music industry for decades; these people are sensitives that struggle to withstand the harshness of life and sadly the drug and alcohol dealers are there promoting numbing down as an answer. The list of muscians and actors/actresses that have died at the hands of drugs include some of the greatest. I wish the entertainment industry would provide help for its members that would include safe oversight and if necessary medications for these people that live with their hearts sitting on their shoulders. Surely, she has passed over to the light side and she will be waiting to sing to those of you who join her. A member of our family owned a club that catered to the biggest names in the music industry and i can tell you drugs and alcohol have been in this industry for far too long. We need to provide a healthy outlet to these performers so we don't continue to see this happen.
For the sake of the Houston family I hope the media and tabloids (same thing actually) doesn't drag this story out for months (years) like they have since Michael Jackson's death.
CNN...PLEASE........STOP.......WE......DO.....NOT........CARE
Ha. You're so obviously wrong, Alan. Clearly, for every silly kid like you who takes the time (inexplicably) to seek out the Whitney-themed articles and vent about them, there's another few people earnestly interested in how the story unfolds. The fact of the matter is that CNN.com is an enormous site. There's plenty of financial news to read, if that's your preference. There's plenty of international politics to pursue, also. Sports feature prominently. You're the one digging through celebrity blogs.
Seriously?! A stick figure?! WOW!!!