Politicians mourn Whitney Houston (Politico)

An array of political voices mourned the death of Whitney Houston on Saturday, honoring the singer and actress whose powerful voice touched the lives of countless fans around the world. She was 48.

The news that the singer was found dead in a Beverly Hills, Calif., hotel room drew reactions from not only the singer?s global fan base and friends in the entertainment world, but the political world as well.

Continue Reading

?A legend has died. As the world mourns the loss of one of the all-time greats, we in Newark feel an especially deep sadness,? said Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, N.J., ? where Houston was born ? in a statement. ?She went from a Newark church to the global stage, but she always remained a deep part of our pride and collective heart.?

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said on Twitter, ?Very saddened at the passing of Whitney Houston, a great singer, very talented woman. May she rest in peace, pray for her family. God Bless.?

?Like the rest of the world I am terribly shocked and saddened by the passing of Ms. Whitney Houston. I watched her grow up singing in the church choir under the leadership of Rev. Thomas,? the Rev. Jesse Jackson said in a statement. ?Whitney was one of the outstanding voices of our time. There is a hole in the sky and void in the music world.?

One of Houston?s most memorable performances was at the Super Bowl in Jan. 1991, when her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner during the Persian Gulf War inspired and uplifted viewers across the country.

Houston also visited the White House in 1990 at the invitation of President George H.W. Bush, and performed at the White House State Dinner honoring Nelson Mandela in 1994.

At about 3:43 p.m. Saturday, the Beverly Hills police department received an emergency call from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen told reporters in a press conference Saturday evening.

According to Rosen, when officers arrived at Houston?s hotel room on the fourth floor, fire department and hotel security were attempting to resuscitate her. At 3:55 p.m., the singer was pronounced dead.

There were no signs of ?any criminal intent? and ?no obvious signs? of the cause of her death in the initial stages of the investigation, Rosen said.

The news, which the Associated Press broke, comes on the weekend hundreds of stars from the music industry are gathered in Los Angeles for Sunday night?s Grammy awards, which commentators said was sure to include a tribute to the singer.

Houston sold over 170 million albums and singles during her career. A six-time Grammy winner and the first artist to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles, Houston also captured many fans? hearts in her feature movie debut, ?The Bodyguard.?

Houston?s longtime mentor Clive Davis was scheduled to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday, which the late singer was supposed to attend, the AP reported. Houston had been in rehearsals for the show this week, and sources told the wire that she had looked disheveled and was sweating profusely.

MSNBC host and civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton called for a national day of prayer in honor of Houston?s life, saying in a statement that ?the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird? on the morning of the Grammys.

?I am stunned at the passing of Whitney Houston whom I have known since the late 1980?s,? Sharpton said. ?I have known her mother, the great gospel singer Cissy, and her aunt Dionne Warwick, down through the years, and the world is saddened by this great loss.?

Lucy McCalmont contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0212_72762_html/44499956/SIG=11mjpet1h/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72762.html

edgar cayce eagle rock music festival eagle rock music festival arbor apple crisp recipe apple crisp recipe listeria symptoms