Although Clive Davis met with Whitney Houston's family prior to his famous pre-Grammy party Saturday night, they are really upset at him for letting the party move forward and feel he should have canceled it. I really don't feel the same way. If it had been any other hotel guest they would not have canceled the party. What if she had died at a different hotel? People had paid literally thousands and thousands of dollars for tickets to the party and that was non refundable. I think it would have been a huge mess to cancel it and then what would people have done? They would have gone somewhere else and still partied. Apparently the family is so upset at Clive that it is 50/50 whether he is getting an invitation to the funeral on Saturday. Please. Clive made Whitney. Full stop. They were incredibly close and they need to get over it and invite him. As for Bobby Brown. Keep him out.
As they say, "the show must go on"...
ReplyDeleteI am with you Enty. Keep Bobby out. I pray their daughter finds peace without the drugs. Keep Bobby away from her too.
ReplyDeleteI assume if this is true, that grief plays a part in this and they aren't thinking clearly.
ReplyDeleteClive made Whitney. Clive didnt attend his own party so that was respectful of Whitney.
ReplyDeleteOn another point, I am glad the family cancelled the public memorial and is not choosing whitewash Whitney's memory. She was partying hard for a long time now and glorifying her death is not a good example.
It is understandable that a grieving mother would find it odd that a party like this was not canceled. They are grieving the death of their daughter, mother, sister, cousin. It doesn't mean that the party has to be canceled, though, or that we should throw shade on them for being heartbroken.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I'm kind of on the fence about this one. On the one hand, considering her body was still upstairs in her room, it would have been respectful to cancel it, yet, Clive Davis spent a fortune on this party - the hotel, food, entertainment, etc., so honestly, how could he have canceled it at the last minute, while lots of people were on their way there?
ReplyDeleteAs to Bobby, regardless of how they feel about him, first and and foremost, he is still Bobbi Kristina's father, never mind the fact that he was married to Whitney for 15 years.
you have to feel for clive. as enty said, he made her career and he helped her through the drug-filled years. who else would have done that? I think it would be mean to exclude him. he was put in an awful position, and 'the show must go on' is an ancient show biz rule.
ReplyDeleteits not his fault she's dead. whitney abused substances, whether there were shady doctors involved or not. it seems that the family needs someone to blame, but they've got the wrong guy.
Clive DID attend the party...he just arrived late. I believe the party should have gone on..Whitney would have wanted it to. Lastly, Clive should be allowed at her funeral. Period.
ReplyDeleteI think it was tacky. Even CNN was reporting it was surreal - Whitney's body was still in the hotel and you could hear the music from the party outside while they were waiting for her body to be removed, at the same time fans gathered outside and were singing Whitney songs.
ReplyDeleteSo it would have been a headache if it was canceled, big deal.
I think they're going through that anger part of the grieving process. I don't think the party should have been cancelled. I think the family should grieve in peace. The whole situation is just too sad.
ReplyDeleteThe party was not for her. It was a pre-grammy party. If the party was in her honor, then yes cancel. It wasn't. She was a guest just like the rest of them. If anyone else passed that night, would he still have to cancel? Really, what was he supposed to do. She died getting ready to attend. It was probably too late to cancel, logistically speaking.
ReplyDeleteHe made her career. And he tried to bring back her career after she effectively killed it with her drug abuse. I think he should be able to attend. If it wasn't for Clive how many of us would even care, much less know Whitney?
Anyone who wants to pay his respects should be allowed to attend the service. I know a woman who was banned from attending her ex-husband's funeral because the new wife hated her, and it still tears her apart. People get angry during the grieving process, and they get pretty petty, too.
ReplyDeleteAs for Bobby B? Bobby is the freakin' father of Whitney's ONLY CHILD. He played a FAR bigger role in Whitney's life than Clive Davis. If he stays away from the funeral, he's an unsupportive, deadbeat dad. If he does attend, he's a piece of shit with a lot of audacity, right? He can't win with you.
I just read somewhere she didn't have a dime left and the Clive Davis was paying her mortgage and all of her expenses.
ReplyDeleteSo just maybe the family should be quiet.
they should have postponed the party at least a few hours. I do agree that to cancel would have been a giant mess. I also think he needs to be at the funeral and I think Bobby needs to be as well. Maybe seeing the tragic ending of Whitney will help him keep his daughter from the same fate.
ReplyDeleteClive tried his best to help Whitney. He fronted her money to pay her expenses, knowing that he would never recoup it. He treated her well by all accounts and covered for her--probably too much at times. But his feelings for her were sincere.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to see how much money Clive gave Whitney over the past few years.
As for canceling the party? Probably couldn't have been done on such short notice. Everything was ready, everyone was on their way to the hotel. Can you imagine trying to move the party to another location or cancel it altogether? There wasn't a lot he could have done other than cut the party short.
Another point, Clive Davis had Whitney's back (financially and personally) and gave her many chances for a comeback long after most people had written Whitney off. But like other said above, her family is in the angry stage of grief.
ReplyDeleteOh come on, the guests at the party were so overcome with shock/sadness at the news of a death instead of focusing on that fact that Whitney didn't perform...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NmguSrjo2Vg
Right.
Clive Davis will recoup the money *his company* loaned Houston through the record sales resulting from her death and future promotion. He won't be out a dime: he knows it, and her family knows it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a selfish family. Clive Davis gave Whitney so much help and support over the years. And the party was not for Whitney, it was for the Grammys. Invite him to the funeral, and get over yourselves.
ReplyDeleteAs for bobby, let Bobbi Kristina decide. She is the only one who knows for sure what went on in that house.
Wasn't this party being held while Whitney's corpse was lying three floors above? They didn't remove the body until much later Saturday night/Sunday morning.
ReplyDelete*shudders. Should have been cancelled.
I don't see why the party should have been canceled. If it was a party for Whitney then yes, it should have but that isn't the case.
ReplyDeleteI understand the family's grief but they wouldn't expect it if it was someone else or a stranger.
Clive pulled her out of the abyss in 2009 and tried to stage a comeback for her. It wasn't his fault time and crack ravaged her voice and the comeback flopped.
ReplyDeleteI think the family just wants to make the funeral about them and anyone with a big name will steal the spotlight and it is just selfish and petty on their end. But I am sure they won't have a problem sticking out their hands for money from Clive.
As to Bobby, I agree he shouldn't be there. I don't even think Bobby Kristina should be there as she emotionally might not be able to handle it. Her whole identity seemed wrapped up in her mother and now she has to be her own person is scary.
Are you kidding me? Of course he should be there. Bobby Brown was her demise, Clive Davis tried to be her savior. If not for him, she would never have been a star.
ReplyDeleteOh for fuck's sake, no one even discovered her body until they knocked on her door because she only had a half hour to finish getting ready. Hell, it would be hours before the news broke that she had died.
ReplyDeleteSorry but it was in poor taste, that party should have been cancelled the money spent would still be considered a tax write off.
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that Clive Davis felt a great responsibility for Whitney and always did what he could for her. I just hope Bobbi Kristina makes it through this okay. I keep thinking of her as that chubby kid from their reality show and I was shocked to see her all grown up. I only saw a couple of episodes of their show but Bobbi K seemed old beyond her years and as if she was the only responsible one. Did she never get the chance to be a kid? And does anyone know why Cissy Houston never tried to get custody of Bobbi? Was she afraid of alienating Whitney?
ReplyDeleteBut back to the party - no, I don't think he should have cancelled it, but I understand the Houston family feeling that way.
In a way, it probably helped some of her friends. Some of the attendees flew in and may not be able to go to the East Coast for her funeral. They got the chance to be with their peers and mourn.
ReplyDeleteI watched Whitney's friend, one of the women from Dreamgirls, on Piers Morgan. He asked her straight up if she was into drugs before Bobby and she answered straight up YES.
Please. Whitney chose to abuse drugs; Bobby sure as hell didn't force her! Do I like him? Nope. Is he responsible for a junkie throwing her life away after a ZILLION opportunities to straighten her shit out? Nope. Whitney pissed her life down the toilet and there is NO ONE to blame but her for that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's crazy to have restrictions on who can go to a funeral. Funerals are for the living, not the dead, so let people go and have their closure.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing worse than not having that, and it can haunt you for life.
I don't know why, but Clive Davis has always given me the creeps. I know he made her a star, but I'm sure he made a ton of money off her too.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has to grieve in their own way. If Cissy doesn't want Bobby there, then I think he should celebrate her life the way he wants. Whether it's in a church or a crack den.
I'm just glad a decision was made not to have a stadium-type fiasco. I thought Michael Jackson's funeral was tacky as hell in a lot of ways. Most celebs just can't help themselves and want all the attention instead of focusing on the deceased.
I don't think "clive made whitney." God gave Whitney that voice which was going to be heard one way or another during her lifetime. He capitalized on it.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone read this?
http://www.rhymeswithsnitch.com/2012/02/sony-raises-price-as-whitney-sales-soar.html
If Bobbi Kristina needs her dad, he should be there.
ReplyDeleteThe family is suffering from GUILT along with grief,
ReplyDeleteas for Bobbi Kristina I hope she was able to get an education and if Clive wants to go for a little more money maybe he could get her into Julliard, I read she wants to sing the stability of proper training would be wonderful for her.
I agree the party shouldn't have been canceled. It was for the Grammys, not her.
ReplyDeleteHer body wasn't even cold four flights above the party. It was so disrespectful for that party to go on. They couldn't get her body out because of it. I'm with the family on this one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Montana, Moose and everyone else who found it in poor taste. Her body was upstairs, barely cold and she was the featured performance of the night. No one would have been surprised or upset if it was cancelled. And as far as the family should be quiet because he paid her bills?!?! Are you serious?! He discovered her and yes he'd been there to help her, but she made him BILLIONS over the years. Oh well, I guess the show must go on so that hoes like Kim K can have somewhere to party.
ReplyDeleteSorry - Whitney was a great singer, but she is one of many, many, many. The world does not pause because she died. Esp given she directly contributed to her own death.
ReplyDeleteThe Grammy party was for just that--the GRAMMYs, not for/because of/centered around Whitney.
ReplyDeletethe timing and place of her death was just a sad, sad coincidence, so I agree--the show goes on.
And that family all made good because of his mentoring of Whitney. Don't doubt that for one second.
ReplyDeleteWhitney said at least more than once that "white people fucked me over" but she and her family all willingly (I can only assume, as strong-willed as she was) went along with the PR/public persona campaign from her very beginning. The fact that she chose to squander her earnings was solely her fault, not Clive's.
She would not be the first nor the last entertainer ho sold their soul for making the big time.
Now, if I hear proof that Clive physically/directly enabled her, fed her drugs, etc. then I will change my tune on this one. Looks to me as if he tried to nurture and protect his investment (i.e. the comeback, etc.)
(sorry, long rant)
Whitney Houston was a icon, one of my long time favorite celebs, truly lovely and talented. But she did not "contribute" to her own death, let's be honest about that. She killed herself. Drugs were her choice to begin with. She had the money to get off them but not the willpower. Some people are just more vulnerable to addiction. This must be very hard for a loving family to accept, especially if they've been after her for years to address this problem. The tendency is to go looking for a scapegoat. This is dishonest but understandable in a grieving family member who has no distance from the situation, but not in anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI came to say what @bflogurl said.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is that it is in poor taste to not cancel the party while her body is still warm, but it is o.k to discuss her substance abuse problems, her marriage issues, and her family while said body is still warm.
ReplyDeleteidgi.
I miss you, Whitney. I miss you.
ReplyDeleteJust so everyone is clear: when I kick the bucket, please do not cancel any parties on account of my death. Party on. It's what I would have wanted.
ReplyDeleteI'll be glad when all this is over. I feel this big need to defend Bobby Brown and I hate it.
ReplyDeleteI dont blame Bobby Brown for Whitney's drug problems. They were together 15 years!! She was as into drugs as he was, they were just 2 addicts who found each other. Bobby shld be allowed at funeral for his daughters sake. Family doesnt hv to love him, just tolorate him for couple of hours. Party most definately shld hv been cancelled out of respect.
ReplyDeleteParty should not have been cancelled. It was a pre-Grammy party, not a WHITNEY party. Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteI also think Bobby gets a bad rap here....I honestly believe Whitney got HIM into drugs, not the other way around. He's been clean for years now, give it a rest.
RQ
ReplyDeleteDid you have the bb yet?
Bobby should be allowed to attend the funeral. He is Bobbi's father and she will most likely want comfort from him. There are always two sides to a story. My MIL is close to dying, and I know the family doesn't want me there, I want to go for her, but not for them. Most importantly, I want to be there for my husband, who has had no support from his family for the 13 years we have been together. It is so bad that one of his sisters was talking to me last night about end of life decisions and asking me to pass on the conversation, rather than ring her brother who is away working.
ReplyDeleteA few people like Taylor Swift decided not to attend the party out of respect. Still can't figure out why Tom Hanks went. Britney should have stayed away too.
ReplyDeleteI think Bobby should attend the funeral.
@feraltart
ReplyDeleteYou should go. It's not up to the family to arbitrarily decide who can/cannot go. If you know your MIL would want you there, forget the rest of the family because you have to live with what you did/didn't do until you die, not them.
Agree with Jazzy and others. She was a featured performer that evening, her body was still upstairs with investigators, EMT and other personnel out front. Beyond tacky, downright morbid.
ReplyDeleteSo Clive made her? Partly true, but it was her talent that made him relevant again.
I thought Clive skipped the party himself out of respect? Did he change his mind about that?
ReplyDeleteBobby Brown is about as responsible for Whitney's problems as Charlie Sheen is for Brooke Mueller's. Yeah, they contributed, but they weren't the only thing wrong.
I think they should ask Bobbi if she wants her dad at the funeral, and that should be the final answer on the issue.
Good read...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.esquire.com/the-side/music/whitney-houston-6654718#ixzz1mXv5dIDM
I don't understand why they didn't remove her from the hotel before the party started? At least postpone it. And I was under the impression that Clive didn't attend it. I don't see how the family could ban him from the funeral after all he's done for her.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand this was a party and Whitney was hired as the entertainment.
ReplyDeleteIf the party were in her honor it would be different but I think it was probably too late to cancel.
The party should have been canceled. Whitney's body was upstairs!!
ReplyDeleteI'm appalled at the people who following the media and all the disinformation.
Bobby deserves a place by Whitney. Her only husband ... of 15 years!!!!
She wasn't the entertainment. Clive said she might sing but she wasn't obligated to. Brandy and Monica were supposed to perform though but in the end, they were too distraught. Whitney was going to enjoy herself with Clive and her friends.
ReplyDeleteI don't seed what canceling the party would have done. She wasn't murdered, there wasn't an actual crime scene. It is a sad ending to a sad life.
ReplyDeleteI have no pity for recreational drug users who think it is "fun." I do have pity for full blown addicts who can't help themselves. I have a friend from high school who has been to rehab 18 timed for alcohol abuse. he met his wife there. She was a crack addict and has Lupus. They are struggling trying as hard as they can not to relapse. He also lost a brother to a drug overdose. I don't think Whitney could have stopped the drug use, no matter how hard everyone tried to help.
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ReplyDeleteDoes not matter how you dress it up Clive's behaviour was despicable. Party should of been cancelled since that is where she died only hours before and depending on which reports you read, her body may possibly have been still there. The party was organised by a multi-millionaire for other multi-millionaires so screw the money that would have been lost due to cancellation.
ReplyDeleteChaka Khan articulates perfectly why having that party was wrong
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7AaJjsJi1f0
I have Whitney's "Greatest Hits" DVD from 2000, and it contains an interview of Clive Davis that made me sick. The way he spoke about Whitney as a "product" (he LITERALLY used the the p-word many, many times) revealed the ugly truth. With a person like that as one of her closest mentors, she didn't have a chance. On a lighter note, here's a sweet video of Paul Shaffer and Whitney Houston that I remember seeing when it aired, and I always thought it was so cute... talk about a study in contrasts! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOz2kwi_CA
Clickable link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOz2kwi_CA
ReplyDelete...and while I'm sharing my favorite more obscure Whitney moments....here's another one which was a gospel performance with her mother and brother at the 1988 AMA's:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_EsWkcs5w