A Prayer For Whitney...Seriously?

It has happened again. Another female singer has died too soon. Whitney Houston died on Saturday, February 11, the day before the Grammy Awards. The collective outpouring of grief has been overwhelming. Obviously she was loved and liked. And, just like the response to the death of Michael Jackson, Whitney's albums and songs have sold like gang-busters over the last few days. More Whitney product has been sold since her death than in the previous two years combined.

Last July Amy Winehouse died. Some grieved for her, some thought she got what she deserved. What is curious though, is the difference between the public's response. Both singers led controversial lives replete with drug abuse, relationship problems, and career difficulties. Both singers died under similar circumstances. Both singers were on a "comeback" of sorts.

Yet, Whitey's death provoked something rarely, if ever, seen during the Grammy Awards. Every year the Grammys remember and memorialize those in the music industry that passed away during the year, but at this year's show in addition to the usual tribute, Whitney was prayed for before the show began. Host LL Cool J led the Grammy audience and the millions of viewers in a prayer for Whitney, live and in HD, so to speak.

In contrast, Amy's death provoked nothing even close. No one prayed for Amy at the British Music Awards, and it is doubtful that even if she died the day before the show, she still would not have been prayed for. In fact, there has not been one famous musician that has died and then been prayed for during a nationally/globally televised award show. So why is Whitney different?

Reasons for Whitney's prayer range from the legitimacy of her pedigree, she's the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin of Dionne Warwick and Darlene Love, and Aretha Franklin is her godmother; to the fact she was allegedly deeply religious and spiritual. But, John Lennon and Michael Jackson were both spiritual and I don't remember a prayer said for them at the Grammy Awards.

My argument is that her success both pre- and posthumously is largely due to the song "I Will Always Love You." Whitney has sold in the neighbourhood of 22 million albums over her career, half of those were the soundtrack to The Bodyguard which contained the song; however, I'm not sure that's reason enough to warrant a prayer at the Grammys. Now granted Whitney has recorded more albums and sold more product than Amy, but Amy was half Whitney's age. Would Amy be prayed for if she had an "I Will Always Love You" and four more albums? My guess is no.

And that's the curious thing. Despite the fact numerous famous and influential musicians have died too early, only Whitney gets prayed for at the Grammy Awards.

Frankly, I found the prayer for Whitney out of place. There are other venues appropriate for such a display other than a nationally/globally televised awards show. There already were tributes to Whitney in the program. But after a small cursory review of this with people I know, I'm apparently alone in my view. Having said that, I recognize Whitney's success, her contribution to music history, her influence on subsequent singers, and her talent; but I question her prayerworthyness above others.