It is with extreme sadness that I learn of the death of Whitney Houston. The diva, who blew me away during the 80s and 90s, had a perfect singing voice.  She was one of the best singers I've ever heard.

But then came Bobby Brown and the drugs. When we saw her perform on September 2, 2009 for "Good Morning America" that perfect voice wasn’t so perfect.  The exact cause of her death has not be announced, but many of us can guess.

There are many things Whitney could have done to save herself, but one of the main things, I believe, was staying away from Bobby Brown. Most are convinced that Brown was a huge reason Whitney turned to drugs. Although no one could force Whitney to abuse drugs, how many stories do we know of women who turn to substance abuse because of the men they date or marry? As reported at the Drug Treatment Center in Orange County, "..women are usually introduced to drugs and alcohol by a boyfriend, family member or close friend."

Indeed, Houston, as a guest on Oprah's show, told Oprah she once didn't get out of her pajamas for seven months. She sat in her house with Brown and smoked crack.

And the reality TV show "Being Bobby Brown" was upsetting. The reality TV business has made Kim Kardashian and her clan famous, but it's never a smart thing to do if you want to be taken seriously. "Being Bobby Brown" was one of the worst things Whitney could have done and it didn't help her career in the least.

However, we were happy when Whitney dumped Brown and was on the comeback trail with "I Look To You."  But later her performances at The Grammy's, in Australia, in London and more were never seamless. She was hoarse, there was shortness of breath, too many water breaks, leaving the stage for 15 minutes at a time, etc. She was no longer able to give the type of performances she used to give before drugs ravaged her body.

By May of 2011, Houston was back in rehab and now, February of 2012, she's gone.

We can think of many examples of Whitney's powerful music, but one of her best performances was when she sang the National Anthem.

R.I.P. Whitney Houston