- Title: VARIOUS: Australian and Asian fans saddened by death of Whitney Houston
- Date: 13th February 2012
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICKY PASHA SAYING: "I mean if you remember seeing her in the Body Guard, she was just sensational and so young and what a voice. Absolutely unbelievable. A terrible pity." PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF OPERA HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DASHAKA RANASINGHE SAYING: "It is a bit of a shock, I guess I'm still trying to digest it. It is a sad day today because I think she contributed some great music to the world of R and B. And her voice was so powerful that I can still hear it. When I think about her now, especially I Will Always Love You. I still remember that form when I was ten years old so it's hard to think that the person that created that is no longer hear today." BOATS ON SYDNEY HARBOUR TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 12, 2012) (REUTERS) AKASAKA BIZ TOWER AREA VARIOUS OF LIT-UP BAMBOO DECORATION (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ERIKO NAKAJIMA, WHITNEY HOUSTON FAN SAYING: "Even just yesterday on YouTube I watched a Whitney Houston video, I can't believe it, why did this happen?" LIT-UP BAMBOO DECORATION AT DUSK (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) HAMANA FAMILY SAYING: "What? No, no, we hadn't heard the news. Really? Whitney Houston?" MORE OF AKASAKA BIZ TOWER AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MAIKA HAMANA, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SAYING: "I have her songs in my music player, I listen to them a lot, I am so surprised to hear the news." VARIOUS OF CARS PASSING ON ROAD IN FRONT OF AKASAKA BIZ TOWER AREA BEIJING, CHINA (FEBRUARY 12, 2012) (REUTERS) PEOPLE QUEUING FOR BUS NEAR NEWSPAPER STAND
- Embargoed: 28th February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Australia, Taiwan, Province of China, Japan, China
- City:
- Country: Taiwan
- Topics: Arts
- Reuters ID: LVANVTCNGYCDG6U4L5W0Y2WZ51W
- Story Text: People across Asia and in Australia are saddened by the death of singer Whitney Houston.
As the news broke of singer Whitney Houston's death, people across the world expressed their sadness at the loss of such a great talent and at her struggles throughout her life.
Houston, whose soaring voice lifted her to the top of the pop music world but whose personal decline was fuelled by years of drug use, died on Saturday (February 11) afternoon in a Beverly Hills hotel room. She was 48.
The cause of her death was under investigation Saturday night, the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Houston died at the same hotel where her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding an annual pre-event party featuring scores of music industry celebrities.
With hits like "I Will Always Love You" - the theme song of what was her film acting debut in "The Bodyguard" opposite Kevin Costner in 1992 - and "The Greatest Love of All," Houston won six Grammys and more than 400 other awards in a 25-year career.
Shaun Garvey a fan from Sydney spoke of the emotions he felt at Houston's passing.
"Just real sadness, dismay and I guess a bit of grief because, you know at the same time you learn a bit more about her and you learn the, I guess the poisons that were in her life," he said.
Nicky Pasha, a fan from London remembers her performance on the big screen.
"I mean if you remember seeing her in the Body Guard, she was just sensational and so young and what a voice. Absolutely unbelievable. A terrible pity," she said Fans of all ages remember Houston for different reasons.
"It is a bit of a shock, I guess I'm still trying to digest it. It is a sad day today because I think she contributed some great music to the world of R and B. And her voice was so powerful that I can still hear it. When I think about her now, especially I Will Always Love You. I still remember that form when I was ten years old so it's hard to think that the person that created that is no longer hear today," said Dashaka Ranasinghe from Sydney.
In Japan, many were shocked to hear the news.
"Even just yesterday on YouTube I watched a Whitney Houston video, I can't believe it, why did this happen?" said Eriko Nakajima in Tokyo.
"I have her songs in my music player, I listen to them a lot, I am so surprised to hear the news," Maika Hamana, elder daughter of the Hamana family said, who couldn't believe the singer had died so young.
In Taiwan, 26-year-old singer Lin Yu-chun, a Whitney Houston fan who became an internet sensation two years ago after his pitch-perfect rendition of her "I Will Always Love You", remembered her influence upon his life.
"When I sang the song, I thought, because the song says 'say good bye, please don't cry, we both know I'm not what you need.' It made me really sad to think about the lyrics, because she had such an influence in me," said the teary Lin.
"I imagined one day to really see her in person and sing this song with her, if she was alive there would be hope, but now this wish will never come true," Lin added. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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