Singer Whitney Houston and adventurer “Jack” Idema go out in a haze of drugs
Model, Singer, Actress and Producer Whitney Houston, dead from drowning in her own bathtub at age 48, toxicology reports showing cocaine, Xanax and marijuana in her system after what was reportedly several nights of hard partying. It was likely the Xanax that didn’t allow her brain to wake her up as her head slipped under the water. She was the most awarded female artist of all time, with an incomparable voice. The list of firsts and records is breathtaking, from the first album by a new female artist to yield three No. 1 singles, to winning more American Music Awards, 22, than any other woman. The list of female artists she influenced is a who’s who of greats, including Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion and Toni Braxton. Yet long before she died, the everyday drug use had taken her voice. The Enquirer chronicled Houston’s decline for nearly a decade, reporting on her downward spiral while “her reps vehemently denied she had a problem.” One source told The Enquirer, “The people around her did their best to cover up her deadly addictions. Now, they have to share some of the blame for this superstar’s sad demise.” I couldn’t have said it better.
Jonathan Keith “Jack” Idema, dead from AIDS at age 55. Idema, who fashioned himself as a highly trained covert operative combating international terrorism, was more likely an imposter and con artist who led life in the very fast lane. The Wikipedia piece on him reads like a “what’s what” of alcoholism-fueled behaviors: “questionable behavior… a history of criminal activity…charged with impersonating an officer, conspiracy, passing bad checks, assault, possession of stolen property, and discharging a firearm into a dwelling…arrested and charged with 58 counts of wire fraud defrauding 59 companies of about $260,000 [for which he spent three years in prison] …litigious…threatening legal action against his detractors…several reports of poor performance [in his military career]… cited for ‘failure to obey orders, being derelict in the performance of his duty, and being disrespectful to a superior commanding officer’…[described by an army Major in a letter of reprimand as having] ‘disregard for authority and gross immaturity characterized by irrationality and a tendency toward violence’…known to have a volatile temper….” While alcohol, drugs, partying and related words are found nowhere in the Wikipedia bio, The Economist concluded its obituary by mentioning that Idema’s “life ended in a haze of vodka and cocaine.” They should have begun the piece by saying, “Everything in Idema’s life can be explained by alcoholism-induced euphoric recall, resulting in egomania and confabulated thinking. Here’s the amazing story.”