Tony Bennett Supports Drug Legalization, Remembers Whitney Houston At Clive Davis Gala

By MESFIN FEKADU, the Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- More than two decades ago, Clive Davis introduced a young woman with a scintillating voice to the music industry at his annual pre-Grammy soiree: Whitney Houston.

On Saturday night, hours after Houston's death at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Davis - Houston's mentor, producer, champion and longtime friend - memorialized her at this year's gala, held downstairs from the same hotel where she died.

With celebrities ranging from Dr. Dre to Tony Bennett in attendance, a somber Davis, reading from a sheet of paper, said: "I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me. She was full of life, looking forward for tonight. She loved music and she loved this night that celebrated music."

He added: "Whitney was a beautiful person and she had a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage ... so many times. So simply put: Whitney would have wanted the music to go on."

He dedicated the evening to her and asked for a moment of silence as a photo of the 48-year-old, hands wide open, looking to the sky, appeared on the screen.

Then, he said with excitement: "Now ladies and gentlemen, let the music begin."

Tony Bennett, the evening's first performer, recounted other recent big-name deaths in the music industry. "First it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now the magnificent Whitney Houston. Let's legalize drugs, like Amsterdam, it's a very sane city now."

He added that Winehouse was "the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life."

The scene was somewhat surreal given Houston's shocking death only earlier in the day. But Grammy President and CEO Neil Portnow, who called Houston a friend, said "canceling the party was never an option."

"A lot of us holding hands tonight, on each other's shoulders ... We'll be celebrating," he said. "The legacy she left will be here forever."

He announced that Jennifer Hudson would perform a tribute to Houston at Sunday's Grammys.

Earlier in the evening, India.Arie said Houston "set the standard for what it is to be a great female artist."

Producer Jimmy Jam said her death was a "bittersweet irony" given that Davis heralded Houston as a great talent to watch when he had her perform at his party in her youth.

"The fact that it happened on this day, this event is where Clive Davis introduced Whitney to the world. We said hello to Whitney at the Clive Davis (gala), it may be appropriate we're saying our first goodbyes to Whitney at a Clive Davis event.

"In a weird way it's appropriate, the show must go on. I think Whitney would have wanted that to happen. ... Tonight I think we begin to celebrate and remember."

___

Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/musicmesfin

Stars turn out for the Clive Davis gala:

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Comments

[fumes]

08:17 PM on 02/14/2012

LOL..

there are those among us..

(read down-thread)..

that think they would do things were they legal..

as if they had no minds of their own.. or self-control.

whilst the rest of us know..

you can lead a horse to water but you just CAN'T make it drink!

[Antidiot]

01:49 PM on 02/14/2012

I personally think that drug legalization is only half the solution. The other half is figuring out how to approach the problem of addiction in a way that actually DOES work.

[greengrist]

05:38 PM on 02/13/2012

Portugal has decriminal­ized drugs and less people are dying from them. There are a lot of clueless people commenting here. See:
www.cannabis.wikia.com/wiki/Portugal._Cannabis-related_links

[Mort]

11:36 PM on 02/15/2012

Not too many folks die from cannabis

[gungavin]

12:39 PM on 02/13/2012

Lots of flak on this post. Mostly from sanctimonious, holier-than thou, compassion-less people, so we can rest assured that they are the legions of the right. They demonstrate how lack of intelligence can make them into the clowns who help put the more wealthy sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, compassion-less people into our malfunctioning government. Their approach to life is to put your head in the sand and hope for the best.

[Justgo4it]

01:08 PM on 02/13/2012

hey babe, I started this account 2 weeks ago. the fanning thing has been down for a week, so your deleted comment meant nothing to me. oh and I'm an adult who believes he's lost it!! and some don't put their heads in the sand, seems you should put your's back though.

[gungavin]

02:17 PM on 02/13/2012

Whhhaaaaaaaaaattt ? Can't make heads or tails out of that revelation; sorry !

[ajustman]

07:38 PM on 02/12/2012

What a stupid comment on his part. Does he want the competition to all kill themselves? If the US stopped the drugs where ever they come from we would not have this problem. I would only leave pot alone. Alcohol is legal and the most abused substance in the in the US. If Other drugs like crack were legalized you would have to open 10,000 clinics a day to treat patients. Drugs are one of the lowest common denominators. It makes people feel good then it kills them. Maybe if we learned to act like decent humans things would get better.

[gungavin]

12:49 PM on 02/13/2012

Right you are on the 'act like decent humans' bit. Unfortunately, the other lowest common denominators are the many sanctimonious idiots who haven't the ability to think outside the box. They still think the 'War on Drugs' is working. It definitely isn't working and never will. All it does is put money in the pockets of the privatized prison cartel ( I'm thinking: isn't that some sort of
'racketeering'? Where's the FBI when you need them? )

[Mort]

11:43 PM on 02/15/2012

So do we take the money away from the prisons and give it to the government? That's what legalization and regulation does.Someone is gonna make money. Actually, that's one reason congress won't legalize. If the drug companies ever figured out how to take over those drugs congress would bend over backwards for it.

[Justgo4it]

07:37 PM on 02/12/2012

Tony take that microphone and smack the side of your head, seems you brain has stopped working, and if it doesn't work, I'm sure someone will volunteer to smack you silly.

[nana4g]

07:32 PM on 02/12/2012

As if legalizing drugs would prevent the deaths of these celebrities he mentions? None of them had difficulty obtaining their drugs. They were not out on streets in the shadows. They were getting the creme of the crop without difficulty, getting home delivery like a pizza order, on-site drug peddlers; not stealing them or money with which to get them; enabled every step of the way by their peers, the industry at large, police, judges, and rehab centers.

Legalizing drugs may keep street people from contracting hepatitis and HIV; from taking "bad stuff"; but, as long as you use, no matter where it comes from, if it's legal or not, it kills you. And his remark is just a symptom of why so many celebrities die from using: the mindset of these celebs is different; they think they know it all and do not respond well to someone else telling them what to do; when they do seek help or get in legal trouble, they are treated like royalty and enjoy a different standard than most. I feel little sympathy any more because the Industry does absolutely nothing to prevent it and help their "family" and "dear friends". The Industry seems to condone and enable. Then, when they die, the aftermath always includes a grand showtime, tributes, "let's not remember the addict, just the talent...". It's almost as if the dead are expendable and a new cast is in the wings.

[gungavin]

12:56 PM on 02/13/2012

In pure 'human being' terms, I don't know whether your comment is completely underwhelming or else, callously dispassionate. Sorry, man; I just couldn't figure out where you were going with it.

[wendylile]

07:27 PM on 02/12/2012

Tony Bennett is getting senile. Drugs cause health issues, dysfunctional familes, child abuse, spouse abuse and, yes, even death. We need more of this????? Right.

[juliska]

08:43 PM on 02/12/2012

legalizing drugs does not mean more health issues, dysfunctional families, child abuse, spouse abuse, and death. It gives us the opportunity to deal with these problems in an open and compassionate way, and find rational solutions by treating drug abusers as human beings instead of dirty criminals. Stigmatizing addicts into isolation and shutting them away in prison obviously isn't working.

[wendylile]

09:29 PM on 02/12/2012

There are several types of rehab programs available throughout the U.S. No one I know has been imprisoned because they were an addict. It's the drug pushers who are in prison. I am 60 years old and was witness to the 60s drug culture. No one was "stigmatized" and Whitney Houston sure wasn't. She gave interviews in which she proudly proclaimed her addiction to drugs and that it wasn't hurting her child. She was wrong.

[gungavin]

01:02 PM on 02/13/2012

No; we really don't need more of this. What we really need is more of your hateful, unconstructive donations. (not) And you should hope you get as senile as Tony!

[wendylile]

02:07 PM on 02/13/2012

Well, now that you've gotten that off your chest, I hope you are feeling much better.

[jshedl10411]

07:05 PM on 02/12/2012

Tonyy Bennet's brain is washed away from alcohol. He wishes to legalize drugs for the purpose of what? Legal or illegal it would not have helped Whitney.

[Justgo4it]

01:10 PM on 02/13/2012

yup, she'd have only had more to take, and legally, yet.

[gungavin]

01:11 PM on 02/13/2012

We're not talking about Tony or Whitney. The article was about the legalization of drugs. We both know that this country ( still living in the Middle Ages ) is never gonna do such a thing. Not with all the holier-than-thou clowns that exist here.

[Bill Viola]

06:36 PM on 02/12/2012

I think Tony has finally developed Alzheimer's...Idiot.

[Justgo4it]

07:32 PM on 02/12/2012

I'm with you on this one.

[Rubberfish]

06:35 PM on 02/12/2012

So, what would keep a person from overusing drugs if they were legalized? Just because they don't have to be secretive about buying and using them doesn't mean drugs will do less damage to them. Look at how people abuse alcohol, a legal substance, and how many people die from it every year, directly or indirectly, and how many families are ruined by it. Legalizing drugs would have done nothing to prevent Whitney's death, it may have only hastened it.

[gungavin]

01:59 PM on 02/13/2012

You do remember ( from reading history ) what happened with prohibition, don't you?

[Rubberfish]

05:41 PM on 02/13/2012

Yes, I remember. It was foolish to assume that a society, which was comprised of people from nations with a long history of alcohol use, could go sober overnight. But although alcohol abuse has ruined many people's lives, it is a substance that can also be used safely and responsibly. But you can't say the same about meth, heroin, or cocaine. Imagine what would happen if those substances were legalized!
On another note, Tony Bennett should be the last person to advocate legalization of drugs (regardless what kind); he's had a drug problem for years himself. One would think he would have learned from that.

[philnmdg]

06:33 PM on 02/12/2012

Her heart probably gave out from all the drugs she used. Too bad. She had it all and tossed it away.

[gungavin]

07:35 PM on 02/12/2012

Not necessarily, babe. Her heart probably gave out from all the lunacy she kept hearing from
those 'compasionate' people like you trying to 'do and say the right thing' !

[KRay58]

03:17 AM on 02/13/2012

There is nothing I can say which will change the damaged mind of people like you who actually think there can be a happy ending to drug abuse. I just hope impressionable young people will not be swayed by such comments. I have worked with too many people in my life whose lives have been torn apart by drug abuse. MAKING EXCUSES FOR DRUG ABUSERS IS DEADLY! Drug abusers must be held accountable for their actions if they are to survive. There is help available!

[philnmdg]

06:39 PM on 02/14/2012

Unfortunately, she drugged and drowned. Case closed Sweetie. Happy Valentine's Day!

[dmalt55]

06:01 PM on 02/12/2012

With the cause of death unknown, why would Tony Bennett start rambling about drug legalization. Does he do this everytime someone dies or is he jumping the gun about cause of death.

[lacabrera]

05:56 PM on 02/12/2012

Only the Liberals can come up with something like that ,legal or illegal is a personal choice ,no one can force into doing something you don't want to do ,any one got a different opinion !

[Paris215]

06:22 PM on 02/12/2012

It's not about 'Liberals' but it is about choice... you are right about the latter. T. Bennett is right.. give all the right to choose, but don't criminalize it.

[twr0505]

07:00 PM on 02/12/2012

Choice..lol..let's have choice about murder.......abuse........robbery.....etc.....etc.....just open the door to do anything you want.....wow...amazing!

[nana4g]

07:38 PM on 02/12/2012

I'm liberal and Tony Bennett should stick to singing. He is either completely ignorant or in early stages of dementia. I am a liberal and I think the Entertainment Industry should take hold of their problem. They all have big mouths, big money, big experience with addiction and substance abuse, they all have the same huge egos, they should put their money where there mouths are and develop and provide for their own treatment that includes tough intervention and they should stipulate no shows, no nothing until you get clean. They enable big time, condone, see the spiral downward, see the changes in talent, behavior, etc, and then they are all so "shocked and surprised". They are all out of their heads and living in an alternate universe. After a death, they always create a huge showtime drama....I'm not impressed. When was the last time Whitney Houston recorded anything or performed? She's been sick for almost 20 years. What did they expect?

[KRay58]

03:25 AM on 02/13/2012

Actually, drug abuse crosses idealogical lines. I have worked with liberals and conservatives who look to drugs to ease their pain by self-medication. Pain is universal. If we are to fight drug abuse we must disgard the notion that it only occurs only among certain idealogical lines.

[ladypanther1008]

05:55 PM on 02/12/2012

I don't know how I feel about the legalizing drugs part. Marijuana is one thing. But if you have ever personally witnessed someone waste away on cocaine, meth, heroine, or crack, I just don't think legalizing is the fix. I don't think there is a way to use these drugs and then keep being a member of society for long periods of time. They change you, both inside and out.