Whitney Houston 'Wanted to See Jesus' Days Before Death
Whitney Houston, before her untimely death, had become intensely spiritual, and even told friends and acquaintances of her faith just days before her death.
Whitney Houston, possibly feeling her end was near, told her friends about her passionate desire to "see Jesus," when she died, according to TMZ.
Friday, just a day before her tragic death Saturday afternoon, she performed "Yes Jesus Loves Me" at Tru nightclub in Hollywood, Calif. After the performance, she told a friend, "I'm gonna go see Jesus … I want to see Jesus."
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Houston's faith extended to more than just mentioning the Son of God. Saturday, hours before her demise in a Hollywood hotel bathtub, she was discussing a Bible passage involving John the Baptist and Jesus with a friend.
Afterwards, she again stated, "You know he's so cool … I really want to see that Jesus."
Houston, who was only 48 at the time of her death, could have also had premonitions of her passing, as she confided in a source that she "felt like her time was coming."
This isn't the first time Whitney's faith has come to the forefront of her life, however. In fact, the church is where she first started.
Houston was raised a Baptist, but also attended a Pentecostal church during a period of her growing up. By the age of 11 she started performing in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., and amazed the congregation with her first solo performance-a rendition of "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah."
After attending a Catholic all-girl high school, Whitney ventured on to star in "The Bodyguard" with Kevin Costner in 1992. The movie's soundtrack had a variety of Whitney's songs, and it won a Grammy as a result.
In 1996, she starred in "The Preacher's Wife," and the soundtrack- to which she was once again a major contributor- sold six million copies, becoming the highest-selling gospel album of all time.
However, her success was to take a toll on her clean and faithful image. Her behavior reportedly changed drastically in the late 1990s, after meeting Bobby Brown. Colleagues complained she would arrive hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals.
Of her trying times and tests of faith, Whitney admitted that "the biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy."
In a 2009 interview with MTV, she acknowledged her faults, but said that her trials made her faith in God that much stronger.
"The changes that we go through, the transitions that we go through, the tests that we go through, being a mother, becoming a single mother- it all had its ups and its downs, but for the most part, I kept my faith and I kept my head up and I took my time," said the legendary singer.
After her passing, her New Jersey church honored her memory Sunday with a memorial service. Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited the church, said he was "traumatized" by her sudden death, according to The Associated Press.
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I'M EVERY WOMAN" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "IT'S NOT RIGHT BUT IT'S OK" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FINAL PERFORMANCE BEFORE DEATH
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON & BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN PERFORMING "MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE"
SEE VIDEO OF LL COOL J'S PRAYER FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON ON GRAMMYS 2012
