Cocaine Contributed to Whitney Houston’s Death

According to spokesman Craig Harvey, Whitney Houston, 48, had cocaine in her system and that it contributed directly to her death. Marijuana, Xanax and Flexeril, a muscle relaxant, were also found but did not contribute to her death. He says the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user. The just-released coroner’s report states Houston was found submerged in a bathtub filled with water and lists “cocaine intake” as a cause of the injury.

Beverly Hills police said in a statement there was no evidence of wrongdoing in connection with Houston’s death. Officials had previously confirmed that prescription pills were found in the room, but no mention of cocaine.

A TMZ source that is connected to the investigation calls it “very possible” that Houston suffered a heart attack that led her to lose consciousness in the bathtub.

“We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure,’ said Patricia Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and manager.

Madonna Speaks About Whitney Houston

In an interview with The Sun, superstar Madonna spoke out about her memories of Whitney Houston’s career and influence.

She said of the singer: “One thing I was struck by with Whitney Houston is I remember she sort of came out as a singer around the same time I did,” Madonna added. “I remember looking at her singing and hearing people talk about her, and just thinking, ‘Oh my God. She’s such a beautiful woman and my God, what an incredible voice. I wish I could sing like that.’ I just remember being extremely envious of her and also touched by her innocence.”

She also said: “It is all about who you surround yourself with — friends and people who really do care about you, and care about your well-being beyond being a superstar. That’s the most important thing.”

Madonna is now focused on the upcoming release of her album MDNA, and she said, “I hope I inspire women and give them strength to deal with life no matter what comes their way.”

Bobbi Kristina Breaks Silence to Oprah About Whitney Houston’s Death

Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, will finally break her silence on her mother’s death in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey. The interview will also include the late singer’s brother Gary Houston and sister-in-law and manager, Patricia Houston and will air March 11 (9pm ET) on OWN, Oprah’s cable network. Bobbi Kristina will share “personal memories of her mom and how she would like the iconic superstar to be remembered. The family also addresses the rumors and speculation surrounding Houston’s death.”

Since her untimely passing, Whitney has sold over 1 million albums and singles.

Rihanna in Talks to Play Whitney in Biopic

As talk of a Whitney Houston biopic grows, Rihanna is considered a frontrunner to play the late singer. The Daily Mail reports that Whitney’s music mentor Clive Davis is helming the project and he reportedly wants filming to begin as soon as possible.

Some of the others in contention for the lead include “Dreamgirls” actress/singer Jennifer Hudson, who sang a heartfelt “I Will Always Love You” tribute at the 2012 Grammys, Vivica Fox, Megan Good and “American Idol” alum Jordin Sparks, who shared the screen with Houston in the upcoming flick “Sparkle.” There’s also talk that pint-sized Willow Smith may play a young Whitney.

The superstar singer died on February 11 in Los Angeles. The cause of death is still unknown. She was 48 years old.

Whitney Houston Laid to Rest in Private Burial

Whitney Houston was laid to rest on Sunday in a private burial with family and close friends near her birthplace in Newark, New Jersey.

The pop star died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week. She was found underwater in a bathtub, but an exact cause of death has yet to be determined.

Dozens of fans lined the edge of street barriers as the procession carrying Houston’s body drove by under tight security from a funeral home in Newark, New Jersey to the Forest Lawn cemetery in nearby Westfield where Houston’s body was buried next to her father.

Houston’s family decided against a public memorial service, as was done for pop star Michael Jackson after his 2009 death, but agreed to allow Saturday’s four-hour tribute in the church to be broadcast live by television networks.

Whitney Houston Re-Enters Billboard Hot 100

Spurred on by a massive uptick in digital sales and radio airplay following her death this past weekend, Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” re-entered Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart this week, landing at #7. And, in the process, it forced the magazine to adjust the way it handles so-called “catalog” tracks on the chart.

Historically, catalog songs — tracks still frequently aired on contemporary radio months or years after their initial debut — were ineligible for the Hot 100 (Billboard moves them to several “recurrent” charts once they’ve spent 20 weeks on the chart and have fallen below position number 50), though, in a statement, Billboard director of charts Silvio Pietroluongo said that will now officially change.

“Going forward, we feel that it is the proper move to allow older titles posting enough activity to return to the Hot 100 if ranking in the chart’s upper half,” he said.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, “I Will Always Love You” — which topped the Hot 100 for a staggering 14 weeks in 1992 — posted a 6,723 percent increase in digital sales, while Nielsen BDS reported radio airplay of the song leapt by 915 percent, both of which helped it vault back into the Hot 100. In addition, Houston will also place two more songs on this week’s singles chart, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” at #35 and “Greatest Love of All” at #41.

Houston’s back catalog has also seen marked increases in sales, as Whitney: The Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard Top 200 albums chart at #6, and several of her biggest hits have combined to rack up nearly 900,000 downloads in the days since her death.

The resurgence of “I Will Always Love You” is historic, though not entirely without precedent. In 2001, following the attacks of September 11, Lee Greenwood’s 1984 hit “God Bless the USA” and Houston’s iconic performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” both returned to the Hot 100, though, as Billboard explains “at the time, the inclusion of these songs properly captured the musical mood as the nation reacted to that tragic day.”

Whitney Houston Reenters the Billboard 200 Charts

After the death of Whitney Houston on Saturday, Feb. 11, the diva’s “Whitney: The Greatest Hits” album re-enters the Billboard 200 chart at No. 6. It sold 64,000 copies in the U.S. (according to Nielsen SoundScan) in the tracking week that ended on Feb. 12 — reflecting only one full day of sales after her passing.

Houston also returns to the list with her 1986 debut “Whitney Houston” (No. 72 with 8,000; up 3,901%), “The Bodyguard” soundtrack (No. 80 with 8,000; up 5,213%), her last studio album “I Look To You” (No. 118 with 5,000; up 3,901%), 1987′s “Whitney” (No. 122 with 5,000; up 2,274%) and “The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack (No. 183 with 4,000; up 3,913%).

There were more Houston albums purchased in the last week (101,000 – up 5,994% from 2,000 the week previous) than had been sold in all of 2011 and 2012 combined until her death (97,000).

Houston also arrives on the 75-position chart with seven more songs: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” at No. 25 (74,000; up 8,769%), “Greatest Love Of All” at No. 32 (60,000; up 7,270%), “How Will I Know” at No. 46 (43,000; up 5,767%), “I Have Nothing” at No. 53 (38,000; up 5,179%), “Saving All My Love For You” at No. 65 (33,000; up 6,423%), “One Moment In Time” at No. 74 (30,000; up 6,206%) and “The Star Spangled Banner” at No. 75 (29,000; up 8,278%).

Private Funeral Planned for Whitney Houston

The owner of the Whigham Funeral Home said that the funeral for Whitney Houston will be held at noon on Saturday in the US at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church.

The family said no public memorial service is planned at this time. Officials had discussed the possibility of opening up the Prudential Centre, a major sports and entertainment venue, for a memorial, but the funeral home said it had been ruled out.

Funeral home owner Carolyn Whigham said the church service will be by invitation only, reflecting the family’s decision to keep the memorial more personal.

“They have shared her for 30-some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell,” she said.

“The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time,” she said.

Whitney Houston Found Unconscious Underwater

Pop icon Whitney Houston was reported dead on Saturday afternoon, to the great shock and devastation of her family, friends and fans.

Houston was found in her Beverly Hills hotel room by her bodyguard, and police have reported that the singer was unconscious in her bathtub when found.

“She was underwater and apparently unconscious,” the Beverly Hills Police Department said in a statement, adding that authorities “cannot speculate on what may have caused or contributed to her death.

Several prescription drugs were found in Houston’s hotel room, but Los Angeles County coroner’s officials said it’s too soon to say whether the medications played any role in the singer’s death. Authorities have said that they are trying to determine whether she drowned and that determining a cause of death could take weeks.