Chaka Khan Slams Clive Davis, Says Whitney’s Death Could Have Been Prevented

CNN

Chaka Khan is criticizing Clive Davis for continuing to host his pre-Grammys gala at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, although Whitney Houston had died there hours before.

“I thought that was complete insanity,” she said on “Piers Morgan Tonight” Monday. “And knowing Whitney, I don’t believe she would’ve said, the show must go on. She’s the kind of woman who would’ve said, ‘Stop everything, I’m not going to be there.’

The Los Angeles Times reports that Davis, who gave Houston a record deal and became her mentor, told the crowd gathered that the 48-year-old deceased legend would’ve wanted the party to go on. 

This is what Clive Davis had to say: “I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life,” Davis told the somber attendees on Saturday, according to the Times. “She was so looking forward to tonight, even though she wasn’t scheduled to perform…Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare…She gave so many memorable performances over the years. Simply put, she would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.”

Khan disagrees, and says she too was supposed to attend, but couldn’t pull herself together.

“I don’t know what could motivate a person to have a party in the building where the person, whose life he had influenced so enormously, and whose life had been affected by hers…I don’t understand how that party went on.”

A recovered addict herself, the “I’m Every Woman” singer explained how she would never arrive for a performance a week before the scheduled date, like Houston did. And since Whitney did, Khan noted, someone should have been there to supervise.

“I stand on, whoever flew her out to perform at that party, should have provided someone to be there,” she said, “To somehow, keep the riff-raff out of the situation. To keep the dangerous people away.”

Khan also shared Sharon Osbourne’s sentiments of confusion and disapproval concerning Clive Davis’ decision to move forward with his Grammy party after Houston’s death, and described how the music industry can become a bad influence on stars.

“I think we all, as artists, because we’re highly sensitive people, and this machine around us, this so-called ‘music industry,’ is such a demonic thing. It’s sacrifices people’s lives and their essences at the drop of a dime…I had a manager once say to me, ‘ You know you’re worth more money dead than alive.’

“I mean, I’ve cried for her, a lot over the years, so many times,” the singer said. “In a way I’ve mourned her, because I felt something was gonna happen because she was so close to the wire.” (Over the years I have said these EXACT words about her and Michael Jackson- Lioness)

The singer Brandy, who was supposed to perform with Monica that evening, was similarly shaken and had to pull out of her performance.

“I’m in a bad place right now,” the singer, who also co-starred with Houston in 1997′s “Cinderella,” told Us Weekly in a statement. “My heart is destroyed. I lost my idol and dear friend”

“My prayers go out to Whitney’s family and her millions of fans around the world.”

Couldn’t agree with you more Chaka…

I could not, and still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they were partying with her dead body upstairs!!! Like really what the hell? What were they thinking? There are parts of this industry that I will Never understand. I don’t care that money has been spent, and what money is being made, plans could have been moved around last minute for her…there’s no excuse. I don’t care how famous I am, what plans I’ve made. That would have devastated my weekend, and I would have shown more respect to Ms. Houston. My mind wouldn’t have been in the right place, especially knowing she hadn’t even been taken out of the building. Geeesh….