Bostonians react to Whitney Houston’s death

BOSTON -- Word of Whitney Houston’s death spread quickly through Boston and fans were shocked and saddened to hear the news.

Whitney Houston performed in Boston several times over her career. In 1999 Houston played the Wang Theatre, that performance marked her last large scale performance in the city.

“Pretty sad, it’s tragic considering where she came from and all the opportunities and talent she had, it’s just sad,” said a fan.

The older generation, those who witnessed Whitney in her prime, reflected longingly on her voice.

“She was a great artist and really dynamic in her heyday she was top of the charts, top of the world. This is very, very sad. I hate to say it but I kind of felt like it was going to happen,” said a fan.

For the past 15 years or so, Houston had battled drug and alcohol addiction, as well as domestic issues.

Fans said her personal problems should not take away from her talent.

“You could say the same thing about Michael Jackson, I mean he was an icon but coming up to his death he had a lot of issues but it didn’t take anything away from him,” said a fan.

“Her voice would just resonate through your body, it was just an incredible experience,” said a fan.

Another simply said, “What a waste.”

Boston radio stations played Whitney’s music late into the night Saturday.

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