Whitney Houston was a girly, twinkling, smiling twenty two years old when her self-titled first album set the record as the biggest selling debut album by a solo artist. The album yielded three #1 hit singles (“How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, and “Saving All My Love For You”) and scored her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her soaring interpretation of “Saving All My Love For You”. After the release of her second album, “Whitney” (and four more #1 hit singles), she became the only solo artist in history to have seven consecutive #1 hit singles. Whitney Houston’s fame was launched to a whole new level with her performance in the film ‘The Bodyguard’. The soundtrack won a Grammy for Album of the Year, and her rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” became the number one selling U.S. single of all time solidifying her place in history as a legend (www.whitneyhouston.com) of pop, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Her list of accomplishments and honours is infinite. And why? Because of the way she sang. Because Whitney Houston made any female alive in the last 25 years want to sing into a hairbrush and sound just like her.

I was nine or ten years old when I fell in love with Whitney Houston’s voice. It didn’t matter what she sang, the songs were great because she sang them. The best Christmas present I ever received was when my parents gave me a small, pink Panasonic boom box and Whitney Houston’s first album—the one with the orange cover, a poised and mature looking Whitney Houston draped in a creamy one-shouldered dress. She was the beginning and end, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen or heard. The cassette was on constant rotation until it was so warped and worn out it wouldn’t play anymore; evidently, a person can love a thing to death. The second best Christmas present I ever received was when my sister bought me the CD to replace the cassette.

Whitney Houston’s voice was powerful, feminine, and technically flawless. She sang with conviction, emotion and a fearlessness that made her live performances legendary (watch the video clip below). Reconciling the artist she was at her peak with the 48 year old artist she evolved into is not easy for any of us. Singers who have had long careers are continually compared to earlier versions of themselves. Growing old is natural, so is it fair for fans to be disappointed when a 48 year old Whitney Houston no longer sings like the Whitney Houston we fell in love with 20 years ago? I don’t know. What I do know is that artists want their music to stay relevant, and that, in Whitney Houston’s case, her talent will ALWAYS be relevant.

Endless statistics and accolades are a testament to her extraordinary and most unusual talent; endless rumours about her drug use are a testament to the very human woman struggling to cope with addiction and to find her way through the burden of stardom. Our loss is heaven’s gain: sing loud, Ms. Houston, we want to be able to hear you from down here.

As reported, the State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR) recently rejected an importer’s request to begin importing and selling a shiraz called Motörhead, lent its name by the eponymous metal band. Their primary reason for the rejection was that “The name of the band is a reference to users of the illegal drug amphetamine, and the lyrics of the band’s songs are regularly about war, the abuse of power, irresponsible sexual activity and drug abuse.”

Vísir reports that Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, lead singer for the band Sólstafir, told reporters, “It is a violation of human rights to not be able to buy yourself red wine.”

Aðalbjörn pulled no punches in his criticism of ÁTVR. “How can you say that an artform encourages war, drug use and irresponsible sex? It’s out of the question. What century are we living in, anyway? You don’t take LSD even though you listened to [the Beatles'] Let It Be. Children are playing video games but not going out and killing people. It’s fascist thinking of the worst kind.”

Other musicians have chimed in as well. Bergur Geirsson of the pop band Buff said ÁTVR were being hypocrites, in that they would allow Winston Churchill cognac – despite the fact that he was “a speed freak and an alcoholic”. Writer Vésteinn Valgarðsson added that if ÁTVR’s reasoning was applied to everything else being sold in Iceland, there would likely be many products banned that are currently available.

As reported, a bomb was detonated behind government offices on Hverfisgata 4 last month. No one was injured or killed, and no real damage was done to property. Nonetheless, police regarded the matter as a serious crime and appealed to the public with security cam stills to help search for their prime suspect.

RÚV reports that a man was arrested in connection with the crime, and he has confessed. The house of the accused, who is in his seventies, was searched by police, where materials for making a bomb were found.

The man in question said it was never his intention to hurt anyone, having knowingly made a bomb of little strength. He even stood near it when it exploded. The purpose of the exercise, he said, was to deliver a message to the government. The message itself was put inside of a steel cylinder attached to the bomb. Police would not disclose what the contents of the message were.

Police believe the man worked alone, and no other suspects are being sought in connection with the incident.