Mary J. Blige Says Whitney Houston’s Death Stopped Her Alcoholism

By: Taren Vaughan

Mary J. Blige has had a long standing career in the music industry as the reigning Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. And though some of the younger talent that has come into the game draws comparisons to her, Mary J. remains to be in a league of her own when it comes to her talent and the way that she grabs hold of her fans with her soulful lyrics and edgy style. Mary has made a name for herself in the world of music but has always paid homage to the greats that paved the way for her, one of them being the late great Whitney Houston. Today marked a year since the untimely death of the legendary singer and many across the globe, including Whitney’s family, friends and fans, took time out to celebrate her life and all that she had accomplished during her lengthy career. Whitney Houston’s death took a major toll on those closest to her and those who didn’t personally know her but grew to love her through the timeless hits that she had. Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina took her passing very hard and continues to find her mother’s death to be a hard thing to deal with. While Whitney’s family was without a doubt heavily impacted by her passing, Mary J. Blige revealed to Los Angeles Confidential how much of an impact Whitney Houston’s death had on her and how it drove her to stop drinking:

“What I did was I chose to learn how to drink socially and it didn’t work. The  test comes when you have to decide whether you’re drinking to be social or  drinking to cover up something again. To cover up depression. To cover up guilt.  Shame. Abandonment. All of that, man. Once I realized, “There you go again,” I  had to stop. Whitney Houston’s death really affected me. Her death is another reason I stopped. I really do think I’m done. I looked at how that woman could not perform anymore.”

And Mary admitted that she didn’t have a desire to go to rehab prior to Whitney’s passing and that she relied on her spiritual connection with God to help pull her through her struggle with alcohol:

“I don’t know why. But I didn’t want to go to rehab. I believe that anything man himself can do for me, God can do for me in a greater way. I decided to pray and  to seek God on my own. I just stayed in The Word. And it worked.”