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Whitney Houston: Chaka Khan Reveals What Could Have Prevented Icon's Death

Posted on Feb 14th 2012 1:45PM by Contessa Gayles
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Frank Micelotta, Getty Images

After pulling out of a last-minute Whitney Houston tribute during Sunday night's (Feb. 12) Grammy Awards, soul legend Chaka Khan is speaking out about what she believes could have saved the icon's life.

Chaka is convinced that a throat specialist could have helped Whitney regain her once pitch-perfect voice -- thus curing her of the depression-fueled drug addiction that was ruining her life. Houston's friend recalled her own experience with vocal problems in the '80s that resulted from drug, alcohol and cigarette use. A doctor eventually discovered polyps in her throat and once they were removed, Khan's singing voice recovered brilliantly.

"When I did not know what my diagnosis was, I just thought I was losing my voice. I couldn't hit any high notes, I had a lot of troubles with low notes ... I started actually considering, 'What else can I do for a living?' I was devastated, " Chaka admitted on CNN's 'Piers Morgan Tonight.'

Khan insists that Houston's problems could have been similarly resolved with visits to a throat doctor. "I think that with Whitney, it would have probably been ... a very similar scenario ... She probably got a few polyps on there [her throat]. It [must have] killed her," Khan speculated, attributing Whitney's dependence on drugs and alcohol to a feeling of hopelessness concerning her music career.

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"The last time I saw her was at my gig with Prince here in Los Angeles on May 5 (11) and when I was singing I saw her in the audience ... and I could see in her eyes she just wanted to sing. All we wanna do is sing," Chaka revealed.

Aside from music, Houston did have other projects in the works, including producing and starring in the movie 'Sparkle' -- due out Aug. 17. There was also television offers on the table for the diva. 'The X Factor's Simon Cowell recently revealed that he planned a meeting to discuss recruiting Whitney to be a mentor on the show, which was scheduled for Monday (Feb. 13), just two days after her shocking death.

For more of stars' reactions to Whitney Houston's death, check out Entertainment Tonight.

Watch 'Simon Cowell Confirms Whitney Houston Was Up for US 'X Factor''



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Chaka Khan....you make a lot of sense.....Whitney thought her career was over because of her voice the raspiness and not able to hit the high notes and sing like she use to because of years of alcohol, drugs and ciggarettes abuse...can make someone like Whitney who made her career by her beautiful voice go into a tailspin and just want to hide her pain behind the booze and drugs......a throat specialist Doctor should have been referred to her instead of a Doctor Feel Good who only subscribes prescription after prescription

February 14 2012 at 3:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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