christopher john farley has spoke ben what she meant to the music world.re are many who say that the likes of her voice will never come our way again. she had a callity to her singing. do you agree with that. >> that i'll agree with everything john farley is saying and this is a generational talent when we talk about what michael jackson did in music and what tiger woods did in golf and michael jordan in basketball. whitney is that level of physical talent and artist as well, and the word that i would put to whitney houston is dignity, and not just in her personal presentation, but the way that she sang her songs, and i mean that in two ways. this she's constantly giving dignity to these characters she's singing about, even in "saving all my love for you," one of the first songs that people heard from her. she's sing as the other woman. this sort of happy mistress, but she's giving this woman a certain dignity. she's not crazy. she's not coming unhinged. you know, she's just -- she sort of thz dignity and there are songs of whitney inhabiting the person in

i appreciate your speaking with us and christopher john farley.t the houston familiment sharpton called her a gifted songbird and said he was stunned and saddened by the loss. >>> in office politic, we're talking with nbc's harry smith. i asked harry about the economy's impact on the presidential election as well as the motivation behind formidable candidate. what he says is the key to his successful marriage. >> how about the economy on which we've gotten some better news lately. how much do you think this affects americans psychologically speaking? >> huge. the numbers point out that if the economy is either at this level of unemployment or at least the unemployment rate is heading in x direction with so much momentum, it's virtually impossible to either get re-elected or not be re-elected. >> is it the single most important factor upon which the election hinges? we've had a lot of social issues come to the forefront. >> those things, those fires will continue to go up and down. but in the end of the day, can i get a job, can i put a roof over m

we have christopher john farley, david wilson, christopher witherspoon, i have all of them here in studio you, david? >> there were so many. bebe winans, tyler perry, all of these folks really painted the picture of whitney houston and who she was. you know, this was truly home going service. she was rooted in the black church. and i haven't seen anything like this before on national display where you really got to see the black church in action. and this just reminded us of how much this was a part of whitney's life. that's the church in which she was from and she continually went back to. and it was a powerful sort of display. and it was very moving in many parts of it. >> absolutely. christopher, what did you find compelling? >> well, i think the moment when alicia keys sang "send me an angel" and sort of showed that the -- whitney houston lives on in the voices of other singers that came after her and she's continuing the tradition of great performance and great r & b singing. i think also the moment at the end when is continuing the great performances and r&b singing and the moment a

but in contrast contador has little sympathy from the world anti-doping agency its president john farley has branded contador a cheat and says the court ruling was a clear warning to cyclists. the simple fact is that anyone who has a prohibited substance in their system. is h. it. it's as simple as that any argument then comes as to what was the method what was the nature of how that prohibited substance got into the system. cheat effectively the moment you got that substance in there and that analysis disclosed and tested this was very comprehensively bike as well another major legal battle in sport is looming this time to help medal hopeful to not to really shy to represent russia at this summer's london olympics the pentathlete was born in lithuania but is obtained a russian passport although her native country is not stopped from competing. as the story. just a week after turning twenty four and with multiple world cup wins under her belt do not are you shy to should be a shoo in for the fast approaching london games or so you would think because for these modern pentathlon to second

allison, thank you very much, and i want to go, chris, to john farl farley, and since we had spoken to the michael jackson story and how the largess grew to match what he had in life, do you foresee that for whitney houston? do you think that people will memorialize her and think that the demons she was possessed by in different points in the life will fade into the background? >> well, there appears to be a temporary bump as people rush to itunes to download the songs, and we are told that her album sales went up 60 times from the days she passed on and expect that to continue, and obviously with the movie coming out, more interest in her and the legacy, and long tale of the people and her legacy, but long-term, too early to say, but the issue that the death raises is that issue may have led. you heard al sharpton talk about it and reverend jesse jackson and does the industry have problems with the drugs. is ex sex, drugs and rock and roll is obviously what they say about music industry, but does the music industry need to clean up their own house or will we continue to see deaths lik

. >> christopher john farley, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >>> 44 minutesthe hour. time to get caught up on stories of the morning. republicans blasting the defense secretary's announcement that the u.s. and nato plan to end the combat mission in afghanistan by the middle of next year. mitt romney on the stump saying this jeopardizes the mission there and gives the enemy an edge. leon panetta did also say that an early transition to a training role doesn't necessarily mean that the u.s. is pulling out early. >>> legendary boxing trainer, angelo dundee has died. he was best known for guiding muhammad ali to glory. and was also in the corner of welterwieght great sugar ray leonard. dundee was 90 years old. >>> and big rigs may be about to get a whole lot bigger. proposed federal transportation bill would allow heavier and longer trucks on our nation's highway highways. house republicans are behind the idea. but congressional critics don't like the idea. saying if there was ever a prescription for disaster, this is it. bigger isn't always better. >> a healthy

marilyn monroe, john belushi, jimi hendrix, river phoenix, corey haim, heath ledger, chris farley, amymorrison, janis joplin. every generation has a figure like this who just can't beat their demons. it doesn't seem to get any better. it's that life they lead. >> a lot of super bowl champs have that problem, too. you reach the pinnacle, the top of your career, and you're always trying to figure out what's next. you really can't get any higher. and a lot of times you think that they would have everything, fame, fortune, success, and -- >> they're still human. >> they're still human. and you know what? the more you have to lose, the more you're going to be attacked, too. >> it's a shame. so many lives gone too soon. >> yep. >>> now to another major headline this morning. the president outlines his big budget plans today before sending it on to congress. it should call for reducing the deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade. president obama wants to cut medicare and medicaid by $360 billion. he also wants to increase taxes for the wealthy. he's proposing $475 billion for infrastructu

farley from birmingham, alabama. she knits the caps for cancer patients. sometimes they lose their hair and need a cap. good for her. cape may, new jersey, john metzger.t. 102. never missed a single year of getting dressed up for halloween. hilda. i love that name. hilda rowly from north point, florida. 100 years old today. says the secret to longevity is being able to laugh, especially at yourself. she's absolutely right. happy birthday to our beautiful friend bruce parson of lubbock, texas, out west. that's good country. 101 years old today. a retired u.s. border patrol officer and loves to play dominoes. we have jessie williams from clinton, new york. 104 years old. she remembers going to school in a horse drawn sleigh? how about that. i saw that. lots of mennonites in my part of the country. robert and estelle pruitt, to pe ka, kansas. and robert still treats estelle like a southern belle. ding dong. happy birthday. now back to little old new york. >> willard scott in florida, thank you. still ahead, adam levine from maroon 5 and nbc's "the voice." live in studio. we'll catch up with him after your local news and weather. >> good morning. i am min