i compare her to judy garland. i also compare her as an artist to judy garland. >> judy garland had one of the greatest voices ever. >> so did whitney houston. >> that's a good comparison because you could hear in their voices really what they had experienced in their lives whenever they sang a note, you know. >> it's a very good observation. i remember seeing judy garland when she came back at the palace theater in new york and whenever she would sing "somewhere over the rainbow" or any of those ball ball add, all of her life was in her voice. whitney the same way. she didn't just sing a song, she felt a song. she -- >> whitney houston, her "ever the rainbow" was "i will always love you." >> yes. no one could cover that song. >> even though it was dolly's song, even dolly said i wrote that song and it was a hit but when whitney did it, she made it her own. >> i asked dolly once did you like performing as much as writing? she said with she loves performing but when you can write a song like that and have whitney ho

the only other comparison i make is to judy garland who had those ups and downs and died tragically t about the same age as whitney. >> that's very true. i was thinking just in the last two or three years, we've lost michael jackson, elizabeth taylor, whitney houston, etta james, amy winehouse, all in different circumstances. but some really huge legendary stars, all dying in very difficult circumstances. >> you know what it teaches us, piers? that we're all here on borrowed time, aren't we? i think we should wake up in the morning and say thanks. >> yeah. larry, i think we have got jermaine jackson on the line, as well. are you there? >> yes, i'm here, piers. >> thank you so much for calling in. i know that you knew whitney well. how are you feeling tonight? it's been a real bombshell to everyone. no one was expecting this. >> yes. it's a tragedy for me. i woke up this morning, and i was getting ready to make my flight back to l.a. and i turned on cnn, which i watch cnn all over the world and that's how i got the world. i'm just devastated because we go way back from the very beginni

who else is going to give a damn that i knew judy garland?ll about judy garland. >> jimmy: so, you're taking steps to hopefully move him towards that? >> well, i let him wear my pumps, which is very hard. >> jimmy: yeah. >> because you want a gay -- i would love to have a gay son. >> jimmy: well, why not? >> and cher is very lucky. he got both of them. >> jimmy: she did. >> when you think about it. melissa's adopting now. >> jimmy: she is? that's got to be exciting. >> a very good friend of nicole kidman's. >> jimmy: okay. >> but god bless her. 125 feet tall. 3 pounds. always in a red dress with a white face. looks like a ketchup bottle. walks around. [ laughter ] and no -- i was wearing like a mustard dress. look, we're condiments. [ laughter ] and she's adopting all these kids. she has one kid. she walks around. my children don't know who this -- this is bull. children who is adopted who is for real. and who is sadopted. i treat them all the same. isn't that right? little benji, little alice, little magumba. so, they got a kid from australi

does this compare to michael jackson or a judy garland? >> absolutely.s is someone who was the biggest pop star when she was in her prime. she was unbelievable. and not only as a singer, but also you know in movies. she had hit movies and so you know, this is definitely one of those cases where you know she will be remembered for her music even if, you know, she did die from perhaps drugs. >> thank you so much for joining us this morning. hillary rosen, as always, thanks. please stay with cnn as we bring latest on breaking news as it happen. but after the break, white house chief of staff, jacob lew joins us talk about the firestorm over the white house's contraception policy.t. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... [ female announcer ] yoplait. it is so greek. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- okay... wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and streng

and the only palor i could give it was judy garland.d top, down, up, back, career down, goes away, comes again. incredible entertainer. no voice like hers. and she also dies of drug problems. i assume that's the cause of this death, too. it's just sad. >> totally sad. larry, stick with me a little bit while i bring in our hilary rosen who, as you know, was the executive officer of the recording association of america. when you heard, hilary, what went through your mind? >> yeah. you know, what went through my mind was that i wished i was in l.a. at clive davis's party where i had been so many years and first heard whitney houston sing when clive introduced her. you know, in a way, it was kind of fitting that this did happen this week because obviously, it's grammy week. the grammys tonight are going to be a big moment. it's not going to be all about whitn whitney, but there will be some whitney remembrances. and last year at clive's party, there was a lot of talk about whitney and that she seemed really unhealthy. that she acted erratic

that variety reported that mgm bought the rights to the wonderful "wizard of oz" and 16-year-old judy garland be cast in the role of dorothy gail. it was successful if ranking sixth in the top 100 greatest films of all time and losely adopted as a hbo prison drama. time marchs on. we begin as we always do with a baby getting jiggy with it. will smith is not the only producer and entertainer. he appeals to kids of all ages. ♪ dj jazzy jeff could not be reached for comment. and to russia. putin decided he would try bobsledding. off they go. they're going to make it they're going to make it, and--not enough mustard on that one. russia bobsled drives you. it wasn't nearly as exciting as his favorite move "cool runnings." while at the zoo the man noticed that the alfa monkey was staring him down. finally the monkey makes his move and there he goes--whoa! fortunately the glass thwarted the attack and nap time. the zookeeper described the monkey as banana mis. >>> andrew breitbart seems to be concerned with allegations only when it's expedient. and this is "countdown." >> i bring you "countdown" liv

. >> bill: judy garland shot to fame after her starring role in wiz wizard of oz ♪ somewhere over the actress was originally offered that role but couldn't get out of her contract with a rival movie studio to play it? that is correct. shirley temple. >> shirley would be better in that role than elizabeth taylor. >> bill: no humiliation for maccallum. >> what was your question? >> bill: wilderville, oregon. what were you complaining about the question? >> tie breaker question. >> >> bill: tie breaker question. what record is the biggest selling record, single record, 45, remember those? of all time? >> led zeppelin. >> bill: wrong? >> beach boys. >> bill: wrong. white christmas. bing crosby. everybody bar that and steve there they are. pinheads and patriots on deck. victoria secrets model quits. you are not going to believe the reason why. p and p in just over two minutes. >> bill: pinheads and patriots and a victoria secret model is calling it quits. we want to send you a free copy of getsberg address. we will send one that you can frame free of charge p if you buy a premium membershi

victory and agony of defeat, people like to see people with the flop sweat and the kid win, the old judy garlandt on our own show. >> it proves we are all human at the core. >> what drives you and the show business person that gets out and stands on the stage and that is where they have to be? >> we were talking about this before we went on the air, it's largely interest. that is what my father was all about. having something to occupy one's brain and that is what "smash" is doing for me, i'm a busy girl and that is good. >> i think it is interest, i saw a good play, "anything goes" amazing play and then i saw something terrible, follies, and i was saying why did i go see that. >> courtney and bes is great too. >> and how is jack nichol son doing? >> he is doing great. >> he keeps going and going and go iing how does clint they do you're much younger than either of those guys. >> thank you. i think that's just staying occupied. >> knock on wood. break a leg. hope you make it with smash". especially here on nbc news, we can use a big winner in primetime. it's an honor to spend three minutes with

role in her actual death, the drug abuse stories we're used to from years past >> goes back to judy garlande, but valium, xanax, ambien, claiming lives. >> vip drugs. do you know anything about that, david? we don't know i was watching assistant chief coroner, very good guy seems like, he's not ready to say anything as of tonight. it does seem like this story of joplin and hendrix and morrison, what a pattern. >> it's tough to talk about after someone passes but i think we have to remember inasmuch as her voice was an inspiration, her life should be a cautionary tale to folks who want to get in the business and advance in life, that drug addiction if it doesn't kill you, it can kill your talent. so i think that is very important for us to reflect it's uncomfortable to talk about but a teachable moment for people who looked up to her. >> take the fantasy as it comes. kate coin, david, thank you for coming on. >>> here is one of whitney houston's iconic moments when she sang the national anthem at the super bowl in 1991. ♪ for the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ [ male announcer

alumni include judy garland, lana turner, mickey rooney, carol burnett, and cher. ♪ yeah >> reporter:n of hollywood high students pursue their dreams of stardom. but this production is in full colo color. this is how hollywood high students looked in the 1940s. today as many as 30 languages are spoken by students here. even principal jaime morales is an immigrant from nicaragua. >> hollywood always struck me as a place where it doesn't matter where you're or it doesn't matter what you believed in. you are welcome here. >> reporter: sophomore roger neil, whose father is white and mother black, says he usually felt like an outsider before hollywood high. >> everyone just comes together and they like accept you. the first time you walk on campus, they accept you. and you know, i've never had that happen to me before. >> reporter: she was born in nigeria. >> i want to learn a lot of languages, so it just, it's cool having people from hispanic backgrounds or even armenian backgrounds and i have a friend who's greek and i want to learn her language. >> reporter: karla samoa's parents fled a

did most divas in history of problems, you think back to judy garland and all of them.should it be something we focus on or celebrate as i instinctively begin to feel should we focus more on these incredible songs she sang. >> i think so. everyone has issues. we only are on it because she is a superstar. other than that, we really should be happy for what she gave us. >> she left a gift. she left the greatest gift in one of her songs. this music will live on forever and ever. >> i think it's very poignant and pertinent she will be eulogized in the church she first sang. i think that's very special. thank you very much. >>> coming up tonight, a special only in america, new jersey says good-bye to whitney houston. we hear what governor christie has planned. and new threats in iran, my interview with a leader and what he calls their plan for an empire. ♪ [ male announcer ] why do we grow quaker oats? because there are mountains to climb. ♪ dreams to be realized. ♪ new worlds to be explored and hearts to be won. quaker oats. energy to get you going, fiber to help fill you u

phoenix, corey haim, heath ledger, chris farley, amy winehouse, michael jackson, anna nicole smith, judy garlandhis 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 infrastructure projects and another $350 billion to create jobs and stim

one of the comparisons i make is to judy garland who had ups and downs and then died tragically at about the same age as whitney. >> very true. i was thinking earlier that just in the last two or three years, we've lost michael jackson, elizabeth taylor, whitney houston. all in different circumstances but some really huge legendary stars, all dying in very difficult circumstances. >> do you know what it teaches us, piers? year all here on borrowed time. i think we should wake up in the morning and say thanks. >> jermaine, are you there? >> yes, i'm here. >> thank you so much for calling in. i know that you knew whitney well. how are you feeling? it's been a real bombshell to everybody. no one was expecting this. >> it's tragic for me. i woke up this morning, i'm in istanbul. i was getting ready to make my flight back to l.a. and i turned just on cnn, which i watched it all over the world and that's how i got the news. i'm just devastated. we go way back to the very beginning. my life with clive davis started right at the beverly hills hotel, right where he is right now. and he told me to

these are -- >> judy garland. it goes all the way back. >> exactly.ger, brittany murphy, amy winehouse. the toxicology reports showed not haeroin, not cocaine but zanex, ambien. >> vip drugs. i was watching the assistant chief coroner today. he's not ready to say anything yet as of tonight. but it does seem like this story of joplin and hendrix and morrison, what a pattern. >> and it's very important. it's very tough to talk about especially right after someone just passes, but i think we have to remember. in as much as her voice was an inspiration to so many people, her life and the way she led her life should be a cautionary tale to so many folks who want to get into this business and who just want to -- drug addiction, if it doesn't kill you, it can kill your talent. and so i think that's very important for us to reflect. it's uncomfortable to talk about. it's also a very teachable moment for so many people who looked up to her. >> i think the rule is take the fantasy as it comes. don't try to create it. kate coyne and david wilson. i don't like ha

elvis presley, marilyn monroe, judy garland, anna nicole smith, just to name a few and recent deathse focused attention on one of hollywood's dirty little secrets. doctors that make prescription drugs readily available to the stars. actress mckenzie phillips told us that despite her history as an addict, doctors willingly overprescribe pills. >> there's many doctors out there, perhaps, that may be enamored by a star and they're just trying to please their client but you have to have stars on the other end who use their fame to get these drugs. >> i'm sure that that is definitely something that helps them to get the doctor to give them whatever they want. i've been in that position myself. >> now, investigators also want to know. is that what happened to whitney houston? miguel marquez, cnn. >>> we're joined next by the pastor that will deliver the eulogy. >>> and arwa damon is watching a one-sided war with the government using everything it has to crush its people. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares fore! no matt

. >> it's the wonderful sort of music in that movie almost like judy garland and mickey rooney and it'st was still -- the simple town that it was and meant to be. this place of innocence even. >> absolutely. we've gone, you know, now there are so many -- the making of films is so complex that sometimes that complexity takes over the story and directors, in order to justify these incredible budgets, they are actually serving the story up to the audienceç on a plate where everyone who comes to "the artist," every member creates the story for themselves in their head and the experience is sort of like reading a wonderful novel. when you get past those 20 pages, the story has you hooked and -- >> you are so right, james. i watched this movie for an hour and a half in a big theater. i didn't realize until an hour and a half in, this is a black and white silent movie. there's no weird stuff. it just happens to be silent. you go i can't believe this is good. here's another clip where the movie star plays a trick on the unsuspecting backup singer peppi miller who becomes his love interest. let

. >> there is a piece, the wonderful music of the movie, like judy garland, mickey rooney, sense of youthle town it was and meant to be, this place of innocence, even. >> absolutely. we've -- now there are so many, the makings of film is so cocom it takes over the story, directors in order to justify incredible budgets are serving the story up to the audience on a plate whereas everyone who comes to "the artist" everyone creates the story in theirç he, the experience is like reading a wonderful novel, when you get past the 20 pages, the story has you hooked, and -- >> you are see right, james. i watched this movie in a big theater, i didn't realize, this is a black and white silent movie. there is no mugging, no weird stuff, just happens to be silent. i can't believe this is good. here is another clip where the movie star plays a trick on the unsuspecting back-up singer peppy miller who becomes his love interest. let's watch. ♪ ♪ >> i don't know where they found those guys. i grew up watching side c -- sid caesar, they would give a guy water so his voice would drop forgotten sid caesarç

someone we should think about in the way we think about a judy garland. they are iconic. demons that drive them that make them so amazing to watch. >> harris: wow. very, very well put. marcellas reynolds. we appreciate you being here tonight to share your perspective. mike bunting says on my twitter page we will miss her but we must remember god knows best. coming from one of our viewers tonight. i have asked people to tweet me their feelings and thoughts tonight. as we go to a commercial break, latoya jackson saying my mother and i are watching coverage and we still can't believe it. we are still in complete shock. stay close. ♪ o, say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed p, the amazing alternative to raisins and cranberries with more fiber, less sugar, and a way better glycemic index. he's clearly enjoying one of the planet's most amazing superfruits. hey, keep it down mate, you'll wake the kids. plum amazins. new, from sunsweet. we have to thank you for the advice on phillips' caplets. magnesium, right? you bet! phillips' caplets use magn

celebrities dying from drug and alcohol abuse isn't new, elvis, anna nicole smith, judy garland to name but recent deaths have focused on a dirty little secret. doctors who make prescription drugs readily available to the stars. she said despite her history as an addict, doctors overprescribed her pills. >> there are doctors out there, many doctors out there who may be enamored by a star and are trying to please their client but you have to have stars on the other end who may be using their fame to get these the drugs. >> i'm sure that is something that helps them to get the doctor to get whatever they want. i know i have been in that position myself. >> now, investigators also want to know, is that what happened to whitney houston? cnn, los angeles. >>> still ahead tonight, family and friends of whitney houston are going to pay tribute to her saturday. the pastor delivering the eulogy joins me live. >>> the one-sided war. using everything they have to crush their people. keeping them honest. we're the wassman family from skagway, alaska. happened to come across quicken loans online. [

one, she's probably the best singer we have, ranking with streisand and judy garland. there were very few of these. she ranked right at the top. two, she's a victim of blaming her ex-husband, bobbi brown. she's a fantastic looking person. a terrific actress who made a wonderful movie with kevin costner. who sang songs that will live forever. she changed music. there was no one like her. at the party last night clive davis's annual grammy party, tony bennett came out and did an incredible tribute to her and sang a song. i think she was worth all the accolades, and then, of course, the tragedy of any person dying at age 48. >> that's the other part of the story, of course, larry, is that the fact that her life became a kind of train wreck, doesn't that, sadly, hasn't that added to the media and public fascination with whitney houston? >> absolutely. when i was there at that party last night, when i walked the red carpet, that's all people were asking about. the tragedy. what do you think she died of? how can such a great performer fall to such things like this? in fact,

the only other comparison i make is to judy garland who had those ups and downs and died tragically t. i was thinking just in the last two or three years, we've lost michael jackson, elizabeth taylor, whitney houston, etta james, amy winehouse, all in different circumstances. but some really huge legendary stars, all dying in very difficult circumstances. >> you know what it teaches us, piers? that we're all here on borrowed time, aren't we? i think we should wake up in the morning and say thanks. >> yeah. larry, i think we have got jermaine jackson on the line, as well. are you there? >> yes, i'm here, piers. >> thank you so much for calling in. i know that you knew whitney well. how are you feeling tonight? it's been a real bombshell to everyone. no one was expecting this. >> yes. it's a tragedy for me. i woke up this morning, and i was getting ready to make my flight back to l.a. and i turned on cnn, which i watch cnn all over the world and that's how i got the world. i'm just devastated because we go way back from the very beginnin