Attorney wishes he could have helped Whitney Houston

ATLANTA,None — The attorney who represented Whitney Houston, and her then husband Bobby Brown while they lived in metro Atlanta, said he wished he could have helped the singer, who was found dead Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel.

Aubrey Villines represented the couple during several legal issues they had years ago. But it was Houston's personal issues that drew his attention to the legendary singer, globally recognized by many people for her extraordinary talent.

"I always felt that if I had a solid week with Whitney that maybe her life could have turned out a little bit differently," he said about Houston, whose musical gifts have been overshadowed in recent years by her drug addiction.

Villines wouldn't discuss in deep detail what those issues were. But he said he wanted to do something to get Houston focused on using her vocal talents to the best of her ability. When asked what prevented him from doing so, Villines said: "Because she belonged to the world. And I couldn't take her for a week. I couldn't even take her for a day," he told Channel 2's Tom Jones.

Villines described Houston as a brilliant talent and someone bigger than life although her life was unfulfilled.

"There was so much more she could have done. And I believe should have done," he said.

Houston's death has touched people near and far.

Pastor Kenneth Paden of the Living Word Church of God in Christ, Forest Park recalls hearing the tragic news himself.

"My brother called me and said 'Kenny Whitney Houston just died," said the pastor, who met Houston during the filming of the 1990's movie, "The Preacher's Wife."

"I will always cherish that memory," he said.

Paden wrote the song "Hold on, Help Is on the Way" as music director for the Georgia Mass Choir. He said a film executive heard the song on the radio and wanted to use it for Houston's debut. The choir and Paden ended up performing the song with Houston in the movie.

"I'm on the piano," he smiled.

He said Houston was a joy to work with and had a voice that was out of this world.

"Incredible. Never heard anything like it," he said, adding that he even took pictures with her.

Paden said the news of Houston's death came as a shock and despite her publicized issues, he hopes the award-winning singer will be remembered for her enormous talent, not her struggles.

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WSBTV