JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Publicist Susan DuBow saw the Whitney most of us never saw, behind the scenes and at the beginning of her career.
"I remember a very young girl who was just starting to experience stardom and that hurricane of success hit pretty quickly," DuBow said.
SLIDESHOW: Whitney Houston Dies at 48
At the time, DuBow worked for Solters/Roskin/Friedman Talent Agency. She started with Whitney in the mid-1980s and helped get her positive press for the next five years.
"She was easy to publicize, but when you have someone who is that big you have to manage it as well," she said.
She's still stunned by the news of Houston's untimely death, as well as reports of erratic behavior and early reports about what caused her death.
"However it happened, it doesn't really matter anymore. We've lost one of the greatest talents we'll ever see," she said.
First Coast News