At first glance, the fact that an R'n'B star in London on promotional duties gouged his eye out in an apparent suicide attempt, is mildly interesting, probably a good chance to make some cheap pirate gags, but have a look under the expensive sportswear attired surface and this is a story with everything.
Houston Summers IV, a mildly successful pop singer (one of his tracks was used in a McDonalds commercial), had been locked in his hotel room by his security personnel after trying to jump out of a thirteenth story window earlier in the evening. It was at this point that he decided to stab his eye out, with what we don't know, but the smart moneys on a spoon.
Initial reports say suicide attempt but his bodyguard later disagreed.
"After dinner, he went to his room to read the Bible. He is an avid reader of the Bible...I walked into the room to talk to him, I pulled the towel off of his face, and that's when I saw that he had gouged his eye out...He said he had to do it. He said that that had freed him from everything. He was happy after that. He said he was changed and was ready to go. That symbolic statement basically freed him from all the pain he was in. He feels like he is closer to God now"
So definitely not suicide then.
And his sister agrees "Houston is a Christian and he does know that if he attempted anything like that he'd be doomed", she also goes on to say that his previous managers are behind these rumours. The ex-managers counter with allegations of financial irregularities pointing out that he still lives in his old apartment with four other people.
Luckily Bushwick Bill (Londonists favourite one-eyed rapping midget) weighs in with his take on the whole sorry ordeal:
Fame isn't for everybody. There are people who have a fear of fame, those who want fame, and those who don't understand fame. It drives them crazy, because it is a lot of responsibility to be all things to all people, and you can lose yourself in the shuffle, where there are no longer 52 cards in the deck.
So there you go, man with history of mental illness needs help, probably won't get it.
