Speaking just hours after the passing of Whitney Houston, legendary singer Tony Bennett said he feels with the rash of celebrity deaths recently … it’s time to legalize drugs. 

Bennett performed at the Beverly Hilton last night Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party, in an evening dedicated to Houston. Bennett told the crowd, “First it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now the magnificent Whitney Houston. Let’s legalize drugs, like Amsterdam, it’s a very sane city now.”

Davis, Houston’s mentor and producer, remembered her by saying, “Whitney was a beautiful person and she had a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage … so many times. So simply put: Whitney would have wanted the music to go on.”

Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to perform a tribute in Houston’s honor at tonight’s Grammy Awards.