by Jacob Wilbanks
The music industry was struck a shocking and heavy blow on Saturday, Feb. 11 – the day before the 54th Grammy’s. Pop legend Whitney Houston, one of the highest-selling female musicians ever, died at age 48.
The Grammy’s immediately acknowledged the great loss with host LL Cool J saying a prayer recognizing Houston in his opening monologue. Artists, from Stevie Wonder to Jennifer Hudson, paid tribute to Houston throughout the night.
Houston was a born singer; gospel legend Cissy Houston was her mother and Aretha Franklin was her godmother. Her music career saw unparalleled successes, from her record seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, to selling more than 170 million records worldwide, to being cited as the most-awarded female act of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records.
She crafted some of the most infectious and gorgeous pop hits of the last 30 years. Few other artists have the voice or charisma to open a track with just vocals for more than 40 seconds as she did on “I Will Always Love You.” A few of Whitney’s other popular tracks include “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” and “How Will I Know.”
Houston was more than just the numbers that encapsulated her. She was a true pop icon with a beautiful voice, eloquent beauty and a charismatic personality. She was not just a singer, but an actress, model and producer as well.
Houston was found in a hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills, Calif. on the afternoon of Feb. 11, 2012. The cause of death is not yet known at this time.
The singer struggled with drug addiction and also had a tumultuous and highly publicized marriage with singer Bobby Brown, which ended in 2007. She went to rehab twice and was known for displaying erratic behavior toward the end of her career.
Houston is survived by her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown.
For more information and highlights of Whitney Houston’s career follow the video links below:
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