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Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded performers of all time. A cultural icon, her crossover appeal, chart achievements and music videos influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers. Known for her vocal delivery and live performances, Houston was ranked second on ''Rolling Stone'''s list of the greatest singers of all time in 2023. Her life has been the subject of several documentaries and biopics.

Houston signed to Arista Records at the age of 19. Her first two studio albums, ''Whitney Houston'' (1985) and ''Whitney'' (1987), topped the ''Billboard'' 200 for 14 and 11 weeks, respectively. The former remains the best selling debut album by a solo artist in history, while the latter made her the first woman to debut atop the US and UK charts. Houston took a more urban turn with her third album, ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990), and performed an acclaimed rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. The soundtrack of her film debut ''The Bodyguard'' (1992) won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, topped the ''Billboard'' 200 for 20 weeks, and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling single by a woman in history. Houston continued her work in the film industry, including starring roles in ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995), ''The Preacher's Wife'' (1996) and ''Cinderella'' (1997). The soundtrack of ''The Preacher's Wife'' became the best-selling gospel album of all time.

Houston's first studio album in eight years, ''My Love Is Your Love'' (1998), found critical and commercial success, and she renewed her contract with Arista Records for $100 million in 2001, one of the largest recording deals of all time. However, her next album, ''Just Whitney'' (2002), received mixed reviews, while her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown began to overshadow her music career. After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the ''Billboard'' 200 with her final album, ''I Look to You'' (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was covered internationally along with her memorial service.

Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of more than 220 million records worldwide. Her first two albums, along with ''The Bodyguard'' soundtrack, rank among the best-selling albums of all time and made her the only black artist to score three RIAA diamond-certified albums. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "I Will Always Love You" are among the best-selling singles ever, with the latter being certified diamond by RIAA. Houston scored 11 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles and remains the only artist to have seven consecutive singles top the chart. She has been inducted into multiple halls and walks of fame. ''Guinness World Records'' named Houston the highest-earning posthumous female celebrity. Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career. Provided by Wikipedia