Whitney Houston, born on the 9th of August 1963 in New Jersey, grew up to be one of the most famous singers the world has ever known.

She was the daughter of a famous gospel choir singer, Cissy Houston, and the youngest of three children, so spent much of her childhood trying to get attention. Whitney followed in her mother's footsteps and began singing solo in a gospel choir at a local church. Whitney also gave public performances during her teenage years in concert halls and nightclubs when touring with her mother. 

In 1983, Whitney was signed to record label Arista and her first album, called Whitney Houston, was released in 1985.

Over the next two decades, she went on to release five albums, received over 100 awards and embarked upon five world tours. Whitney also went on to appear in four highly acclaimed feature films.

Unfortunately, with fame comes great responsibility and the pressure to be a good role model. In 1992, Whitney entered an unstable marriage, which together with the stress of her life in the spotlight, drove her to drug and alcohol abuse. The drugs and alcohol made Whitney very ill and severely damaged her voice. She began to fade from the public eye and many wondered if she would continue performing.

But, in 2009 Whitney released what would be her last album, featuring the well known pop song Dollar Bill, which she performed on The X Factor. It seemed Whitney was back on the road to success. However, her next tour received negative reviews and many complained about the quality of her voice.  

Over the weekend, Whitney passed away, shocking millions worldwide. To read the full news story, click here. 

Words by Grace Melville