Whitney Houston

Biography: The top pop diva of the 1980s and '90s, Houston later became plagued by career-hampering problems. After working as a model in her teens, this sexy hit-maker burst onto the music scene in 1985 with her eponymous debut album, which spawned a slew of No. 1 songs. She formed the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989, which gives annual grants for deserving minorities to attend New York City's Juilliard School of Music. In 1992, Houston made her seemingly inevitable film debut in the romantic thriller The Bodyguard and married R&B singer Bobby Brown. Although she continued to make movies and albums for the rest of the decade, stories about her unstable personal life filled the tabloids, overshadowing her music career. In 2005 Houston and her hubby opened up their lives to even more scrutiny when they launched their own reality show, Being Bobby Brown, although the couple separated the following year after 14 years of marriage. She released a greatest-hits compilationThe top pop diva of the 1980s and '90s, Houston later became plagued by career-hampering problems. After working as a model in her teens, this sexy hit-maker burst onto the music scene in 1985 with her eponymous debut album, which spawned a slew of No. 1 songs. She formed the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989, which gives annual grants for deserving minorities to attend New York City's Juilliard School of Music. In 1992, Houston made her seemingly inevitable film debut in the romantic thriller The Bodyguard and married R&B singer Bobby Brown. Although she continued to make movies and albums for the rest of the decade, stories about her unstable personal life filled the tabloids, overshadowing her music career. In 2005 Houston and her hubby opened up their lives to even more scrutiny when they launched their own reality show, Being Bobby Brown, although the couple separated the following year after 14 years of marriage. She released a greatest-hits compilation called The Ultimate Collection in 2007 and a new album entitled I Look to You in 2009. On the eve of the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012, Houston was preparing to attend her mentor Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party when she accidentally drowned in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.… Expand