Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Referred to as “The Voice”, she is regarded as one of the most influential vocalists in popular music. Houston is noted for her powerful and soulful vocals, as well as her charismatic stage presence. She is the most awarded female artist of all time. Houston is also one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide.
Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. She is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988.
Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack, including "I Will Always Love You", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Houston starred and recorded soundtracks for two other high-profile films, Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), with the latter's soundtrack being the best-selling gospel album of all time.
On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was featured prominently in international media. Houston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.