Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist,actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awardedfemale act of all-time. Houston was also one of the world's best selling artists, having sold over 170million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification.Houston's crossover appeal influenced several top African American female artists including Rihanaand Maria Carey. Houston consistently scored a list of firsts. She is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards on the Billboard magazine year-end charts. Her 1985 debut album Whitney Houston was the bestselling debut album by a female act at the time of its release and madeher an immediate pop sensation. Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week according to Nielsen. Music critics commented that she was "wholesome, flawless, universal and classic", and nicknamed her "The Voice". As a child she sang gospel music until producer Clive Davis transformed her into a diva, one of the most successful commercial stars in history. Over the next year, her hit singles "Saving All My Love for You" for which she won a Grammy in 1986 and "How Will I Know" helped the Whitney album reach the top of the charts. The Grammy award was presented to her by her cousin Dionne Warwick. Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" (1992) remained at the top of the charts for an unprecedented 14 weeks catapulting her career into acting in the movie The Bodyguard which was the biggest movie soundtrack of all time. She also released a cover of Chaka Khan's 1978 hit "I'm Every Woman" (Number Four pop) as well as "I Have Nothing" (Number Four pop, 1993).  In 1992 Houston married singer Bobby Brown; their first child, Bobbi Kristina, was born the next year. Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife failed to boost her movie career but earned her chart topping singles. Her career declined during her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown and she entered drug rehab in the spring of 2004 and again in 2005. Later that year, she toured as part of the Soul Divas along with her cousin Dionne Warwick and Natalie Cole. That September, Houston received a standing ovation when she sang a tribute to her mentor Clive Davis at the World Music Awards.  She divorced Bobby Brown in April of 2007 and released her seventh and last album I Look to You (Number One, 2009), executive produced by Davis, in August 2009. Her last movie role was in a musical called Sparkle with Jordin Sparks, which was a remake of the 1976 movie about an all-girl musical group similar to the Supremes. Sparkle was released posthumously. On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her guest room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, on the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards which paid tribute to her.