Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time.^[1] Houston is one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with an estimated 170-200 million records sold worldwide.^[2][3] She released six studio albums, one holiday album and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know",^[4] influenced several African American women artists who follow in her footsteps.^[5][6]

Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100hits