By Stephfon Guidry

One day before the 54th Grammys, an international talent was plucked from the world. Four words that sent chills as I read and reread them on my phone, “Whitney Houston is dead”. Whitney Houston (1963-2012) age 48, a woman, actress, songwriter, mother, a superstar and legend is gone. It was her publicist Kristin Foster that broke the news to AP this evening. Houston’s body was found by her bodyguard in the Beverly Hilton, despite resuscitation efforts she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. Cnn.com detailed, “Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were “no obvious signs of criminal intent” and that the cause of her death is being investigated.” No cause of death has been revealed, yet it is publicly known she struggled with inner demons and drug abuse.

Whitney Houston’s legacy began in 1985 with her self-titled album that sold 25 million copies worldwide. Houston’s music career consisted of seven albums, three movie soundtracks, over 200 million albums and singles sold. She had countless tracks top the charts such as “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” “I Have Nothing” “Queen of the Night” “I’m Every Woman”  “My Love is Your Love” and more. Her iconic singing style inspired young ingénues like Christina Aguillera, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Monica, and GLEE singer, Amber Riley to spread their melodic tones for the world. In her lifetime Whitney Houston received 30 Billboard awards, 22 American Music Awards, 6 Grammys, and 2 Emmys. Many fans are shaken by the fact that they will not see Houston making her film return in the remake of the 1976 classic Sparkle. Her music will live in on in the hearts, ears, and voices of generations to come.