Whitney Houston: death explained, when did she die, songs including I Will Always Love You, daughter - and age

Today (11 February) marks the 10 year anniversary of the death of singer, Whitney Houston.

Houston, who died aged 48 in 2012, is one of the best-selling artists ever, with more than 200 million records sold worldwide.

Here is everything you need to know about her.

Who was Whitney Houston?

Whitney Houston was an American singer and actress.

Referred to as “The Voice”, she is regarded as one of the most influential vocalists in popular music, noted for her powerful and soulful vocals, as well as her charismatic stage presence.

The most awarded female artist of all time, Houston is also one of the best-selling recording artists, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide.

Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, and began singing at a young age in gospel music at church, being influenced by her mother.

Described as having an impressive ranging voice, at the age of just 20 she was discovered by an Arista Records representative and signed to the label.

Her first two studio albums, 1985’s Whitney Houston and 1987’s Whitney, peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time.

In 1992, Houston made her acting debut in the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard, in which she co-starred with Kevin Costner.

How did she die?

At the time of her death in 2012 at the age of 48, Houston’s reputation had been marred by years of drug abuse.

She was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills, and a coroner found cocaine had been a contributing factor. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was covered internationally.

According to the director of Whitney - a documentary about the superstar singer - Houston’s behaviour provided clues that she had been abused.

In the film, an assistant claims that Houston confided in her that she had been molested as a child by her cousin Dee Dee, the late sister of Dionne Warwick.

Director Kevin Macdonald said the assistant told him how the consequences of this abuse stayed with her her whole life and “impacted her relationships, impacted her sense of self, maybe her lack of emotional development.”

He added: “I don’t think that one event like that or one experience necessarily defines everything about you, but I think in Whitney’s case, when you hear from the various people who talk about it, what impact that had on her, I think it’s probably the biggest explanation for a lot of her behaviour.”

Did she have a daughter?

Houston met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, and the two were married on in 1992.

A year later, Houston gave birth to daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, the couple's only child.

What is her legacy?

In May 2019, Houston’s estate unveiled plans for a hologram tour featuring the late pop star.

Her estate said in a statement it has partnered with BASE Hologram for the An Evening With Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour.

The show will include master recordings of the late singer as well as a live band and back-up singers, the statement added.

Roy Orbison, Tupac and Buddy Holly have all been given a second life on stage while plans for an Amy Winehouse hologram tour were put on hold due to “unique challenges and sensitivities”.

In September 2021, it was revealed that the upcoming remake of The Bodyguard will feature a young Latina actress in the role made famous by Houston.

While the first film featured Houston as an established, globally popular musician, the remake will take a different approach, the film’s writer said.

Matthew Lopez, the first Latino playwright to win the Tony Award for best play, is penning The Bodyguard.

He told Variety: “It’s so much fun. When Warner Bros approached me about the idea, I quickly said I would but I wanted the protagonist to be Latina. They agreed to that.

“Instead of focusing on an established star like the one Whitney Houston played, this is about a young Latina performer who has just become famous.

“It’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation. In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection.”

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