The world of music has paid tribute to Whitney Houston, the singer and actress who has died at the age of 48 and has been hailed as one of the greatest singers of her generation.
Houston's passing came on the eve of the biggest event of the music calendar, the Grammy Awards, and tributes to her were made throughout the evening. Jazz singer Tony Bennett called her the "greatest voice he has ever heard".
Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide. The daughter of soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston, she would occasionally get on stage and perform with her mother as a teenager. In 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single I'm Every Woman, a song she would later have a hit with herself on soundtrack album The Bodyguard.
After her first UK hit, Saving All My Love For You, reached number one in the UK Chart in 1985, Houston racked up four UK number one singles and 17 Top 10 singles, along with two UK number one albums, Whitney Houston and Whitney. During her career she worked with top songwriters and producers including Diane Warren, Michael Masser, X Factor judge LA Reid, Babyface, and Narada Michael Walden.
Her biggest hit and signature song was I Will Always Love You, which was taken from the film The Bodyguard and held the number spot for 10 weeks, becoming the best-selling single of 1992 and the 10th biggest single of 1993.
According to figures released by the Official UK Charts Company, Houston's death has sparked a sales surge echoing that of Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse's music sales following their respective deaths in June 2009 and July 2011. In both cases, fans paid tribute by buying the artists' singles and albums. At the time of writing, eight of the top ten best-selling R&B/Soul singles on iTunes are Houston hits, as well as three on the Soundtrack chart.
British music artists and industry figures took to Twitter to pay tribute to the star. Soul singer Beverley Knight said, "There have been many great singers and there are those who change the game permanently. Whitney Houston was a game changer. I loved her." Jessie J said: "Whitney, I sing because of you and will continue to do so in your honour, always and forever." Choreographer Arlene Philips, who worked with Houston on the videos for How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody said on Twitter: "Farewell Whitney. It was an honour to have worked with you and remember the good times."
Record producer Pete Waterman described Houston as an "icon" who had "one of the greatest voices of all time". Speaking to the BBC, he said: "She was in a category of her own - she was unique. She took soul and R'n'B to a different level. "She brought in the power ballad that a modern generation of singers tries to emulate but they can't because it was difficult and she was unique.
"Unfortunately being an amazing talent doesn't protect you from the weaknesses of life."
Houston's passing came on the eve of the biggest event of the music calendar, the Grammy Awards, and tributes to her were made throughout the evening. Jazz singer Tony Bennett called her the "greatest voice he has ever heard".
Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million albums and singles worldwide. The daughter of soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston, she would occasionally get on stage and perform with her mother as a teenager. In 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single I'm Every Woman, a song she would later have a hit with herself on soundtrack album The Bodyguard.
After her first UK hit, Saving All My Love For You, reached number one in the UK Chart in 1985, Houston racked up four UK number one singles and 17 Top 10 singles, along with two UK number one albums, Whitney Houston and Whitney. During her career she worked with top songwriters and producers including Diane Warren, Michael Masser, X Factor judge LA Reid, Babyface, and Narada Michael Walden.
Her biggest hit and signature song was I Will Always Love You, which was taken from the film The Bodyguard and held the number spot for 10 weeks, becoming the best-selling single of 1992 and the 10th biggest single of 1993.
According to figures released by the Official UK Charts Company, Houston's death has sparked a sales surge echoing that of Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse's music sales following their respective deaths in June 2009 and July 2011. In both cases, fans paid tribute by buying the artists' singles and albums. At the time of writing, eight of the top ten best-selling R&B/Soul singles on iTunes are Houston hits, as well as three on the Soundtrack chart.
British music artists and industry figures took to Twitter to pay tribute to the star. Soul singer Beverley Knight said, "There have been many great singers and there are those who change the game permanently. Whitney Houston was a game changer. I loved her." Jessie J said: "Whitney, I sing because of you and will continue to do so in your honour, always and forever." Choreographer Arlene Philips, who worked with Houston on the videos for How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody said on Twitter: "Farewell Whitney. It was an honour to have worked with you and remember the good times."
Record producer Pete Waterman described Houston as an "icon" who had "one of the greatest voices of all time". Speaking to the BBC, he said: "She was in a category of her own - she was unique. She took soul and R'n'B to a different level. "She brought in the power ballad that a modern generation of singers tries to emulate but they can't because it was difficult and she was unique.
"Unfortunately being an amazing talent doesn't protect you from the weaknesses of life."
