By ‘Dayo Showemimo
Exactly 3 years ago, February 11, 2012, one of the world’s most talented and celebrated singers in history, Whitney Houston passed on at the age of 49.
Houston was found dead in a hotel bathtub at the Beverly Hilton and according to the official coroner’s report, died of an accidental drowning with heart disease and cocaine as contributing factors.
Her death was announced as the music industry gathered for the 54th annual Grammy Awards which was just a few hours away at the time of her death, causing major vibrations across the world. A private memorial service was held in her honour on February 18, 2012, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.
Even in death, Whitney Houston’s recognition in music history continues to stand as a monument of pop culture. Apart from being one of the best-selling music artists of all time, she is cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as being most awarded female artist of all time. Throughout her career, Houston won a total of 415 awards, including two Emmys, six Grammys, 22 American Music Awards and 30 Billboard Music Awards.
She also holds the record of the artist with most (seven) consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Her second album, Whitney became the first album by a female artist to debut at No. 1.
In her 49 years of existence, she released seven studio albums and contributed to four movie soundtracks across a 24-year career span.
The details surrounding Houston’s death still haunt the industry till today. And as in an unfortunate turn of events, her only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown who has been in coma for over the past week after being found in similar circumstances that led to Whitney’s death, is believed to be in a medically induced coma.
Bobbi Kristina was discovered face-down and unresponsive in a bathtub last month, January 31, 2015 and chances of her survival, according to doctors, are very slim.
