Whitney Houston, one of the top-selling artists in pop history, has been found dead in a hotel room in Beverly Hills.
Considered one of the greatest music artists of the last 30 years, she reached the peak of her career in the 1980s and 90s.
However, her career was later ravaged by drug use and a well publicised and violent marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
In recent years her life had become a sad tale of drug abuse and personal tragedy.
Her death will be mourned by popular music and movie fans the world over.
Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports.
