Whitney Houston (born August 9, 1963, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.—died February 11, 2012, Beverly Hills, California) was an American singer and actress who was one of the best-selling musical performers of the 1980s and ’90s. Her remarkable vocal ability and exceptional emotive power became the standard of excellence by which all other female pop singers were judged in Houston’s lifetime. Indeed, Houston’s talent earned her the apt nickname “the Voice.” Read more on Last.fm