With over 200 million album sales worldwide, and remaining the only artist to chart seven consecutive US No.1s, Whitney Houston was the voice of a generation. Coming from an esteemed lineage of singers, Whitney was destined to be plucked from her gospel-singing roots to rule the world stage. She inspired a generation of singers from Mariah Carey to Beyoncé and her unforgettable performance of The Star-Spangled Banner unlocked an anthem that had for so long been dismissed by many black artists.
But all these achievements have become a footnote to a story of addiction and self-destruction. With salacious stories filling the columns of tabloid papers and magazines, Whitney had the voice of an angel onstage, but was being torn apart by her demons offstage.
Whitney is out in cinemas from 6 July.
