On Feb. 11, 2012, the day before the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, pop diva Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom at the tender age of 48. She left behind teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina in addition to friends and other family members, including her beloved mother, Cissy Houston.

Sadly, the world wasn’t completely shocked by her death, given Houston’s prolific and public drug problems. Her battles with addiction, namely cocaine and marijuana, became tabloid fodder and took attention away from that gorgeous, inimitable voice of hers.

But there was a massive void left by her passing, one that many fans will never be able to fill. Dubbed ‘The Voice,' Houston blew the doors open for African American females, using her gospel pipes to sing songs about love.

Her legacy will keep her close to our hearts, even if the demons she fought won in the end. It would be irresponsible to gloss over the fact that Houston struggled with drug addiction, and while it took its toll on her voice later in life, she left behind a body of work that commands respect.

Whit, we will always love you.

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