REUTERS - Whitney Houston, regarded as one of the world's best singers, died on Saturday in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 48, on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
Following are some key facts about Houston:
* Houston won six Grammys, 30 Billboard awards and 22 American Music Awards in her career. Her best-known songs include "I will Always Love You" and "Saving All my Love for You."
* She released seven studio albums, the most recent in 2009.
* Houston's movies included "The Bodyguard" in 1992 with Kevin Costner and "The Preacher's Wife," with Denzel Washington, and "Waiting to Exhale."
* Houston started out singing in her church gospel choir in New Jersey at age 11 and released her first album in 1985 after being discovered by record producer Clive Davis.
* Houston married Bobby Brown on July 18, 1992. They divorced after 14 years and a tumultuous relationship fueled by drugs.
* The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by drug use, rumors of relapses and trips to rehab. In a 2002 TV interview, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs. She launched a comeback tour in 2009 and in April 2010 she called media reports she was using drugs again "ridiculous." In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Peter Cooney)
