Whitney Houston – 48

Whitney Houston released her debut album in 1985. She was praised by Rolling Stone magazine for being one of the most exciting new voices in years. The New York Times was also full of praises for her debut album. Simply put, her album was music industry gold.

Houston went on to release six more studio albums, with the last being the 2009 record I Look To You. To say she grew famous would be an understatement. Her death was sudden, unfortunate, and accidental. She reportedly drowned in her bathtub, with cocaine use and heart disease as contributing factors to her demise.