They Will Always Love Her: Whitney Houston tops the download charts as fans remember her through the music

Whitney Houston has posthumously topped the download charts.


Houston, who passed away yesterday, is currently top of the iTunes’ chart, with her 1992 smash hit I Will Always Love You.


The spring release was a massive worldwide success, and a tie in with her hugely successful film with Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard.

Remembering through the music: Whitney Houston, who died yesterday aged 48, has shot to the top of the charts

According to recent reports, Houston’s body was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The singer was allegedly in possession of prescription pills such as Xanex.

Houston's albums dominated Amazon's CD best seller chart, with The Greatest Hits at No. 1 and seven other Houston-related albums - including the soundtracks to The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale - in the top ten.

The Greatest Hits' also topped Amazon's MP3 sales chart, and several of Houston's other releases filled the digital top 40.

I Will Always Love You: Whitney belts out her cover of the Dolly Partoh hit from The Bodyguard soundtrack, it became a massive hit

I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Whitney's earlier work is proving to be just as popular

On iTunes, eight of Houston's albums were listed on the top 100 album sales chart, with The Greatest Hits once again taking the No. 1 slot and both the original and deluxe versions of her eponymous 1985 debut charting.

Houston sold more than 170 million albums and singles worldwide over the course of her career, winning two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards along the way.

According to the latest reports, Houston’s body was found in the bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The singer was allegedly in possession of prescription pills such as Xanex.


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Whitney Houston's daughter rushed to hospital after star's death as photos show upset 'lover' Ray J at hotel where she drowned

• Daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18, hospitalised TWICE since mother's death
• Whitney Houston's bodyguard 'found her drowned in bath in her hotel room'
• Star found under water after mixing a cocktail of prescription drugs with alcohol, it is claimed
• I Will Always Love You singer 'partied heavily' in hotel bar on Friday, according to reports
• Award-winning star was on 'brink of bankruptcy' having 'frittered away pop fortune on crack cocaine'
• Those close to singer and actress 'knew she took Xanax before big shows to calm her down'
• Hotel guest on floor below complained night before that 'water was pouring from Miss Houston's bathroom'
• Autopsy performed today but toxicology tests pending though will be kept secret till police investigation is finished
• Family will be allowed to pick up her body from the morgue in the coming days

Fears grow among Whitney Houston’s family that the singer’s teenage daughter may be suicidal after her mother’s untimely death.

Bobbi Kristina was rushed to hospital twice in the 24 hours following the discovery of her mother’s dead body in the bathtub of a Hollywood hotel.

The 18-year-old girl’s initial trip to the hospital came after learning of the devastating news, when the teenager reportedly consumed alcoholic drinks and was then given a sedative to calm her down by one of her mother's entourage. She ended up passing out, according to Radaronline.

She was then pictured being taken out of the Beverly Hilton- the same hotel where her mother had died just hours earlier- on a stretcher around 10.30am Sunday and rushed to Cedars-Sinai where she was treated for extreme anxiety.

She was released several hours later, but friends and family are still very concerned about her mental state and reports speculate that she may be bound for rehab.

Emergency: Whitney Houston's only daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown (centre) was rushed to hospital the day after her superstar mother was found dead. The exact cause of Bobbi Kristina's emergency is unknown, but initial reports say she is having a complete meltdown in the wake of her mother's passing

Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown was in Nashville at the time of Houston's death and his daughter Bobbi Kristina's trips to the hospital, but he announced that he would be missing his concert that was scheduled for Sunday night in order to be by his daughter's side.

While reports of prescription pills covering the bathroom and water being found in Ms Houston’s lungs have circulated heavily after she was found in hotel room number 434 Saturday afternoon, the Los Angeles coroner would not confirm or deny any of the rumours.

And, because the case has been placed on an indefinite security hold, those details will not be coming any time soon.

During a press conference Sunday evening, the coroner’s office said that the hold was requested due to the high-profile nature of Ms Houston’s death, and similar moves were taken for Michael Jackson and heiress Casey Johnson.

The details will not be released until the police investigation into the death is completed, which may take between one and two months.

The spokesman said that no one- including Ms Houston's daughter- may visit the body while it is in their custody, though the star's family would be able to collect the body in the coming days since the autopsy has been finished.

Paramedics battled to revive the singer but she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm yesterday afternoon, hours before she had been due to perform at a pre-Grammys party at the same hotel.

Houston was found dead under the water by her bodyguard in a luxury suite at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which is said to have been littered with bottles of prescription pills. She was 48.

Ray-J mentioned 'missed calls' from Miss Houston, according to the International Business Times, adding: 'We all gotta live with that.'

At first it was thought that Ray-J had found Miss Houston's body but a statement was later released by his spokesman saying 'he was nowhere near the scene but no less distraught'.

According to reports on gather.com moments before the news broke, Ray-J was seen trying to console Bobbi Kristina, who was screaming, in the lobby of the hotel.

Bobbi Kristina is understood to have got into a 'furious screaming argument' with authorities who refused to let her into the hotel room to see the body of her dead mother. A source told People the 18-year-old was screaming: 'What's wrong with her? What's wrong with her?'

The singer/reality TV star and Whitney Houston dated between 2007 and 2009 but it was believed they had recently picked up their romance after being spotted at an LA restaurant.

Ray-J, 17 years younger than Miss Houston, is the youngest brother of the singer Brandy and made a sex tape with Kim Kardashian in 2003 which was reportedly 'leaked' on to the Internet.

The last days of a star: Whitney Houston sweats profusely and appears dishevelled as she leaves the Tru 

Hollywood nightclub on Thursday night. She partied with a large group of friends before 'clashing' with security guards, right, then being driven away to her hotel, where she died yesterday afternoon

Bottles of Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax and a sleeping medication were found in the hotel room, it has been claimed. The drugs were believed to have acted as sedatives, causing her to fall asleep in the bathtub once they had been mixed with alcohol from the previous evenings.

As police look into the possibility that the star died from an accidental overdose, there are expected to be emotional scenes at the Grammy awards tonight with many of the singers inspired by Miss Houston dedicating their awards to her.

Miss Houston had battled ravaging addictions to crack cocaine over the years but the drug is not believed to have played a part in her death. Police searched the room for illegal substances after discovering the body.

Her family released a formal statement Sunday expressing their grief: 'We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.'

Police also turned away Ray-J from Miss Houston's suite on the fourth floor after he raced from his home following news of her death, reported TMZ.

Miss Houston's body is now at the Los Angeles morgue as her family and the public still await the toxicology and autopsy reports.


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Last days of a diva: How Whitney argued with X-Factor star over Ray J days before her death

Whitney clashed with former X-factor contestant Stacy Francis over her boyfriend Ray J just days before her death.


The two divas almost came to blows after Whitney failed to remember the aspiring singer who she once pulled on stage during a concert.


Ray J who had known Stacy for years then stepped in to defend her, angering the music legend.

Old friends: Former X-factor contestant Stacy Francis, shown here on the show with host Steve Jones, has known Whitney's on-off boyfriend Ray J for years

The run in preceded more clashes with security staff and fans on a raucous night out at a Hollywood Grammy party earlier this week.

But despite her Whitney's messy hair and dishevelled appearance no one would have guessed that less than two days later she would be found dead in her hotel room.

The singer was a guest at the Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For The Love Of R&B Grammy Party at Tru Hollywood and had even performed during the night.

The two were reintroduced in the VIP section.

A source told the website that Whitney was 'cordial at first' but the scene soon changed after Whitney's friend, R&B star Ray J, stepped in.

An eyewitness said: 'Whitney just got belligerent. Ray was trying to defend Stacy, telling Whitney,
'Stacy's family!', but Whitney was feeling crowded out and hands were raised.'

The source added: 'You didn't know which way it could go there for a minute.'

When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter following the alleged incident, Stacy said: 'I have the utmost respect for Whitney Houston and her talent.'

Luckily no actual blows were landed, but, the source said, 'You didn't know which way it could go there for a minute.'

The singer ‘partied heavily’ that night.

The source added: ‘It was sad because her fans noticed that she was really shaky as she left the venue. She definitely was not in control of herself.’

Dressed all in black, the I Will Always Love You singer appeared angry and agitated as she left the venue and looked like she had partied a little hard.

Wearing a short black dress the star emerged with her hair messed up and gestured aggressively to the waiting photographers.

The release of the photos showing the star’s erratic behaviour and dishevelled look sparked concern over the singer’s health.

Whitney died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she was staying in order to attend at perform at a pre-Grammys party hosted by Clive Davis.

According to TMZ, the star was seen with a large group of friends at the hotel bar on the eve of her death.
Sources told the website that the group were drinking and being loud.

And the website went on to allege that the singer and her friends stood out because of all the noise they were making, despite the fact that the hotel was abuzz with guests getting ready for the pre-Grammy festivities.

A spokesman for the local police department said that emergency services had been called to the hotel at 3.43 this afternoon, arriving minutes later.

Officials rushed to the room on the fourth floor where she was staying as a guest, where they found security staff attempting to revive her.

Life-saving attempts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm.

According to TMZ, police have sealed off the hotel room where Whitney died and will not be searching it until they have obtained a search warrant.

The website reports that their primary interest is to establish whether or not drugs were present in the room.


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No one could save Whitney Houston as she blew £100m and sought oblivion in crack cocaine

By the end, Whitney Houston had thrown away every last scrap of the poise and beauty that had made her the ultimate diva of her generation.

Leaving a Hollywood nightclub two days before her death, she was drenched in sweat and disoriented, a wad of mint chewing gum visible in her gaping mouth.

Blood from a cut trickled down her leg. But the lady herself, surrounded by party-loving hangers-on, didn’t seem to notice.

Alternately waving and cursing, this was not the Whitney who conquered the world - a church-going supermodel with a once-in-a-generation voice of exceptional power and sweetness. This was a woman who, despite at least three attempts at rehab in the past eight years, appeared fully in the grip of drug addiction: wired, wrecked and out of control. Inside the club, it is claimed, she nearly came to blows with a partygoer who she felt had ‘got into her face’. So why could nobody save Whitney Houston? In truth, having spent almost two decades destroying herself, she was past saving.

Her voice, with her signature, high-octave power note, had been pitifully diminished by years of abuse, particularly the smoking of crack cocaine. The soaring vocals had become a soft, whispery falsetto. ‘She don’t want to come, my soprano friend,’ she told a booing concert audience in London in 2010. The years of material plenty were behind her, too. She was reportedly once again ‘flat broke’, even though she should have had a fortune well in excess of £100 million. Indeed, despite earning up to £20 million with a colossal 50-date global tour only two years ago, she was reportedly this month reduced to asking her great benefactor, Clive Davis, the music mogul who ‘discovered’ her, for hand-outs yet again.

Her home in New Jersey was said to be in danger of being repossessed. Another home in Atlanta already had been. She was partying at the Beverly Hilton only because she was on someone else’s tab: the record label was paying for her to be with them in the run-up to last night’s Grammy awards. There were hopes of yet another album from Whitney, despite the relatively poor performance of her comeback in 2009, and she had recently been in the studio. She had also finished making a film, Sparkle, a showbiz saga about a trio of singers, which Sony has announced will still be released in August. Her most recent romantic partner was a 31-year-old rapper, Ray J, who is chiefly famous for being the man in a homemade sex tape shot in 2003, which made reality star Kim Kardashian famous. He is also the cousin of rapper and drug advocate Snoop Dogg, so he was not the kind who might have been counted on to keep her on the straight and narrow.
The two had an on-and-off four-year liaison, which her fans felt had depressing echoes of her mutually destructive marriage to ‘bad boy’ rapper Bobby Brown, who she divorced in 2007. Born in 1963 in Newark, New Jersey, Whitney’s mother was the successful gospel singer, Cissy Houston. Her cousin was Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin was her godmother. Known as Nippy as a child, she was the youngest of three children. Her mother divorced John Houston, an Army serviceman, but Whitney remained close to both parents. They supported her in her dreams of stardom — a fact she later said accounted for her enormous self-confidence. From the age of five she would sing in the choir at the All Hope Baptist church in Newark, where the family worshipped. As a teenager, she started to get involved in the music business. Aged 15, she sang backing vocals on the Chaka Khan hit I’m Every Woman. Clive Davis of Arista records first laid eyes on her in 1983, when she was 20, and was bowled over. Her first album, Whitney Houston, was released two years later, yielding the No 1 hits The Greatest Love Of All, How Will I Know and Saving All My Love For You. It remains the best-selling debut album by a female artist in music history. Her second album, Whitney, released in 1987, included the hits I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. It sold 25 million copies worldwide.

She would often travel with her mother. Also always present was her ‘executive assistant’ Robyn Conway, her best friend at school, who she said was ‘like a sister’ to her. She put Robyn on her payroll, but was she something more? Whitney always denied the persistent rumours she was bisexual, and claimed people got the wrong impression only because she didn’t start dating until she was in her late 20s. In 1989, she met Bobby Brown at a music awards show, and they married in 1992. Daughter Bobbi Kristina was born a year later.
Whitney was at the peak of her fame, thanks to the film The Bodyguard and the colossal cover version I Will Always Love You. But outside the spotlight, her life was far from perfect. She and Brown had settled in a huge mansion in New Jersey, complete with a pool and recording studio, but the marriage was not happy. He was accused of domestic violence against her in 1993. She said he had slapped her during a jealous argument. In his autobiography, Bobby Brown hints she deceived him about her true sexual orientation and that their marriage was designed to cover up her bisexuality. ‘I realise Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married,’ he said in his book. ‘I believe her agenda was to clean up her image; mine was to be loved and to have children.’ Talk of her impossible behaviour began to circulate as she started failing to turn up to events, including a celebration of the career of her mentor, Clive Davis. She admitted in a recent interview that she would take cocaine ‘every day’ in the mid-Nineties. She became skeletally thin and appeared disoriented at times. She was fired from a slot on the Oscars ceremony in 2000 after singing the wrong song at rehearsals. Later that year, she and Brown were found to be carrying marijuana on a trip to Hawaii.

In 2002, she gave a notorious interview in which she denied taking crack, on the grounds that it was ‘too cheap’ a drug for her. ‘We don’t take crack. Crack is whack,’ she said. Nobody was very convinced by her denial. Clive Davis tried to get her into rehab in 2004, with an ultimatum that they could not work together again if she didn’t clean up. In 2005, her sister-in-law leaked pictures to the Press of her bathroom in Atlanta — a sordid, dirty space covered with crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia — to try to shock her into sobriety. In 2006, Davis tried again. Whitney recalled in an interview: ‘Clive called me one day and said: “OK, are you ready now? I’m tired of seeing what I’m seeing. I want you back.” ’


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Death of an American icon: Troubled singer Whitney Houston is found dead in Beverly Hills hotel room after drugs battle, aged 48

• Award-winning singer and actress 'found unconscious by bodyguard in her hotel room'
• Emergency services administered CPR for 20 minutes but were unable to save her
• Speculation that death is drug-related but cause is unknown
• Star 'partied heavily' in hotel bar on Friday, according to reports
• Last appeared in public on Thursday where she looked dishevelled and reportedly smelled of alcohol
• Celebrities flock to Twitter to pay tributes to 'beautiful and talented' singer

Performance: Throughout the 80s and 90s, Houston was one of the world's most popular singers

 Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, died on Saturday afternoon. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster confirmed that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unclear.

She died at the Beverly Hilton hotel. She was apparently found by her bodyguard in her hotel room.

A spokesman for the local police department said that emergency services had been called to the hotel at 3.43pm on Saturday, arriving minutes later.

Officials rushed to the room on the fourth floor where she was staying as a guest, where they found security staff and firemen attempting to revive her using CPR

Life-saving attempts proved unsuccessful after 20 minutes, and she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm.
Authorities are currently trying to determine a cause of death, according to the spokesman. He said there were 'no obvious signs of foul play and no obvious signs of a cause of death'.

It was initially unclear whether or not her death was drug-related, as has been speculated by some.

Some reports said that Houston had been found by her on-off boyfriend Ray J, but that turned out to be mistaken.

The star 'partied heavily' with friends in the hotel bar on Friday night, according to TMZ.

Her ex-husband Bobby Brown was said to be 'in and out of crying fits' upon hearing the news - but was still planning to appear on stage on Saturday with his band New Edition.

A relative of Brown said Houston’s former husband is struggle to cope with the news.

‘He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing, too,’ the family member told People magazine. ‘He's beside himself right now.’

Singer Johnny Gill, one of Brown's New Edition bandmates, is on tour in Memphis with the star. ‘Bobby is struggling and he's devastated,’ he told CNN.

Houston's mother Cissie apparently spoke to her daughter just half an hour before her death, and did not think anything was wrong.

Award success: Houston was a frequent winner at the Grammys and other high-profile award ceremonies

Houston won six Grammy awards, two Emmys, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards, among others.

Her album Whitney was the first album by a woman to ever debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold more than 170million albums worldwide.

STARS' TRIBUTES TO WHITNEY


'Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.'

Mariah Carey
'No words! Just tears #DearWhitney'

Rihanna
'Wow. RIP Whitney Houston. Grew up on her. She contributed to the soundtrack of many of my 12-year old sleepover parties.'

Elizabeth Banks
'This is the saddest thing I've ever had to write in my life, R I P to one of the greatest humans that I have ever known Whitney Houston.'

Wyclef Jean
LeAnn Rimes: 'Whitney Houston was the first cd I ever bought. She had a God given gift. Hopefully, she’s singing with angels now.'

LeAnn Rimes
Celebrities, from singers and rappers to television personalities and business leaders, took to Twitter to express their sadness at the news.

Stars praised the singer's unmatched talent and passed on their wishes to her bereaved family, while others expressed their shock at how the award-winning singer passed away at the age of just 48.

'Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston,' said Mariah Carey, who recorded the Oscar-winning song When You Believe with the late star in 1998.

'My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.'

'Shocked we've lost the immensely talented Whitney Houston!' wrote fellow singer Gloria Estefan.
‘Sending prayers of peace & solace 2 her family, friends & fans! Such a loss! Such an amazing talent!'

Rihanna tweeted: 'No words! Just tears. I honestly can't think of anything else!!! Feels so strange being at the Grammy rehearsal right now!!'

But it was not just the music industry that felt the influence of Houston, with other celebrities expressing their condolences and thanks to the award-winning singer.

One high-profile figure to speak out was Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, who said: 'R.I.P. Whitney Houston. Thank you for the amazing music you brought into the world.'

News of Houston's death came on the eve of one of the biggest nights in music - the Grammy Awards.

It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to case a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony.

Relationship: Houston's turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown was the subject of tabloid gossip for years

Mentor: Houston's career was started by record label boss Clive Davis, who saw her singing in a nightclub with her mother

TRIBUTES: SHOWBIZ AND BEYOND


'R.I.P. Whitney Houston. Thank you for the amazing music you brought into the world.'

Mark Zuckerberg
'Stunned by Whitney Houston's death at just 48. One of the greatest voices ever heard. #RIP.'

Piers Morgan
'So sad to hear the news about Whitney Houston. She was such a beautiful and talented woman. My heart goes out to her family. RIP.'

Paris Hilton
'At Grammys rehearsal hearing Whitney Houston has passed away at 48. Everyone here is absolutely stunned.'

Ryan Seacrest
'Just heard Whitney Houston passed away. Many prayers go out to her family and all who are grieving the loss of an icon.'

Khloe Kardashian
Her longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner on Saturday, and a representative of the show said it would proceed.

Houston was supposed to appear at the gala, and Davis had said that she would perhaps perform: 'It's her favorite night of the year... who knows, by the end of the evening.'

Producer Jimmy Jam, who had worked with Houston, said he anticipated the evening would become a tribute to her, and he expected there to be one at the Grammys as well.

She had been at rehearsals for the show on Thursday, coaching singers Brandy and Monica, according to a person who was at the event.

The source said Houston looked disheveled, was sweating profusely and liquor and cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.

Two days ago, she performed at a pre-Grammy party with singer Kelly Price.

After her death, the executive in charge of the awards issued a statement expressing sadness at the star's death.

'Six-time Grammy winner Whitney Houston was one of the world's greatest pop singers of all time who leaves behind a robust musical soundtrack spanning the past three decades,' Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, said.

'Her powerful voice graced many memorable and award-winning songs. A light has been dimmed in our music community today, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, fans and all who have been touched by her beautiful voice.'

At her peak in the 1980s and 90s, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry and one of the world's best-selling artists.

Famous friend: South African President Nelson Mandela and Whitney Houston smile for photographers in Johannesburg

She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Among her hits were How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You and I Will Always Love You. She won multiple Grammys including album and record of the year.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies like The Bodyguard.

But by the end of her career, drug use took its toll as her record sales plummeted and her voice became raspy and hoarse.

Her image became tarnished by her well-documented troubles, including her turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

By the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use.

Hotel: Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton hotel in California

Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanour and bizarre public appearances.

She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

'The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy,' Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

However, she will be remembered not for the troubles she encountered in her last decade, but for her extraordinary voice and star charisma.

Houston was discovered by record label boss Clive Davis, who once said: 'The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club... it was such a stunning impact.

'To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine.'

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too.

Houston made her album debut in 1985 with Whitney Houston, which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. Saving All My Love for You brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal.

Another multiplatinum album, Whitney, came out in 1987 and included hits like Where Do Broken Hearts Go and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Her moving 1991 rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America's sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with The Bodyguard. Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the Bodyguard soundtrack was named album of the year.


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She's back! Whitney Houston shines as Jordin Sparks' mother in remake of musical movie Sparkles

The original 1976 movie starred Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara and Lonette McKee but Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks are bringing a modern hint of glamour to Sparkle.

The pair can be seen all glammed up in the first shot released from the film, a remake of the blockbuster about how a girl group experiences turmoil after one of their members turns to drugs and another achieves their desired fame alone.

Houston, 48, – who has struggled with addiction herself in the past - plays the role of parent Emma.

Like mother and daughter: Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston star in the 2012 remake of Sparkle

She’s pictured looking healthy and happy in front of the camera wearing large curls and a red pout with a low V-neck frock.

It’s been over 15 years since she starred in a Hollywood picture, the last silver screen appearance being in 1996 for The Preacher’s Wife.

Houston said: ‘Part of the fun of making this movie is definitely the costumes and the hairstyles. The movie is set in 1963, and we had a great wardrobe, hair and makeup person and I loved wearing the outfits.’

Co-star Jordin spoke highly of the diva to People magazine.

‘She was so cool and very motherly toward me. If I ever looked like I needed something, here she came saying 'Are you okay?'

‘I sang her songs into a hairbrush when I was little. Now she's acting as my mum and scolding me. It was a dream come true.’

Meanwhile season six American Idol winner, Sparks, aptly plays portrays Sparkle – Cara’s character from decades ago.

The 22-year-old fresh face shows off her slimmed down figure in a cleavage-bearing red dress.

The singer revealed her brand new bikini body in last year after dropping a considerable about of weight since she first found fame.

She told the publication in July: ‘My diet has pretty much remained the same, like if I want a piece of bread, I’m gonna have a piece of bread, but I’m making healthier decisions like instead of a bag of chips for a snack, I’ll see if I can find an apple.

‘I’ve also upped my intake of vegetables and I’m drinking a lot more water.’

Other famous faces in the flick due out August 10, include Cee Lo Green who is the girls’ opening act and Derek Luke playing Thomas’ character, Stix.


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