The Greatest Love of All

As you’ve all heard by now, Whitney Houston died Saturday at the age of 48. The iconic songstress and legendary diva was found in a Beverly Hills hotel room, and news of her passing spread quickly through our technology-driven society.

Status updates and tweets flurried, while videos of her unforgettable performances surged on YouTube. And at the end of it all, the question remains unanswered: Was this yet another tragedy caused by substance abuse?

To say that I was shocked to hear of her death would be an exaggeration. Similar to the news of Amy Winehouse’s passing, we all know the troubled past Houston endured through her decades-long career.

It seems all of her relationships were tumultuous: with drugs, with abuse, with longtime partner Bobby Brown.

Seven albums, three film soundtracks, six Grammys, 30 Billboard Awards, 22 American Music Awards and two Emmy awards later,  Houston sold more than 200 million albums and singles worldwide … a professional career so powerful, no wonder her personal life was a constant roller coaster.

I like to think that Houston’s greatest love was sharing her talent with the world. In the spirit of tribute, here are some of my favorite Whitney moments — some serious, some not so much. Feel free to share yours in the comments below.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” — My all-time favorite song of hers is best used for a reception entrance or getting ready for a night out, a la “13 Going on 30.”

One of many impressions Maya Rudolph excelled at: Whitney, what what?

“I Will Always Love You” — I don’t remember the plot from “The Bodyguard,” but I will never forget the way this powerful, emotional ballad captivated me as a child.

“Being Bobby Brown” gave us a peek into their relationship, and this clip in particular was made wildly popular by Joel McHale and “The Soup.” 

The VH1 divas perform “I’m Every Woman;” Whitney and Chaka Khan lead vocals.

And the songbirds keep singing like they know the score — rest in peace, Whitney Houston (1963–2012).