This one came as a bit of a surprise to me. But then again, I don’t spend much time following up even on current Pop singers, let alone former ones.

It was just announced that Whitney Houston, famed actress and pop diva of the 90’s, died today at the age of 48. Her private life has been riddled with difficulty between finance issues, drug issues, and a rocky marriage (to say the least) to former pop icon Bobby Brown.

The cause of death is yet unknown. UPDATE: Reportedly, Houston’s body was discovered in her hotel bathtub. A combination of Xanax, alcohol, and other standard prescription drugs possibly being the cause of death. So far, no foul play is suspected and authorities are treating her death as accidental.

Houston has influenced a range of current Pop/R&B singers along with her peer Maria Carey, scored some of the 90’s biggest Pop/R&B hits, and starred in a number of well-known movies.