Whitney Houston, 48 Years Old
Whitney Houston remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Her MTV music video for "How Will I Know" was the inspiration for several striving female African American artists. Her iconic voice paired with her always-glamorous appearance made her an instant superstar. Her death was ruled as drowning due to coronary artery disease and cocaine intoxication. She died during the Grammy Award season in 2012, and it was subsequently a major part of the show.