1988
Houston uses her budding fame to bring attention to the anti-apartheid movement and African-American causes. She performs at a 70th birthday tribute for Nelson Mandela at Wembley Stadium in London (pictured) and a Madison Square Garden concert in New York to benefit the United Negro College Fund. She also records ''One Moment in Time'' for the 1988 Summer Olympics, which becomes a Top Five hit.
Image Credit: Neal Preston/Corbis
From her '80s chart reign to disturbing TV moments to ever-present hopes for a comeback to the shocking news of her death before the 2012 Grammys: a life in review