YOUR WEEKEND WRAP-UP

The biggest (and saddest) news story of the weekend is the death of Whitney Houston. The 48-year-old songstress was found in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, hours before the Grammy Awards ceremony.

The singer had a history of drug addiction, and tried many times to make a comeback. She had just finished shooting a movie called "Sparkle", which she hoped would put her career back on track.

Many local and international artists have talked about how they were inspired by Houston. At the Grammy Awards, Jennifer Hudson sang the singer's hit "I Will Always Love You". Houston herself received no less than six Grammy Awards in her lifetime.

Whitney Houston as regarded as a pioneer, not just because of her incredible record sales but also because she broke down barriers that black female artists had been unable to do before her. She was also an outspoken activist, and very publicly objected to South Africa's apartheid laws. She performed at concerts overseas in support of Nelson Mandela, who was inprisoned on Robben Island at the time. And she couldn't help bursting into tears when she saw Madiba in Johannesburg in 2004.

In fact, Nelson Mandela has paid tribute to Ms. Houston following her death. He has issued a message of condolence to her family through his foundation. Tributes from all over the world have continued to pour in.

If you've noticed that all the radio stations are playing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" a lot today, it's because fans are dealing with the loss of one of the industry's brightest stars.