Whitney Houston Remembered on 49th Birthday

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Friends, family and fans of Whitney Houston are remembering the late singer today, recognizing what would have been her 49th birthday. Nearly six months have passed since that February day when Houston, the most awarded female music artist of all time, died in her Los Angeles hotel room at the age of 48.

This week would have been particularly special for Houston. Trailers and posters for "Sparkle," the film remake that Houston stars in alongside Jordin Sparks, herald the movie's Aug. 17 release, just weeks away. The "Sparkle" debut will give Houston fans a chance to see and hear her once more.

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Following her death, lovers of "The Voice," as Houston was called, quickly snapped up copies of her music. Though her "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" album came out in 2000, a sales spike after her passing put the compilation at #4 on Billboard 's mid-year list of top-selling albums. The "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" set has sold 818,000 units to date in 2012, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

As for Houston"s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, she's followed her mother's footsteps into the entertainment world. Movie mogul Tyler Perry cast the young actress in his TBS comedy show "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse," and later gushed that Bobbi Kris had done a "fantastic job" on set.