“Whitney Houston is dead,” exclaimed Wayne in disbelief. It was almost 9 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 11. We were just wrapping up the men’s basketball game, which we were filming, when Wayne made the statement.

As shocking as it sounded, I decided to disregard the comment labeling it as one of those ridiculous Twitter rumors. But sadly, it was the truth. The American music industry had again lost one of its iconic souls.

Interestingly enough, my sister and I were listening to a few of her best songs on the eve not realizing that we were paying our tribute to her.

She was a brilliant artist capable of extending her emotions to her fans through all of her songs. Although I am no expert in vocal performance, Houston always seemed to be one of those few singers who had complete control of their voice.

She will always be remembered as one of those artists who not only conveyed her talent to the world but also her uniqueness. May she rest in peace.