( CNN ) -- Another musical titan whose soaring voice ruled the charts for decades has fallen . Whitney Houston joins an august list of the departed since Michael Jackson 's death nearly three years ago . `` First there was MJ , then there was Heavy D and now Whitney , '' said Shaun Jones , 47 , of Titusville , Florida , adding that he jumped out of bed in disbelief when he heard news of Houston 's death . Rapper Heavy D died last year , as did Nick Ashford , who was one half of the Motown duo Ashford and Simpson . And in late 2010 , singer Mary Christine Brockert , better known by her stage name Teena Marie , died in her sleep . `` It 's shocking ... all these people are legends . A lot of them are dying too young . It 's crazy . '' Pop icons such as Houston enjoyed staggering success through the 1980s and into the 1990s , and served as role models to a generation of singers today . Announcements about their deaths are always almost followed by tributes from younger pop stars acknowledging how much influence they 've had on their careers . `` Icons from that era stood out , '' Jones said . `` They had distinct voices -- I can always tell when a song is by Whitney -- they made music back then . '' Houston was a `` hero for Gen X black girls , '' said CNN iReporter Tessa Jackson of New Orleans . She said when she was `` a black teenager going to a predominantly white high school in California , Whitney was my style icon and hero ... She made me and other girls like me feel like we did n't have to be blonde and blue-eyed to be beautiful and admired . I wish she knew how much she did for my and my friends ' self-esteem . '' Stunned celebrities who gathered for pre-Grammy festivities in Los Angeles expressed their shock Saturday night as fans worldwide paid tribute to the singer whose music spanned borders and generations . `` I remember dedicating some Whitney songs while writing letters to girls in my high school , '' said Mark Keith Muhumuza , who lives in Kampala , Uganda . The 26-year-old said his favorites included `` The Greatest Love of All '' and `` I Will Always Love You , '' which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the second-longest reign in the chart 's history . Houston 's decorated music career included smash hits such as `` I Wan na Dance With Somebody , '' six Grammys and a slew of Billboard and American Music Awards . She also appeared in movies such as `` Bodyguard '' and `` The Preacher 's Wife . '' `` She was fresh , her music just drove everybody to want to dance , '' Jones said . `` We all knew she was gon na be somebody -- I ca n't believe she 's gone . '' While she ruled as the queen of pop in the 1990s , a rocky personal life tainted her skyrocketing success . Her marriage to Bobby Brown and their tumultuous years were marred by allegations of drug abuse and domestic violence . The pair starred in a reality show , `` Being Bobby Brown , '' an unflattering look at their challenges as a couple . `` Despite her personal setbacks , I never stopped believing in Whitney , '' Jones said . `` It hurt me , and I 'm sure it hurt a lot of fans . ... But she was trying to turn her life around . People always remember the bad things , but I am going to remember her for the good things . '' Like Jones , her fans say they will focus on her legacy as a singer and the happy memories she brought to their childhoods . `` I can still remember riding with my sister as a teenager and first hearing , ' I Will Always Love You ' on the radio . It was the most beautiful song that I had ever heard . It was breathtaking , '' said Traci Nichols of Bowie , Maryland . `` Whenever I had a bad moment , I would play Whitney 's CDs and sing along with them , and then , I would immediately feel better . I still do this because her music continues to uplift me . '' She had a mesmerizing voice and a perfect poise , Nichols said , a trait that made fans feel connected to her . `` When I was a kid , she was the one I wished I could be -- supremely talented , gorgeous , amazing effortless performances , and she looked like she was having so much fun , '' said Marina Nelson , a San Francisco resident . It 's a shame she did n't have a happier life while her music provided the soundtrack for so many fun times when I was growing up . '' Nichols plans to do her part to ensure that despite Houston 's untimely death , her legacy will live on . Come Monday , she will discuss the legendary singer 's appeal with her 11th-grade students .
NEW : Houston was a `` hero for Gen X black girls , '' one fan says . Last year 's fallen icons included American singer and songwriter Vesta Williams . Heavy D and Nick Ashford also died last year . TL;DR The music industry is in the midst of an identity crisis as it grapples with its changing audience.