Whitney Houston’s voice was almost destroyed by drugs. Following years of heavy smoking and drug abuse, Whitney’s singing was reportedly ‘unrecognizable’ when she began recording her new album.

A source said: “She was smoking a lot and taking a lot of drugs. Her voice was almost unrecognizable.”

Whitney – once dubbed ‘The Voice’ for her five octave range – was sent for singing lessons by industry executive Clive Davis and is now back to her high-note best. The source added: “Thousands have been shelled out to train her back up to the original. But now she sounds terrific – she is going to blow everybody away.”

Whitney’s new, as yet untitled comeback album, is set for a November release.

In 2006, Tina Brown – the sister of Whitney’s now ex-husband  – claimed Whitney was living in squalor, and hopelessly addicted to crack cocaine. She released photographs to a US magazine showing the star’s bathroom littered with drug paraphernalia, including a crack pipe.