Her recent milestones include penning a memoir detailing her struggles with her weight, being cast to play Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie in an upcoming movie, releasing a new album and singing a well-received tribute to Whitney Houston at the most recent Grammy awards in February.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Since then, he has had a successful solo career, releasing a slew of successful solo projects and collaborating with diverse artists like Whitney Houston and Santana.

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