Beyonce Knowles idolised Whitney Houston

Los Anegles, May 20 (IANS) Singer Beyonce Knowles says she always wanted to be rich and famous like late singer Whitney Houston.

Knowles, 31, often told her mother that she would grow up to become like Houston, who died after drowning in her bathtub reportedly following a cocktail of marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs last year.

Knowles, who performed at US Super Bowl 2012, was starstruck when she saw the late singer when she performed at the same event in 1991.

"I turned to my mom and said, 'Oh my God, she's awesome!' My mom said, 'Yeah, baby, she is.' And I said, 'One day I'm going to be like that too.' My mom said, 'Yeah, baby, whatever.'" Hello magazine quoted Knowles as saying.

"But you just never know what's going to happen in your life because even back then I knew there was something worth fighting for and that I was going to do whatever it took to fight for it," she added.