iTunes more than doubles Whitney Houston album price

Apple and Sony Music are being criticized after the price of one Whitney Houston album more than doubled following the singer's tragic death.

Digital Spy first reported that the price of Houston's 2007 Ultimate Collection skyrocketed from £3 ($4.70) to £7.99 ($12.60) within 30 minutes of her death on Saturday.

"To say I am angry is an understatement and I feel it is just a case of iTunes cashing in on the singer's death, which in my opinion is totally parasitic," one fan, who spent two hours trying to buy the album at the old price, told Digital Spy.

"The album itself is great so please don't be put off purchasing it, just [realize] that you will merely be lining some fatcat's pocket before Whitney's lifeless body is cold."

Regardless of price, Houston's albums are expected to stay at the top of the charts for the next few weeks.

By Monday, seven of her albums were on Amazon's top ten list. Her 1992 remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" was the number one single on iTunes. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” also made it on to the the top ten list.

Houston died Saturday, aged 48, in a Beverly Hills hotel on the eve of the Grammys, triggering shock and a wave of tributes as music stars gathered for the annual awards show.

ABC News reports that Whitney Houston’s family was told by the Los Angeles coroner’s office that she didn’t drown in the bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, despite being found with her head submerged. Rather, they suspect that she died from a combination of alcohol and prescription drugs.

Houston’s mother is said to have made arrangements to fly Houston’s body to Atlanta, perhaps as early as Tuesday, for a funeral.

-- With earlier reporting by AFP and Megan Carpentier