Whitney Houston returns to British stage

The Grammy Award-winning recording artist is making a career comeback after battling an addiction to drugs for years.

Although she was set to return to the European stage last week, a respiratory infection forced the 46-year-old singer to postpone several dates.

Her first gig was Tuesday night at England's Birmingham LG Arena where she told the crowd, "I'm feeling pretty good," the BBC said.

Houston reportedly performed well-received renditions of her hits "It's Not Right, But It's OK" and "How Will I Know," but struggled with her anthem "I Will Always Love You," which is famous for its high notes.

The BBC said the star also seemed to be having trouble breathing throughout the show and left the stage for more than 15 minutes for a costume change, prompting the audience to grow restless and some members to boo her.

Copyright 2010 United Press International.