Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston influenced many singers in

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

, and was known for her powerful, soulful vocals and vocal improvisation skills. She is the only artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, from "

Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their album ''Marilyn & Billy'' (1978). American singer Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the song f ...

" in 1985 to "

Where Do Broken Hearts Go "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, ''Whitney (album), Whitney'' (1987). It was released as the fourth Single (music), single from the album on February 25, 1988. The so ...

" in 1988. Houston enhanced her popularity upon entering the movie industry. Her

recordings A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

and

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

generated both great success and controversy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career and posthumously, including two

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, six

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, 16 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, and 28

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

, as well as induction into the

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

, Rhythm and Blues Music, and

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

halls of fame. Houston began singing in church as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. She was one of the first black women to appear on the cover of ''

Seventeen Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

'' after becoming a teen model in 1981. With the guidance of

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

chairman

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

, Houston signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, ''

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

'' (1985) and ''

Whitney Whitney may refer to: Film and television * ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta * ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston * ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...

'' (1987), both peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. Houston's third studio album, ''

I'm Your Baby Tonight ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' is the third studio album by American singer Whitney Houston released on November 6, 1990, by Arista Records. The album has been certified quadruple platinum in the US by the RIAA. Background By 1989, Whitney Hou ...

'' (1990), yielded two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles: "

" and "

All the Man That I Need "All the Man That I Need" is a song written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded as "All the Man I Need" by Linda Clifford for her album ''I'll Keep on Loving You'' (1982). In 1990, American singer Whitney Houston had a ...

". Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film '' The Bodyguard'' (1992), which became the tenth highest-grossing film to that date despite receiving poor reviews for its screenplay and lead performances. She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack, including "

I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, ...

" which won the

Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

and became the best-selling physical single by a woman in music history. The soundtrack for ''The Bodyguard'' won the

Grammy Award for Album of the Year The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regar ...

and remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. Houston went on to star and record soundtracks for ''

Waiting to Exhale ''Waiting to Exhale'' is a 1995 American romance film directed by Forest Whitaker (in his feature film directorial debut) and starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The film was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMil ...

'' (1995) and ''

The Preacher's Wife ''The Preacher's Wife'' is a 1996 American comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance. It is a remake of the 1947 film ''The Bishop's Wife'', which in turn was based on the 1 ...

'' (1996). Houston produced the latter's

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

, which became the bestselling

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

album of all time. As a film producer, she produced multicultural movies including ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'' (1997) and series including ''

The Princess Diaries ''The Princess Diaries'' is a series of epistolary young adult novels written by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000. The series revolves around Amelia 'Mia' Thermopolis, a teenager in New York who discovers ...

'' and '' The Cheetah Girls''. Houston's first studio album in eight years, ''

My Love Is Your Love ''My Love Is Your Love'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. It was Houston's first studio album in eight years, following ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990) although she had parti ...

'' (1998), sold millions and spawned several hit singles, including "

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being ...

", "

It's Not Right but It's Okay "It's Not Right but It's Okay" is the third single from American singer Whitney Houston's fourth studio album, ''My Love Is Your Love''. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, Isaac Phillips, Toni Estes, and produce ...

" and "

". Following the success, she renewed her contract with Arista for $100 million, one of the biggest recording deals of all time. However, her personal problems began to overshadow her career. Her 2002 studio album, ''

Just Whitney ''Just Whitney'' is the fifth studio album by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on November 27, 2002, by Arista Records. It was her first studio album to be released after her greatest hits compilation, '' Whitney: The Greates ...

'', received mixed reviews. Her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

received widespread media coverage. After a six-year break from recording, Houston returned to the top of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart with her final studio album, '' I Look to You'' (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the

Beverly Hilton The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment and motion pic ...

hotel in Beverly Hills, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the

2012 Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...

and was covered internationally.

Life and career

1963–1984: Early life, family and career beginnings

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in

singer who was part of

The Drinkard Singers The Drinkard Singers were an American gospel singing group, most successful in the late 1950s and important in the careers of singers Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, and Judy Clay. Family origins Nitcholas (aka ''Nitch'', 1896� ...

and who later joined the Gospelaires, a popular session vocal group whose name eventually changed to

The Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Cis ...

.''

'', dir. Kevin MacDonald, 2018 Her father, John Russell Houston Jr., was an ex-

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

serviceman, a Newark city administrator who worked for then-Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson and a manager of the Sweet Inspirations. Her elder brother, Michael, was a songwriter, and her elder half-brother is former basketball player and singer

Gary Garland Gary Joseph Houston ( né Garland; born October 12, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season with the Nuggets ( 1979–80). Gary is the h ...

. Through her father, she had a second elder half-brother, John III. Both of Houston's parents were

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

. On her mother's side, it is alleged that Houston had Dutch and Native American ancestry. Through her mother, Houston was a first cousin of singers Dionne and

Dee Dee Warwick Delia Juanita Warrick (September 25, 1942 – October 18, 2008), known professionally as Dee Dee Warwick, was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was the sister of singer Dionne Warwick, the niece of Cissy Houston, and a f ...

as well as a distant cousin of opera singer

Leontyne Price Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American soprano who was the first African Americans, African American soprano to receive international acclaim. From 1961 she began a long association with the Metropolitan Opera, where s ...

. Through her father, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Jeremiah Burke Sanderson, an American abolitionist and advocate for the civil and educational rights of black citizens in the United States. Her godmother was singer

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

and family friend

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

was considered an honorary aunt. Devastated by the events of the

1967 Newark riots The 1967 Newark riots were an episode of violent, armed conflict in the streets of Newark, New Jersey, United States. Taking place over a four-day period (between July 12 and July 17, 1967), the Newark riots resulted in at least 26 deaths and ...

, Whitney's family eventually relocated to a middle-class area in

East Orange East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...

, New Jersey. Her parents later divorced. Houston was raised a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

but admitted to being exposed to the

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

church as well. Houston began singing in the church choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark at age five, where she also learned to play the piano. By age eleven, she began performing as a soloist for the junior gospel choir, performing the hymn, " Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah". Houston would be taught how to sing throughout her adolescence by her mother Cissy. After attending Franklin Elementary School (now the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts), Houston was transferred to an all-girls

Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

Mount Saint Dominic Academy Mount St. Dominic Academy is a four-year Catholic college preparatory school for young women located in Caldwell, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades. The school was founded in 1892 by ...

at nearby

Caldwell Caldwell may refer to: People * Caldwell (surname) * Caldwell (given name) * Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada Places Great Britain * Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet * Caldwell, East ...

, in her sixth grade year where she eventually graduated from in 1981 at 17. During Houston's early years, her mother as part of the Sweet Inspirations sung background for Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick,

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

and a host of other rhythm and blues and rock singers and later toured with Franklin before recording their own material for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and later opening and singing background for

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

during his initial Las Vegas residencies in 1969. With the Sweet Inspirations, Cissy recorded five albums with the group and in the same year they toured with Elvis, won a

nomination for the song, " Sweet Inspiration". After leaving the Sweet Inspirations, Cissy embarked on a solo career and was the first artist to record " Midnight Train to Georgia". By age fourteen, Whitney began singing in the background for her mother at the

cabaret club A hostess club is a type of night club found primarily in Japan. They employ primarily female staff and cater to men seeking drinks and attentive conversation. The modern host club is a similar type of establishment where primarily male staff atte ...

circuit in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and sang background on most of the songs on her mother’s

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

album, ''

Think It Over "Think It Over" is a rock-and-roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty in 1958, originally recorded by the Crickets. Vi Petty, Norman Petty's wife, played piano on this recording. Chart performance In the US, "Think I ...

''. That February, Whitney was encouraged by her mother to sing a few leads on songs, starting at a performance at Manhattan's

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. As a result, Whitney attracted attention from producers such as

Michael Zager Michael Zager (born January 3, 1943) is an American record producer, composer, and arranger of original music for commercials, albums, network television, and theme music for films. He teaches music at Florida Atlantic University. Zager was a m ...

and

Paul Jabara Paul Jabara, also known as Paul Frederick Jabara, (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry, born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from ...

. With Zager, Houston was featured prominently on Zager's disco song, "Life's a Party", released later in 1978. Alongside her mother and Aretha Franklin, Houston cited the music of

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Kn ...

and

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...

, as those who would have an influence on her as a singer and performer. By 1980, she had also contributed background vocals for Khan and

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

on their respective albums, '' Naughty'' and ''Shades of Blue''. In the same year, Houston met

Robyn Crawford Robyn Crawford (born December 17, 1960) is an American author, producer, and former assistant to and creative director for Whitney Houston. Her credits include '' The Bodyguard'' (1992), ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995), '' In Between'' (1987), and ...

while both worked as counselors at a youth summer camp in East Orange. The two became fast friends and Houston later described Crawford as the "sister henever had". Along with being best friends, Crawford would become a roommate and

executive assistant A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...

. Following Houston's rise to fame, rumors began speculating that Houston and Crawford were lovers, which the two denied to the press during a 1987 interview for ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine. In 2019, seven years after Houston's death, Crawford admitted that their early relationship included sexual activity but stopped before Houston signed a recording deal. Houston became a

fashion model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...

after she was discovered by a photographer who filmed her and her mother during a performance for the

United Negro College Fund UNCF, the United Negro College Fund, also known as the United Fund, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 37 private historically black colleges and universities. ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

. She became one of the first women of color to appear on the cover of a fashion magazine when she appeared on the cover of ''

''. She would also appear inside other magazines such as '' Glamour'', ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' and ''Young Miss'' and a TV commercial for the

Canada Dry Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks founded in 1904 and owned since 2008 by the American company Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Dr Pepper Snapple (now Keurig Dr Pepper). For over 100 years, Canada Dry has been known mainly for its ginger ale, though ...

soft drink. Her looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought-after teen models. Houston was offered record deals around this time, first by Michael Zager in 1979, Luther Vandross in 1980 and Bruce Lundvall in 1981. The offers, however, were turned down by her mother because Cissy wanted Houston to finish school. Around the same time, Houston recorded Paul Jabara's "Eternal Love", which was shelved for more than two years before it was placed on Jabara's 1983 album, ''

Paul Jabara & Friends ''Paul Jabara & Friends'' is the fourth studio album by American actor, singer and songwriter Paul Jabara, best known for writing Donna Summer's hit " Last Dance" and the Summer/Barbra Streisand duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)". The album i ...

'', released that January. Houston recalled recording the song at just 16 years old. The

quiet storm Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album ''A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lin ...

R&B ballad was later covered by fellow singer

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to stardom as "Dorothy" in the original seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' from 1974 to 1979. The song " Home" from t ...

. In February 1982, Houston signed with Tara Productions and hired Gene Harvey as her manager with Daniel Gittleman and Seymour Flics as co-managers. With them, Houston furthered her recording career by working with producers Michael Beinhorn,

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, w ...

and

Martin Bisi Martin Bisi (born 1961) is an American producer and songwriter. He is known for recording important records by Sonic Youth, Swans, John Zorn, Material, Bill Laswell, Helmet, Unsane, The Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, White Zombie, Boredoms, Ang ...

on an album they were spearheading called ''

One Down ''One Down'' is a 1982 album by the New York based no wave music group Material, produced by Material, recorded by indie producer/engineer Martin Bisi in Brooklyn and musician/engineer Robert Musso in Manhattan. The album sees the band reduced to ...

'', which was credited to the group

Material Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geologi ...

. For that project, she contributed the ballad "

Memories Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

", a cover of a song by

Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper (29 April 1945 – 7 June 2009) was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and other bands. Biography Early career Starting in ...

Soft Machine Soft Machine are a British rock band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966 by Mike Ratledge (keyboards, 1966–1976), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals, 1966–1971), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals, 1966–1968) and Daevid Allen (guitar, 1966–196 ...

. Robert Christgau of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' called her contribution "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard". In February 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative from

, saw Houston performing with her mother in a New York nightclub. He convinced Arista's head

to make time to see her perform. Davis was impressed and immediately offered a worldwide record deal, which Houston eventually signed on April 10, 1983. Two weeks later, Houston made her national television debut alongside Davis on ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 a ...

'', which later aired that June. She performed "

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

", a song from the musical ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown (writer), William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's childr ...

''. Houston did not begin work on an album immediately. The label wanted to make sure no other label signed her away and Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for her debut album. Some producers passed on the project because of prior commitments. Houston first recorded a duet with

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musi ...

, " Hold Me", which appeared on his gold album, '' Love Language''. The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a Top 5 R&B hit. It would also appear on her debut album in 1985.

1985–1986: ''Whitney Houston'' and rise to international prominence

With production from

Michael Masser Michael William Masser (March 24, 1941 – July 9, 2015) was an American songwriter, composer and producer of popular music. Early life Born to a Jewish family in Chicago to Ester Huff and William Masser, he attended the University of Illinois ...

Kashif Kashif (also spelled Kaashif, Kaşif, Khasif or Kashef, ar, کاشف) is an Arabic word, commonly used as a male given name in the Muslim world. Its meaning is close to the "revealer", "discoverer", "uncoverer" or "pioneer", "explorer". When use ...

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

and

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

, Houston's debut album ''

'' was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine praised Houston, calling her "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while ''The New York Times'' called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent". Arista Records promoted Houston's album with three different singles from the album in the United States, the United Kingdom and other European countries. In the UK, the dance-funk song "Someone for Me", which failed to chart, was the first single while " All at Once" was in such European countries as the Netherlands and Belgium, where the song reached the top five on the singles charts, respectively. In the US, the soulful

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

You Give Good Love "You Give Good Love" is the debut solo single by American singer Whitney Houston for her 1985 eponymous debut studio album. It was written by La Forrest 'La La' Cope and produced by Kashif. When La La sent Kashif a copy of the song, originally o ...

" was chosen as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from Houston's debut to establish her in the black marketplace. Outside the US, the song failed to get enough attention to become a hit, but in the US, it gave the album its first major hit as it peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number one on the

Hot Black Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart. As a result, the album began to sell strongly and Houston continued promotion by touring nightclubs in the US. She also began performing on late-night television talk shows, which were not usually accessible to non-established black acts. The jazzy ballad "

" was released next and it would become Houston's first number one single in both the US and the UK. By then, she was an opening act for singer

Jeffrey Osborne Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D., with whom he began his musical career in 1970. Biography Earl ...

on his nationwide tour. The funk-oriented " Thinking About You" was released as the promo single only to R&B-oriented radio stations and dance clubs all over the country, resulting in the song reaching number 10 on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 24 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in December 1985. Houston's success also translated to television where, in addition to performing on several late night talk shows such as ''The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'' and ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'', Houston also became a video star thanks to early videos for "You Give Good Love" and "Saving All My Love for You" being heavily played on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

and VH1 stations. During this period, Houston and Arista struggled to get these videos submitted to

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. At the time, MTV had received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by black, Latino and other racial minorities while favoring white acts. In an interview with MTV years later, Houston explained the difficulties she and Arista faced on trying to bring "You Give Good Love" on the channel but was rebuffed because it was "too R&B" for their playlist. Eventually, Houston's video for "Saving All My Love" was featured in light rotation after the song had become a huge pop hit, with Houston stating that the channel "had no choice but to play

he video He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

..I love it when they have no choice". By the time Houston's third US single, "

How Will I Know "How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her Whitney Houston (album), self-titled debut studio album. The song was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third Single (music), single. ...

", was released, the colorful video clip, directed by

Brian Grant Brian Wade Grant (born March 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenacious ...

, was immediately added to MTV's playlist, instantly gaining heavy rotation on the channel after just a couple weeks and introducing Houston to the MTV audience. The song itself became Houston's second consecutive number one pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for two weeks, also topping the Hot Black and Hot AC chart and peaking at number three on the dance charts. Following the successful airing of "How Will I Know" on MTV, Houston became a regular presence on the channel as it slowly began changing its programming from rock to a more pop-R&B-dance hybrid playlist, along with artists such as

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

. On the week of March 8, 1986, a year after its initial release, ''Whitney Houston'' topped the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks. The final single, "Greatest Love of All" (a cover of "

The Greatest Love of All "The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the ...

", originally recorded by

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

in 1977), became Houston's biggest hit yet; the single peaked at number one and remained there for three weeks, making Houston's debut the first album by a woman to yield three number-one hits. Houston ended 1986 as the top artist of the year while her debut album topped the Billboard Year-End chart, making her the first woman to earn that distinction. At the time, the album was the bestselling debut album by a solo artist. The album would later be certified

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...

for sales of 13 million copies alone in the United States, while selling over 22 million copies worldwide. In July 1986, Houston launched her first world tour, ''

The Greatest Love World Tour The Greatest Love World Tour is the debut worldwide concert tour by American singer Whitney Houston, in support of her debut studio album ''Whitney Houston''. The four-month tour began in North America on July 26, 1986 at the Merriweather Post Pa ...

'', where she performed mainly in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. The tour lasted into December, ending in Hawaii. At the

1986 Grammy Awards The 28th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1986, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year, 1985 in music, 1985. The night's big winner was USA for Africa, USA For Africa's ...

, Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year. She was not eligible for the

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

category because of her previous hit R&B duet recording with

in 1984. She won her first

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

for "Saving All My Love for You". Houston's performance of the song during the Grammy telecast later earned her an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Houston won seven

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...

in total in 1986 and 1987 and an

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

. The album's popularity would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards, when "Greatest Love of All" would receive a

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

nomination. Houston's debut album is listed as one of ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

's Definitive 200 list. Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''. Following Houston's success, doors were opened for other African-American women such as Janet Jackson and

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

1987–1991: ''Whitney'', ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' and "The Star-Spangled Banner"

Houston's second album, ''

'', was released in June 1987. The album again featured production from Masser, Kashif and Walden as well as

Jellybean Benitez John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters. H ...

. Many critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. ''

'' said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating". Still, the album enjoyed commercial success. Houston became the first woman in music history to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart and the first artist to enter the albums chart at number one in both the US and UK, while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album's first single, "

I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, ''Whitney'' (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 2, 1987, by Arista Records. It was produ ...

", was also a massive hit worldwide, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the singles chart in 17 countries, including Australia, Germany and the UK. Her next three singles, "

Didn't We Almost Have It All "Didn't We Almost Have It All" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, ''Whitney'' (1987). The song was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and produced by Masser. Initially, Houston's cover vers ...

", "

So Emotional "So Emotional" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released as the third single from her second studio album ''Whitney'' (1987) on October 12, 1987 by Arista Records. The song was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It ...

" and "

", all peaked at number one on the US pop chart, giving Houston a record total of seven consecutive number one hits; the previous record of six consecutive number one hits had been shared by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

. Houston became the first woman to generate four number-one singles from one album. ''Whitney'' has been certified Diamond in the US for shipments of over ten million copies and has sold a total of 20 million copies worldwide. At the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988, Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year. She won her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Houston also won two American Music Awards in 1988 and 1989, respectively and a

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

. Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the ''

Moment of Truth World Tour The Moment of Truth World Tour was the second worldwide tour by American recording artist Whitney Houston and supported her ''multi-platinum'' hit album '' Whitney''. The trek started on July 4, 1987 in North America and continued overseas during ...

'', which was one of the ten highest-grossing concert tours of 1987 and the highest-grossing tour by a female artist, topping tours by both

and

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

. The success of the tours during 1986–87 and her two studio albums ranked Houston No. 8 for the highest-earning entertainers list according to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

''. She was the highest-earning African-American woman overall, highest-earning musician and the third highest entertainer after

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

and

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

. Houston was a supporter of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, she refused to work with agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa. On June 11, 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston joined other musicians to perform a set at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

in London to celebrate a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Over 72,000 people attended Wembley Stadium and over a billion people tuned in worldwide as the rock concert raised over $1 million for charities while bringing awareness to

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. Houston then flew back to the US for a concert at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

in New York City in August. The show was a benefit concert that raised a quarter of a million dollars for the

. In the same year, she recorded a song for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

's coverage of the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

, "

One Moment in Time "One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. It was released by Arista Re ...

", which became a Top 5 hit in the US, while reaching number one in the UK and Germany. With her world tour continuing overseas, Houston was still one of the top 20 highest-earning entertainers for 1987–88 according to ''Forbes''. In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a nonprofit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS and other issues of self-empowerment. With the success of her first two albums, Houston became an international crossover superstar, appealing to all demographics. However, some black critics believed she was "

selling out "Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal gai ...

". They felt her singing on record lacked the soul that was present during her live concerts. At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, when Houston's name was called out for a nomination, a few in the audience jeered. Houston defended herself against the criticism, stating, "If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it." Whitney Houston 90s

Houston took a more urban direction with her third studio album, ''

'', released in November 1990. She produced and chose producers for this album and as a result, it featured production and collaborations with

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

and

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

. The album showed Houston's versatility on a new batch of tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance tracks. Reviews were mixed. ''Rolling Stone'' felt it was her "best and most integrated album". while ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial". ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' contained several hits: the first two singles, "

" and "

" peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart; "

Miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

" peaked at number nine; "

My Name Is Not Susan "My Name Is Not Susan" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released as the fourth single from her third album, ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990). The song was released on June 24, 1991, by Arista Records. It was produced by L. ...

" peaked in the top twenty; " I Belong to You" reached the top ten of the US R&B chart and garnered Houston a Grammy nomination; and the sixth single, the Stevie Wonder duet " We Didn't Know", reached the R&B top twenty. A bonus track from the album's Japanese edition, "

Higher Love "Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, ''Back in the High Life'' (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The ...

", was remixed by Norwegian DJ and record producer

Kygo Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (born 11 September 1991), known professionally as Kygo (), is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He garnered international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his December 201 ...

and released posthumously in 2019 to commercial success. It topped the US

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart and peaked at number two in the UK, becoming Houston's highest-charting single in the country since 1999. ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and went on to be certified 4× platinum in the US while selling 10 million total worldwide. Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 7a

During the

Persian Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, on January 27, 1991, Houston performed "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

", the US

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

, at

Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

Tampa Stadium Tampa Stadium (nicknamed The Big Sombrero and briefly known as Houlihan's Stadium) was a large open-air stadium (maximum capacity about 74,000) located in Tampa, Florida, which opened in 1967 and was significantly expanded in 1974–75. The faci ...

. Houston's vocals were pre-recorded, prompting criticism. Dan Klores, a spokesman for Houston, said: "This is not a

Milli Vanilli Milli Vanilli were a German-French R&B duo from Munich. The group was founded by Frank Farian in 1988 and consisted of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Their debut album, '' All or Nothing'' in Europe, reconfigured as ''Girl You Know It's True'' in ...

thing. She sang live, but the microphone was turned off. It was a technical decision, partially based on the noise factor. This is standard procedure at these events." Nevertheless, a commercial single and video of the performance reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, giving Houston the biggest chart hit for a performance of the national anthem (

José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " ...

's version reached No. 50 in November 1968). Houston donated her share of the proceeds to the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

Gulf Crisis Fund and was named to the Red Cross Board of Governors. Her rendition was critically acclaimed and is considered the benchmark for singers; VH1 listed the performance as one of the greatest moments that rocked TV. Following the

September 11 2001 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, the single was rereleased, with all profits going towards the firefighters and victims of the attacks. It peaked at No. 6 in the Hot 100 and was certified platinum. Later in 1991, Houston put together her '' Welcome Home Heroes'' concert with

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch. The show gave HBO its highest ratings ever.

1992–1994: Marriage, motherhood and ''The Bodyguard''

Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to musician

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

star

Randall Cunningham Randall Wade Cunningham Sr. (born March 27, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and is also known for ...

and actor

. She then met R&B singer

at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992. Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law for

drunken driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is i ...

, drug possession and

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

, including some jail time. On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter

Bobbi Kristina Brown Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015) was an American reality television personality. She was the daughter and only child of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Her parents' fame kept Brown in the public eye, ...

(March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015), the couple's only child. Houston revealed in a 1993 interview with

Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...

that she had a miscarriage during the filming of ''The Bodyguard''. With the massive commercial success of her music, film offers poured in, including offers to work with

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

and

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

, but Houston never felt the time was right. Her first film role was in '' The Bodyguard'', released in 1992. Houston played a star who is stalked by a crazed fan and hires a bodyguard (played by

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

) to protect her. Houston's mainstream appeal allowed audiences to look past the interracial nature of her character's relationship with Costner's character. However, controversy arose as some felt Houston's face had been intentionally left out of the film's advertising to hide the film's interracial relationship. In a 1993 interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Houston remarked that "people know who Whitney Houston is – I'm black. You can't hide that fact." Houston received a

Razzie Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

nomination for Worst Actress. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' remarked that Houston was "doing nothing more than playing erself, but added that she came out "largely unscathed if that is possible in so cockamamie an undertaking". ''The New York Times'' stated that she lacked chemistry with Costner. Despite the film's mixed reviews, it was hugely successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films in film history at its time of release, though it later fell out of the top 100 because of rising ticket prices since the time the film was released. It remains in the top forty of most successful rated-R films in box office history. Despite the Razzie, however, Houston was nominated for the

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

for Outstanding Actress in the film, losing the award to

Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

for her role as

in ''

What's Love Got to Do with It What's Love Got to Do with It may refer to: *Tina Turner: ** "What's Love Got to Do with It" (song), a 1984 song by Tina Turner ** ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993 film), a biographical film about Tina Turner ** ''What's Love Got to Do with ...

'' and also received several

MTV Movie Award The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...

nominations, winning Best Song from a Movie for "I Will Always Love You" and was nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance. The film's soundtrack also enjoyed success. Houston co-executive produced '' The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album'' and recorded six songs for the album. ''Rolling Stone'' described it as "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane". The soundtrack's lead single was "

", written and originally recorded by

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

in 1974. Houston's version was highly acclaimed by critics, regarding it as her "signature song" or "iconic performance". ''Rolling Stone'' and ''USA Today'' called her rendition a tour-de-force. The single peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks. The single was certified Diamond by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

, making Houston's first Diamond single, the third female artist who had a Diamond single, and becoming the bestselling single by a woman in the U.S. The song was a global success, topping the charts in almost all countries. With 20 million copies sold it became the best-selling single of all time by a female solo artist. Houston won the

in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You". The soundtrack topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and remained there for 20 non-consecutive weeks, the longest tenure by any Arista album on the chart in the Nielsen SoundScan era (tied for tenth overall by any label) and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. During Christmas week of 1992, the soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album to achieve that feat under

Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

system. With the follow-up singles "

I'm Every Woman "I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released as her debut solo single from her first album, '' Chaka'' (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif ...

", a

cover and "

I Have Nothing "I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on February 20, 1993 as the third single from '' The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album'' (1992) by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and L ...

" both reaching the top five, Houston became the first woman to ever have three singles in the Top 11 simultaneously. The album was certified 18× platinum in the US alone, with worldwide sales of 45 million copies. The album became the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. Houston won the 1994

for the soundtrack, becoming only the second African American woman to win in that category after

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

's '' Unforgettable... with Love'' album. In addition, she won a record eight American Music Awards at that year's ceremony including the Award of Merit, 11

Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

, 3

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

in 1993–94 including Sammy Davis, Jr. Award as Entertainer of the Year, 5

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

including Entertainer of the Year, a record 5

World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...

, and a

BRIT award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

Whitney Houston performs at state dinner for Mandela in 1994 2

Following the success of ''The Bodyguard'', Houston embarked on another expansive global tour (''

The Bodyguard World Tour The Bodyguard World Tour is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist, Whitney Houston. The tour was in support of her multi-platinum soundtrack album, '' The Bodyguard'', and also of the movie of the same name. Following the success o ...

'') in 1993–94. Her concerts, movie and recording grosses made her the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993–94, just behind

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

and

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

according to ''Forbes''. Houston placed in the top five of ''

''s annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking and was labeled by ''

Premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

'' magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood. In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela. At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people; this made her the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election. Portions of Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa were broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela".

1995–1997: ''Waiting to Exhale'', ''The Preacher's Wife'' and ''Cinderella''

In 1995, Houston starred alongside

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgir ...

and

Lela Rochon Lela Rochon Staples (born April 17, 1964) is an American actress, best known for her starring role as Robin Stokes in the 1995 romantic drama film ''Waiting to Exhale''. She also had notable roles in the films ''Harlem Nights'' (1989), ''Boomerang ...

in her second film, ''

'', a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with relationships. Houston played the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because she saw the film as "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers". After opening at number one and grossing $67 million in the US at the box office and $81 million worldwide, it proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience can cross over to success, while paving the way for other all-black movies such as ''

How Stella Got Her Groove Back ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, adapted from Terry McMillan's best-selling 1996 novel of the same title. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs (in his film ...

'' and the

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...

movies that became popular in the 2000s. The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens rather than as stereotypes. The reviews were mainly positive for the ensemble cast. ''The New York Times'' said: "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant." Houston was nominated for an

for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture", but lost to her co-star Bassett. The film's accompanying soundtrack, '' Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album'', was written and produced by

. Though he originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. Instead, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal distinction" and thus gathered several African-American female artists for the soundtrack, to go along with the film's message about strong women. Consequently, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...

and

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

. Houston's "

Exhale (Shoop Shoop) "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is a song by American recording artist and actress Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film ''Waiting to Exhale''. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Rec ...

" became just the third single in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's "

You Are Not Alone "You Are Not Alone" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on August 15, 1995, as the second single from the album. An R&B ballad, "You ...

" and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

's "

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

". It also would spend a record eleven weeks at the No. 2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B charts, her second most successful single on that chart after "I Will Always Love You". "Count On Me", a duet with

CeCe Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been a ...

, hit the U.S. Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "

Why Does It Hurt So Bad "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Whitney Houston for the 1995 film ''Waiting to Exhale''. It was released on July 22, 1996, by Arista Records as the seventh and final single from the accompanying soundt ...

", made the Top 30. The album was

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

7×

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies. The soundtrack received strong reviews; as ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated: "the album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks ... the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense" and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks. Later that year, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work. In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy ''

'', with

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

. She plays the gospel-singing wife of a pastor (

Courtney B. Vance Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an American actor. Known for his commanding presence Vance started his career on stage before transitioning his career into film and television. He's received various accolades including a Tony Awa ...

). It was largely an updated remake of the 1948 film ''

The Bishop's Wife ''The Bishop's Wife'' (also known as ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'') is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his ...

'', which starred

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

. Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood at the time and the highest-earning African-American actress in Hollywood. The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning about $50 million at the U.S. box offices. The movie gave Houston her strongest reviews so far. ''The San Francisco Chronicle'' said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice". Houston was again nominated for an

and won for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. Houston recorded and co-produced, with

Mervyn Warren Mervyn Edwin Warren (born February 29, 1964) is an American film composer, record producer, conductor, arranger, lyricist, songwriter, pianist, and vocalist. Warren is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a 10-time Grammy Award nominee. Warren ...

, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. '' The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album'' included six gospel songs with

Georgia Mass Choir The Georgia Mass Choir is an American Gospel music choir from Macon, Georgia. Early years The ensemble, which numbers 150 members, was founded in 1983 by Rev. Milton Biggham, the lead vocalist and songwriter for the group. He put together the g ...

that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend

Shirley Caesar Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (born October 13, 1938), known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American gospel singer whose career has spanned seven decades. She has won 11 Grammys in addition to Dove Awards and Stellar Awards; Caesar is kno ...

. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "

I Believe in You and Me "I Believe in You and Me" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert in 1982. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops, who released it as a single from their album '' One More Mountain'' (1982). While it fa ...

" and " Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time. The album received mainly positive reviews. She won Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist at the 1997 American Music Awards for ''The Preacher's Wife'' soundtrack. In December 1996, a spokesperson for Houston confirmed that she had suffered a miscarriage. In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions and was joined by

Debra Martin Chase Debra Martin Chase (born October 11, 1956) is an American motion picture and television producer. Her company, Martin Chase Productions, is affiliated with Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Television Group. It was affiliated with ...

. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television. Their first project was a

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

remake of

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...

's ''

''. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the film as the

Fairy Godmother In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale with ...

along with

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

and

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened. The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message. An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years. The movie received seven

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special. Houston and Chase then obtained the rights to the story of

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in ''Ca ...

. Houston was to play Dandridge, the first African-American actress to be nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...

. Houston wanted the story told with dignity and honor. However,

Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mis ...

also had rights to the project and got her version going first. Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols, such as

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

and

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

, by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert '' Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C.''. The special raised over $300,000 for the

Children's Defense Fund The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on child advocacy and research. It was founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. History The CDF was founded in 1973, citi ...

. Houston received the Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements in the field of entertainment at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.

1998–2000: ''My Love Is Your Love'' and ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits''

After spending much of the early and mid-1990s working on motion pictures and their soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed ''

'', was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

and

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

. The album debuted at number thirteen, its peak position, on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. It had a funkier and edgier sound than past releases and saw Houston handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

torch song A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affecte ...

s and ballads all with great dexterity. From late 1998 to early 2000, the album spawned several hit singles: "

When You Believe "When You Believe" is a song from the 1998 DreamWorks musical animated feature ''The Prince of Egypt''. It was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz. A pop single version of "When You Believe", with additional music and lyrics by writer-prod ...

" (US No. 15, UK No. 4), a duet with

for 1998's ''

The Prince of Egypt ''The Prince of Egypt'' is a 1998 American animated musical drama film produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The first feature film from DreamWorks to be traditionally animated, it is an adaptation of the Book ...

, which also became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries and won an

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

; "

" (US No. 2, UK No. 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price, received a 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, 1999 MTV VMA nomination for 1999 MTV Video Music Awards#Nominations, Best R&B Video, and number one on the US R&B chart for seven weeks; "

" (US No. 4, UK No. 3) won Houston her sixth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance; "

" (US No. 4, UK No. 2) with 3 million copies sold worldwide; and "I Learned from the Best" (US No. 27, UK No. 19). These singles became international hits as well and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the Hot Dance Club Songs, ''Billboard'' Hot Dance/Club Play chart. The album sold four million copies in America, making it certified 4× platinum and a total of eleven million copies worldwide. The album gave Houston some of her strongest reviews ever. ''Rolling Stone'' said Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice" and ''The Village Voice'' called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far". In 1999, Houston participated in VH1 Divas, VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside

and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date ''My Love Is Your Love World Tour''. While the European leg of the tour was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year, Houston canceled "a string of dates [during the] summer citing throat problems and a 'bronchitis situation'". In November 1999, Houston was named Top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century with certified US sales of 51 million copies at the time and ''The Bodyguard Soundtrack'' was named the Top-selling Soundtrack Album of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She also won The Artist of the Decade, Female award for extraordinary artistic contributions during the 1990s at the 2000 Soul Train Music Awards, 14th Soul Train Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Awards 1999, MTV Europe Music Award for MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B#1990s, Best R&B. In May 2000, ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' was released worldwide. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States, reaching number one in the United Kingdom. In addition, the album reached the Top 10 in many other countries. While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album features house music, house/club music, club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits. Included on the album were four new songs: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox), "If I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael) and "Fine (Whitney Houston song), Fine" and three hits that had never appeared on a Houston album: "One Moment in Time", "The Star Spangled Banner" and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful", a duet with Jermaine Jackson from his 1986 ''Precious Moments (album), Precious Moments'' album. Along with the album, an accompanying VHS and DVD was released featuring the music videos to Houston's greatest hits, as well as several hard-to-find live performances including her 1983 debut on ''The Merv Griffin Show'' and interviews. The greatest hits album was certified 5× platinum in the US, with worldwide sales of 10 million.

2000–2005: ''Just Whitney'' and personal struggles

Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, her behavior had changed by 1999 and 2000. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, she canceled concerts and talk-show appearances and there were reports of erratic behavior.Larry McShane
"Whitney Houston Gets Bad Press"
''The Washington Post'', April 6, 2000. Missed performances and weight loss led to rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband. On January 11, 2000, while traveling with Brown, airport security guards discovered half an ounce of Cannabis (drug), marijuana in Houston's handbag at Kona International Airport, Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii, but she departed before authorities could arrive. Charges against her were later dropped, but rumors of drug usage by Houston and Brown would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the

; Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but was a no-show. Shortly thereafter, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards, but was fired from the event by musical director and longtime friend Burt Bacharach. Her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation. In his book ''The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards'', author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery and her attitude was casual, almost defiant" and that while Houston was supposed to perform "Over the Rainbow", she would start singing a different song during rehearsals. Houston later admitted to having been fired.Diane Sawyer, Interview, ABC Primetime, December 4, 2002 (transcript available her

. In May 2000, Houston's longtime executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company; in 2019, Crawford asserted that she had left Houston's employ after Houston declined to seek help for her drug dependency. The following month, ''Rolling Stone'' published a story stating that Cissy Houston and others had held a July 1999 intervention in which they unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Whitney to obtain drug treatment. In August 2001, Houston signed one of the biggest record deals in music history, with Arista/Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to release six new albums, for which she would also earn royalties. She later made an appearance on ''Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special'', where her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Her publicist stated, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters and when she is under stress she doesn't eat." (In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston acknowledged that drug use had been the reason for her weight loss.) She was scheduled for a second performance the following night, but canceled it. Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the September 11 attacks, with the The Star Spangled Banner (Whitney Houston song)#Release and donation, proceeds donated to the New York City Fire Department, New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the Fraternal Order of Police, New York Fraternal Order of Police. The song peaked at No. 6 this time on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position. In 2002, Houston became embroiled in a legal dispute with John Houston Enterprise. Although the company was started by her father to manage her career, it was actually run by company president Kevin Skinner. Skinner filed a breach of contract lawsuit and sued for $100 million (but lost), stating that Houston owed the company previously unpaid compensation for helping to negotiate her $100 million contract with Arista Records and for sorting out legal matters. Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court. Houston's father later died in February 2003. The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing. Also in 2002, Houston gave an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her then-upcoming album. During the primetime special, she spoke about her drug use and marriage, among other topics. Addressing the ongoing drug rumors, she said, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack cocaine, Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." The "crack is wack" line was drawn from Crack is Wack, a mural that Keith Haring painted in 1986 on the handball court at 128th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. Houston did, however, admit to using alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and pills; she also acknowledged that her mother had urged her to seek help regarding her drug use. She also denied having an eating disorder and that her very thin appearance was connected to drug use. She further stated that Bobby Brown had never hit her, but acknowledged that she had hit him. In December 2002, Houston released her fifth studio album, ''

''. The album included productions from then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as Missy Elliott and Babyface, and marked the first time that Houston did not produce with

, as Davis had been released by top management at BMG. Upon its release, ''Just Whitney'' received mixed reviews. The album debuted at number 9 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and it had the highest first week sales of any album Houston had ever released. The four singles released from the album did not fare well on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but became Hot Dance Club Songs, dance chart hits. ''Just Whitney'' was certified RIAA certification, platinum in the United States and sold about two million worldwide. In late 2003, Houston released her first Christmas album ''One Wish: The Holiday Album'', with a collection of traditional holiday songs. Houston produced the album with

and Gordon Chambers. A single titled "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart and the album was certified gold in the US. In December 2003, Brown was charged with battery following an altercation during which he threatened to beat Houston and then assaulted her. Police reported that Houston had visible injuries to her face. Having always been a touring artist, Houston spent most of 2004 touring and performing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Russia. In September 2004, she gave a surprise performance at the

in a tribute to long-time friend

. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into the studio to work on her new album. In early 2004, Brown starred in his own reality TV program, ''Being Bobby Brown'', on Bravo (American TV network), Bravo. The show provided a view of the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. Houston was a prominent figure throughout the show, receiving as much screen time as Brown. The series aired in 2005 and featured Houston in unflattering moments. Years later, ''The Guardian'' opined that through her participation in the show, Houston had lost "the last remnants of her dignity". ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that the show was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television". Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, the series gave Bravo its highest ratings in its time slot and continued Houston's successful forays into film and television. The show was not renewed for a second season after Houston said that she would no longer appear in it and Brown and Bravo could not come to an agreement for another season.

2009–2012: Return and ''I Look to You''

Flickr Whitney Houston performing on GMA 2009 6

Houston gave her first interview in seven years in September 2009, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade". Whitney admitted on the show to having used drugs with Brown during their marriage; she said Brown had "laced marijuana with rock cocaine". She told Oprah that before '' The Bodyguard'' her drug use was light, that she used drugs more heavily after the film's success and the birth of her daughter and that by 1996 "[doing drugs] was an everyday thing ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself." Houston told Oprah that she had attended a 30-day rehabilitation program. Houston also acknowledged to Oprah that her drug use had continued after rehabilitation and that at one point, her mother obtained a court order and the assistance of law enforcement to press her into receiving further drug treatment. (In her 2013 book, ''Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped'', Cissy Houston described the scene she encountered at Whitney Houston's house in 2005 as follows: "Somebody had spray-painted the walls and door with big glaring eyes and strange faces. Evil eyes, staring out like a threat ... In another room, there was a big framed photo of [Whitney] – but someone had cut [her] head out. It was beyond disturbing, seeing my daughter's face cut out like that." This visit led Cissy to return with law enforcement and perform an intervention.) Houston also told Oprah that Brown had been emotionally abusive during their marriage and had even spat on her on one occasion. When Winfrey asked Houston if she was drug-free, Houston responded, "'Yes, ma'am. I mean, you know, don't think I don't have desires for it.'" Houston released her new album, '' I Look to You'', in August 2009. The album's first two singles were the title track "I Look to You (song), I Look to You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at No. 1, with Houston's best opening week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since ''The Bodyguard'' and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's ''

''. Houston also appeared on European television programs to promote the album. She performed the song "I Look to You" on the German television show ''Wetten, dass..?''. Houston appeared as guest mentor on ''The X Factor (UK series 6), The X Factor'' in the United Kingdom. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two seconds into the performance. She later commented that she "sang [herself] out of [her] clothes". The performance was poorly received by the British media and was described as "weird" and "ungracious". Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade). Three weeks after its release, ''I Look to You'' went gold. Houston appeared on the Italian version of ''The X Factor'', where she performed "Million Dollar Bill" to excellent reviews. In November, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Two days later, Houston performed "Million Dollar Bill" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" on the Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 9), ''Dancing with the Stars'' season 9 finale. WhitneyHoustonApril2010

Houston later embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing but Love World Tour. It was her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, some poor reviews and rescheduled concerts brought negative media attention. Houston canceled some concerts because of illness and received widespread negative reviews from fans who were disappointed in the quality of her voice and performance. Some fans reportedly walked out of her concerts. In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. She won the award for Best Music Video for her single "I Look to You". On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. Houston also performed the song "I Look to You" on the 2011

''Celebration of Gospel'', with

–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The performance aired on January 30, 2011. In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a rehabilitation center again, citing drug and alcohol problems. A representative for Houston said that the outpatient treatment was a part of Houston's "longstanding recovery process". In September 2011, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' announced that Houston would produce and star alongside Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps in the remake of the 1976 film ''Sparkle (1976 film), Sparkle''. In the film, Houston portrays Sparks's "not-so encouraging" mother. Houston is also credited as an executive producer of the film. Debra Martin Chase, producer of ''Sparkle'', stated that Houston deserved the title considering she had been there from the beginning in 2001, when Houston obtained ''Sparkle'' production rights. R&B singer Aaliyah – originally tapped to star as Sparkle – died in a 2001 plane crash. Her death derailed production, which would have begun in 2002. Houston's Sparkle (2012 film), remake of ''Sparkle'' was filmed in late 2011 over two months and was released by TriStar Pictures. On May 21, 2012, "Celebrate", the last song Houston recorded with Sparks, premiered at RyanSeacrest.com. It was made available for digital download on iTunes on June 5. The song was featured on the ''Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Sparkle: Music from the Motion Picture'' soundtrack as the first official single. The movie was released on August 17, 2012, in the United States.

Death and funeral

Houston reportedly appeared "disheveled" and "erratic" in the days before her death. On February 9, 2012, Houston visited singers Brandy Norwood and Monica (singer), Monica, together with

, at their rehearsals for Davis's pre-Grammy Awards party at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills. That same day, she made her last public performance when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California, and sang "Jesus Loves Me". Two days later, on February 11, Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton, submerged in the bathtub. Beverly Hills paramedics arrived about 3:30 pm, found Houston unresponsive, and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm Pacific Time Zone, PST. The cause of death was not immediately known; local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent". Whitney Houston Flowers 2

An invitation-only memorial service was held for Houston on February 18, 2012, at the New Hope Baptist Church (Newark), New Hope Baptist Church in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

(rewritten version of "Ribbon in the Sky" and "Songs in the Key of Life#Original vinyl release, Love's in Need of Love Today"),

("Heaven (BeBe & CeCe Winans album), Don't Cry" and "Jesus Loves Me"), Alicia Keys ("Hope for Haiti Now (album), Send Me an Angel"), Kim Burrell (rewritten version of "A Change Is Gonna Come") and R. Kelly ("I Look to You"). The performances were interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by

, Houston's record producer;

; Rickey Minor, her music director; her cousin,

; and Ray Watson, her security guard for the past 11 years.

was listed on the program and was expected to sing, but was unable to attend the service. Bobby Brown departed shortly after the service began. Houston was buried on February 19, 2012, in Fairview Cemetery (Westfield, New Jersey), Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey, next to her father, John Russell Houston, who had died in 2003. On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, Los Angeles County Coroner's Office reported that Houston's death was caused by drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use". The office said the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), alprazolam (Xanax), cannabis (drug), cannabis, and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril). The manner of death was listed as an "accident".

Reaction

Pre-Grammy party

The February 11, 2012, Clive Davis pre-Grammy party that Houston had been expected to attend, which featured many of the biggest names in music and film, went on as scheduled – although it was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston. Davis spoke about Houston's death at the evening's start:

By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.

Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's death before performing at Davis's party. He said, "First, it was

, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston." Bennett sang "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and said of Houston: "When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life. Some celebrities opposed Davis's decision to continue with the party while a police investigation was being conducted in Houston's hotel room and her body was still in the building.

, in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on February 13, 2012, shared that she felt the party should have been canceled, saying: "I thought that was complete insanity. And knowing Whitney I don't believe that she would have said 'the show must go on.' She's the kind of woman that would've said 'Stop everything! Un-unh. I'm not going to be there.'" Sharon Osbourne condemned the Davis party, declaring: "I think it was disgraceful that the party went on. I don't want to be in a hotel room when there's someone you admire who's tragically lost their life four floors up. I'm not interested in being in that environment and I think when you grieve someone, you do it privately, you do it with people who understand you. I thought it was so wrong."

Further reaction and tributes

Many other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death.

, Houston's godmother, hearing the news of her death, said, "It felt like I had been struck by a lightning bolt in my gut."

, whose song "I Will Always Love You" was covered by Houston, said, "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.

said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen." Others paying tribute included

and

. Moments after news of her death emerged, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. All three featured live interviews with people who had known Houston including those that had worked with her along with some of her peers in the music industry. ''Saturday Night Live'' displayed a photo of a smiling Houston, alongside Molly Shannon, from her 1996 appearance. MTV and VH1 interrupted their regularly scheduled programming on Sunday February 12 to air many of Houston's classic videos with MTV often airing news segments in between and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities. The first full hour after the news of Houston's death broke saw 2,481,652 tweets and retweets on Twitter alone, equating to a rate of more than a thousand tweets every second. Houston's former husband,

, was reported to be "in and out of crying fits" after receiving the news. He did not cancel a scheduled performance and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi observed as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney." Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the 54th Grammy Awards, announced that Jennifer Hudson would perform a tribute to Houston at the February 12, 2012, ceremony. He said, "event organizers believed Hudson – an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist – could perform a respectful musical tribute to Houston." Ehrlich went on to say: "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years." At the start of the awards ceremony, footage of Houston performing "I Will Always Love You" from the 1994 Grammys was shown following a prayer read by host LL Cool J. Later in the program, following a montage of photos of musicians who died in 2011 with Houston singing "Saving All My Love for You" at the 1986 Grammys, Hudson paid tribute to Houston and the other artists by performing "I Will Always Love You". The tribute was partially credited for the Grammys telecast getting its second highest ratings in history. Houston was honored with various tributes at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards, held on February 17. An image montage of Houston and important black figures who died in 2011 was followed by video footage from the 1994 ceremony, which depicted her accepting two Image Awards for outstanding female artist and entertainer of the year. Following the video tribute, Yolanda Adams delivered a rendition of "I Love the Lord" from ''The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack''. In the finale of the ceremony, Kirk Franklin and the Family started their performance with "

". The 2012 Brit Awards, which took place at the O2 Arena in London on February 21, also paid tribute to Houston by playing a 30-second video montage of her music videos with a snippet of "One Moment in Time" as the background music in the ceremony's first segment. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all Flag of New Jersey, New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21, to honor Houston. Houston was also featured, alongside other recently deceased figures from the film industry, in the In memoriam segment, ''In Memoriam'' montage at the 84th Academy Awards on February 26, 2012. In June 2012, the year's McDonald's Gospelfest in Newark was dedicated as a tribute to Houston. Houston topped the list of Google searches in 2012, both globally and in the United States, according to Google's Annual Zeitgeist most-popular searches list. On May 17, 2017, Bebe Rexha released a single titled "The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody)" from her two-part album ''All Your Fault: Pt. 2, All Your Fault''. The song mentions Houston's name in the opening lyrics, "I'm sorry, I'm not the most pretty, I'll never ever sing like Whitney", before going on to sample some of Houston's lyrics from "

" in the chorus. The song was in part made as a tribute to Whitney Houston's life.

Posthumous sales

According to representatives from Houston record label, Houston sold 3.7 million albums and 4.3 million singles worldwide in the first ten months of the year she died. With just 24 hours passing between news of Houston's death and Nielsen SoundScan tabulating the weekly album charts, ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' climbed into the Top 10 with 64,000 copies sold; it was a 10,419 percent gain compared to the previous week. 43 of the top 100 most-downloaded tracks on iTunes were Houston songs, including "I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston single), I Will Always Love You" from ''The Bodyguard (soundtrack), The Bodyguard'' at number one. Two other Houston classics, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Greatest Love of All", were in the top 10. As fans of Houston rushed to rediscover the singer's music, single digital track sales of the artist's music rose to more than 887,000 paid song downloads in 24 hours in the US alone. The single "I Will Always Love You" returned to the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after almost twenty years, peaking at number three and becoming a posthumous top-ten single for Houston, the first one since 2001. Two other Houston songs also jumped back on the Hot 100: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at 25 and "Greatest Love of All" at 36. Her death on February 11 ignited an incredible drive to her YouTube and Vevo pages. She went from 868,000 views in the week prior to her death to 40,200,000 views in the week following her death, a 45-fold increase. On February 29, 2012, Houston became the first and only female act to ever place three albums in the Top Ten of the US ''Billboard'' 200 Album Chart all at the same time, with ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' at number 2, ''The Bodyguard (soundtrack), The Bodyguard'' at number 6 and ''

'' at number 9. On March 7, 2012, Houston claimed two more additional feats on the US ''Billboard'' charts: she became the first and only female act to place nine albums within the top 100 (with ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' at number 2, ''The Bodyguard'' at number 5, ''Whitney Houston'' at number 10, '' I Look to You'' at number 13, ''Triple Feature'' at number 21, ''

'' at number 31, ''

'' at number 32, ''

'' at number 50 and ''The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album, The Preacher's Wife'' at number 80); in addition, other Houston albums were also on the US ''Billboard'' Top 200 Album Chart at this time. Houston also became the second female act, after Adele, to place two albums in the top five of the US ''Billboard'' Top 200, with ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' at number 2 and ''The Bodyguard'' at number 5.

Posthumous releases

Houston's first posthumous greatest hits album, ''I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston'', was released on November 13, 2012, by RCA Records. It features the remastered versions of her number-one hits, an unreleased song titled "Never Give Up" and a duet version of "I Look to You (song)#Duet version with R. Kelly, I Look to You" with R. Kelly. The album won two 44th NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Image Awards for 'NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album, Outstanding Album' and 'NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song, Outstanding Song' ("I Look to You"). It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2020. In October 2021, the album was reissued on vinyl and included Houston's first posthumous hit, "Higher Love". Since its release, it has spent more than 100 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200, making it one of the longest-charting compilations in chart history, the fifth by a woman after H.E.R.,

, Carrie Underwood and Pink (singer), Pink. Houston's posthumous live album, ''Her Greatest Performances'' (2014), was a US R&B number-oneHouston's first live album, "Whitney Houston Live" makes impressive debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Top R&B Albums, #17 on Billboard 200
PRNewswire.com and received positive reviews by music critics. In 2017, the 25th anniversary reissue of ''The Bodyguard'' (soundtrack)—''I Wish You Love: More from The Bodyguard—''was released by Legacy Recordings. It includes film versions, remixes and live performances of Houston's Bodyguard songs. In 2019, Houston and

's version of "

" was released as a single. The record became a worldwide hit. It peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in several countries. "Higher Love" was nominated at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards for "Top Dance/Electronic Song of the Year", the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards for "Dance Song of the Year" and "Best Remix". It was certified multi-platinum in the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom. The song was also a platinum hit in Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium. On December 16, 2022, RCA released the soundtrack album to Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody (film), featured film biopic, titled, ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody (The Movie: Whitney New, Classic and Reimagined)'', to every digital download platform all over the world. The soundtrack includes reimagined remixes of some of Houston's classics and several newly discovered songs such as Houston's cover of

' "Don't Cry" (labeled as "Don't Cry for Me" on Houston's soundtrack) at the Commitment to Life AIDS benefit concert in Los Angeles in January of 1994, remixed by house producer Sam Feldt.

Artistry

Flickr Whitney Houston performing on GMA 2009 4

Houston possessed a spinto soprano Voice type, vocal range,Powers, Ann
"Album Review: Whitney Houston's 'I Look To You'".
''Los Angeles Times''. August 25, 2009 and was referred to as "The Voice" in reference to her vocal talent. Jon Pareles of ''The New York Times'' stated Houston "always had a great big voice, a technical marvel from its velvety depths to its ballistic middle register to its ringing and airy heights". In 2008, ''

'' ranked Houston among the list "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", stating, "Her voice is a mammoth, coruscating cry: Few vocalists could get away with opening a song with 45 unaccompanied seconds of singing, but Houston's powerhouse version of 'I Will Always Love You' is a tour de force." Matthew Perpetua of ''Rolling Stone'' also acknowledged Houston's vocal prowess, enumerating ten performances, including "How Will I Know" at the 1986 MTV VMAs and "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl. "Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision", he stated. "She was a brilliant performer and her live shows often eclipsed her studio recordings." According to ''Newsweek'', Houston had a four-octave range. Elysa Gardner of the ''Los Angeles Times'' in her review for ''The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack'' highly praised Houston's vocal ability, commenting, "She is first and foremost a pop diva – at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star – not

, not Celine Dion, not

– quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama." Singer Faith Evans stated: "Whitney wasn't just a singer with a beautiful voice. She was a true musician. Her voice was an instrument and she knew how to use it. With the same complexity as someone who has mastered the violin or the piano, Whitney mastered the use of her voice. From every run to every crescendo—she was in tune with what she could do with her voice and it's not something simple for a singer—even a very talented one—to achieve. Whitney is 'The Voice' because she worked for it. This is someone who was singing backup for her mom when she was 14 years old at nightclubs across the country. This is someone who sang backup for Chaka Khan when she was only 17. She had years and years of honing her craft on stage and in the studio before she ever got signed to a record label. Coming from a family of singers and surrounded by music; she pretty much had a formal education in music, just like someone who might attend a performing arts high school or major in voice in college." Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' commented, "Her voice was clean and strong, with barely any grit, well suited to the songs of love and aspiration. [ ... ] Hers was a voice of triumph and achievement and it made for any number of stunning, time-stopping vocal performances." Mariah Carey stated, "She [Whitney] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong." While in her review of ''I Look to You'', music critic Ann Powers of the ''Los Angeles Times'' writes, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators", adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano." Lauren Everitt from BBC News Magazine commented on melisma used in Houston's recording and its influence. "An early 'I' in Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' takes nearly six seconds to sing. In those seconds the former gospel singer-turned-pop star packs a series of different notes into the single syllable", stated Everitt. "The technique is repeated throughout the song, most pronouncedly on every 'I' and 'you'. The vocal technique is called melisma and it has inspired a host of imitators. Other artists may have used it before Houston, but it was her rendition of Dolly Parton's love song that pushed the technique into the mainstream in the 90s. [ ... ] But perhaps what Houston nailed best was moderation." Everitt said that "[i]n a climate of reality shows ripe with 'oversinging,' it's easy to appreciate Houston's ability to save melisma for just the right moment." Houston's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. According to Linda Lister in ''Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars'', she has been called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Pop" for her influence during the 1990s, commercially rivaling Mariah Carey and Celine Dion."If Ella Fitzgerald is the queen of jazz, Billie Holiday first lady of the blues and Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, then who is the queen of pop? In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Certainly all three have their devotees and detractors, but their presence has been inescapable." in Stephen Holden from ''The New York Times'', in his review of Houston's Radio City Music Hall concert on July 20, 1993, praised her attitude as a singer, writing, "Whitney Houston is one of the few contemporary pop stars of whom it might be said: the voice suffices. While almost every performer whose albums sell in the millions calls upon an entertainer's bag of tricks, from telling jokes to dancing to circus pyrotechnics, Ms. Houston would rather just stand there and sing." With regard to her singing style, he added: "Her [Houston's] stylistic trademarks – shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration – infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning." Houston struggled with vocal problems in her later years. Gary Catona, a voice coach who began working with Houston in 2005, stated: "'When I first started working with her in 2005, she had lost 99.9 percent of her voice ... She could barely speak, let alone sing. Her lifestyle choices had made her almost completely hoarse.'" After Houston's death, Catona asserted that Houston's voice reached "'about 75 to 80 percent'" of its former capacity after he had worked with her. However, during the world tour that followed the release of ''I Look to You'', "YouTube videos surfaced, showing [Houston's] voice cracking, seemingly unable to hold the notes she was known for". Regarding the musical style, Houston's vocal performances incorporated a wide variety of genres, including R&B, pop, rock, Soul music, soul,

, Funk#1980s synth-funk, funk, dance, latin pop, disco, House music, house, hip hop soul, new jack swing, Opera music, opera, and One Wish: The Holiday Album, Christmas. The lyrical themes in her recordings are mainly about love, social, religious and feminism. The

stated: "Her sound expanded through collaborations with a wide array of artists, including

, and Mariah Carey." While AllMusic commented that, "Houston was able to handle big Adult contemporary music, adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity".

Legacy

Houston has been regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a cultural icon. She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history. Black female artists, such as

and

, were successful in popular music partly because Houston paved the way. Baker commented that "Because of what Whitney and Sade (singer), Sade did, there was an opening for me ... For radio stations, black women singers aren't taboo anymore." AllMusic noted her contribution to the success of black artists on the pop scene. ''The New York Times'' stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions". Richard Corliss of ''

'' magazine commented on her initial success breaking various barriers:

Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. This chanteuse [Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [ ... ] She was a phenomenon waiting to happen, a canny tapping of the listener's yen for a return to the musical middle. And because every new star creates her own genre, her success has helped other blacks, other women, other smooth singers find an avid reception in the pop marketplace.

Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 8 (cropped)

Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing". Ann Powers of the ''Los Angeles Times'' referred to Houston as a "national treasure". Jon Caramanica, another music critic of ''The New York Times'', called Houston "R&B's great modernizer", adding "slowly but surely reconciling the ambition and praise of the church with the movements and needs of the body and the glow of the mainstream". He also drew comparisons between Houston's influence and other big names on 1980s pop:

She was, alongside Michael Jackson and Madonna, one of the crucial figures to hybridize pop in the 1980s, though her strategy was far less radical than that of her peers. Jackson and Madonna were by turns lascivious and brutish and, crucially, willing to let their production speak more loudly than their voices, an option Ms. Houston never went for. Also, she was less prolific than either of them, achieving most of her renown on the strength of her first three solo albums and one soundtrack, released from 1985 to 1992. If she was less influential than they were in the years since, it was only because her gift was so rare, so impossible to mimic. Jackson and Madonna built worldviews around their voices; Ms. Houston's voice was the worldview. She was someone more to be admired, like a museum piece, than to be emulated.

''The Independent''s music critic Andy Gill also wrote about Houston's influence on modern R&B and singing competitions, comparing it to Michael Jackson's. "Because Whitney, more than any other single artist – Michael Jackson included – effectively mapped out the course of modern R&B, setting the bar for standards of soul vocalese and creating the original template for what we now routinely refer to as the 'soul diva' ", stated Gill. "Jackson was a hugely talented icon, certainly, but he will be as well remembered (probably more so) for his presentational skills, his dazzling dance moves, as for his musical innovations. Whitney, on the other hand, just sang and the ripples from her voice continue to dominate the pop landscape." Gill said that there "are few, if any, Jackson imitators on today's TV talent shows, but every other contestant is a Whitney wannabe, desperately attempting to emulate that wondrous combination of vocal effects – the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning". Similarly, Steve Huey from Allmusic wrote that the shadow of Houston's prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singer – male or female – in her wake and spawned a legion of imitators. ''Rolling Stone'' stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna". The magazine placed her 34th on their "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list. ''Essence (magazine), Essence'' ranked Houston at number five on their list of 50 Most Influential R&B Stars of all time, calling her "the diva to end all divas". In October 2022, the same magazine ranked Houston at number one on its list of the ten greatest R&B solo artists of all time.

Awards and achievements

Houston won numerous accolades, including 2 Emmy Awards, 8 Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), 14 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards (31 Billboard awards in all) and 22 American Music Awards. Houston holds the record for the most American Music Award#Artists That Won The Most In A Single Year, American Music Awards received in a single year by a woman with eight wins in 1994 (overall tied with

). Houston won a record Billboard Music Award#Most awards in one year, 11 Billboard Music Awards at its fourth ceremony in 1993. She also holds the record for World Music Awards#Most WMAs won in a single year, the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five awards at the sixth World Music Awards in 1994. In 2001, Houston was the first artist to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award. Since she received the honor at just the age of 37 at the time, Houston was and remains the youngest artist to receive this. Five years earlier, in 1996, Houston became the second recipient of the BET Walk of Fame and was, at 32, the youngest to receive that honor. In 2010, BET honored her once more with the The BET Honors, BET Honors. In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era". In 2008, ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine. Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010. In November 2010, ''Billboard'' released its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three who not only went on to earn eight number-one singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five number ones on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Houston's debut album is listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine and is on

's Definitive 200 list. In 2004, ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history. Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to ''USA Today'' in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics. In 2015, she was placed at number nine (second as a female) by ''Billboard'' on the list "35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time". Houston is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling recording artists of all time, with more than 200 million records sold worldwide. She is the top-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century. Houston had also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history. As of 2020, she was ranked as one of the List of best-selling music artists in the United States, best-selling artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America with 60 million

albums sold. Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum or platinum. She is the first and only black artist to have three Diamond-certified albums. Houston's first two albums, as well as her 1992 release ''The Bodyguard (soundtrack), The Bodyguard's soundtrack'', are among the best-selling albums of all time. ''The Bodyguard'' (soundtrack) remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time, with global sales of over 45 million copies. Houston's "

" became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Her 1996 The Preacher's Wife (soundtrack), soundtrack for The Preacher's Wife is the bestselling

album of all time. In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts. She held an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana. Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013. In August 2014, she was inducted into the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class. In October 2019, Houston was announced as a 2020

nominee, one of nine first-time nominees and 16 total. On January 15, 2020, she was announced as an inductee into the Hall's 2020 class, along with five other acts. In March 2020, the Library of Congress announced that Houston's 1992 single "I Will Always Love You" had been added to its National Recording Registry, a list of "aural treasures worthy of preservation" due to their "cultural, historical and aesthetic importance" in the American soundscape. In October 2020, the music video for "I Will Always Love You" surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, making Houston the first solo 20th-century artist to have a video reach that milestone. In 2022, Houston was ranked as the greatest R&B solo artist of all time by ''Essence (magazine), Essence'' magazine.

Philanthropy

Houston was a long-time supporter of several charities all around the world. In 1989, she established the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children. It offered medical assistance to sick and homeless children, fought to prevent child abuse, taught children to read, created inner-city parks and playgrounds and granted college scholarships, including one to The Juilliard School. At a 1988

concert, Houston earned more over $250,000 for the

(UNCF). Houston donated all of the earnings from her 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of "The Star Spangled Banner (Whitney Houston recording), The Star Spangled Banner" sales to Gulf War servicemen and their families. The record label followed suit and she was voted to the ''American Red Cross Board of Directors'' as a result. Following the September 11 attacks, terrorist attacks in 2001, Houston re-released "The Star Spangled Banner" to support the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. She waived her royalty rights to the song, which reached number one on charts in October 2001 and generated more than $1 million. Houston declined to perform in Apartheid era, apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s. Her participation at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, Freedomfest performance in London (for a then-imprisoned

) grabbed the attention of other musicians and the media. In addition, Houston became an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS during the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, in particular, focused on helping children who suffered from HIV/AIDS among other issues. In 1990, Whitney took part in Arista Records' 15th anniversary gala, which was an AIDS benefit, where she sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Greatest Love of All" and, with cousin Dionne Warwick, "That's What Friends Are For". A year later, Whitney participated in the Reach Out & Touch Someone AIDS vigil at London in September 1991 while she was finishing her historic ten-date residency at London's Wembley Arena; there, she stressed the importance of AIDS research and addressing HIV stigma. Noting of her influence as a gay icon, during the middle of her tour to promote the ''

'' album in June 1999, Whitney gave a surprise performance at the 13th Annual New York City Lesbian & Gay Pride Dance, titled ''Dance 13: The Last Dance of the Century'', at one of the city's West Side piers. According to Instinct (magazine), Instinct magazine, Houston's unannounced performance at the Piers "ushered in a new era that would eventually make high-profile artists performing at LGBTQ events virtually commonplace." Before hitting the stage, Houston was asked by MTV veejay John Norris (reporter), John Norris why she decided to attend the event, Houston replied, "we're all God's children, honey".

Documentaries and portrayals

Documentaries

Since Houston's sudden death in 2012, her life, career and death have been the subject of many documentaries and specials. A television documentary film entitled ''Whitney: Can I Be Me'' aired on Showtime on August 25, 2017. The film was directed by Nick Broomfield. On April 27, 2016, it was announced that Kevin Macdonald (director), Kevin Macdonald would work with the film production team Altitude Film Distribution, Altitude, producers of the Amy Winehouse documentary film ''Amy (2015 film), Amy'' (2015), on a new documentary film based on Houston's life and death. It is the first documentary authorized by Houston's estate. That film, entitled ''

'', premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was released internationally in theaters on July 6, 2018. Lifetime released the documentary ''Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All'' in 2021, which ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' called "...less an exposé and more a loving tribute to these two women".

Portrayals

In 2015, Lifetime Channel, Lifetime premiered the biographical film ''Whitney (2015 film), Whitney'', which mentions that Whitney Houston was named after prominent television actress Whitney Blake, the mother of Meredith Baxter Birney, star of the television series ''Family Ties''. The film was directed by Houston's ''

'' co-star

and Houston was portrayed by model Yaya DaCosta. In April 2020, it was announced that a biopic based on Houston's life, said to be "no holds barred", titled ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody (film), I Wanna Dance with Somebody'', would be produced, with ''Bohemian Rhapsody (film), Bohemian Rhapsody'' screenwriter Anthony McCarten writing the script and director Kasi Lemmons at the helm.

, the Houston estate and Primary Wave are behind the biopic, with Sony Pictures & TriStar Pictures. On December 15, 2020, it was announced that actress Naomi Ackie had been picked to portray Houston. Each actress listed portrays Houston: * ''Whitney (2015 film), Whitney'' – Yaya DaCosta, 2015 * ''Bobbi Kristina (film), Bobbi Kristina'' – Demetria McKinney, 2017 * ''The Bobby Brown Story'' – Gabrielle Dennis, 2018 * ''Selena: The Series'' – Shauntè Massard, 2021 (S2, E6) * ''I Wanna Dance with Somebody (film), I Wanna Dance with Somebody'' – Naomi Ackie, 2022

Discography

* ''

'' (1985) * ''

'' (1987) * ''

'' (1990) * ''

'' (1998) * ''

'' (2002) * ''One Wish: The Holiday Album'' (2003) * '' I Look to You'' (2009)

Filmography

* '' The Bodyguard'' (1992) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) * ''Sparkle (2012 film), Sparkle'' (2012) * ''Whitney: Can I Be Me'' (2017) * ''

'' (2018)

Tours

Headlining tours

* US Summer Tour (1985) *

(1986) *

(1987–88) * Feels So Right Tour (1990) * I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour (1991) *

(1993–94) * Pacific Rim Tour (1997) * The European Tour (1998) * My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999) * Nothing but Love World Tour (2009–10) * Whitney Houston Hologram Tour (2020)

Co-headlining tours

* Soul Divas Tour (2004)

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Whitney Whitney Houston, 1963 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century Baptists 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century Baptists Accidental deaths in California Actors from East Orange, New Jersey Actresses from New Jersey African-American Christians African-American actresses African-American female models African-American film producers African-American models African-American record producers African-American women singers American contemporary R&B singers American film actresses American mezzo-sopranos American people of Dutch descent American people of Native American descent American women film producers American women pop singers American women record producers Arista Records artists Ballad musicians Baptists from New Jersey Brit Award winners Burials in New Jersey Cocaine-related deaths in California Culture of Newark, New Jersey Dance-pop musicians Deaths by drowning in California Deaths from coronary artery disease Drug-related deaths in California Female models from New Jersey Film producers from New Jersey Grammy Award winners HIV/AIDS activists Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Musicians from East Orange, New Jersey Musicians from Newark, New Jersey New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees Participants in American reality television series People from Newark, New Jersey Philanthropists from New Jersey Primetime Emmy Award winners Record producers from New Jersey Singers from New Jersey Singers with a four-octave vocal range World Music Awards winners World record holders Women humanitarians

Life and career

1963–1984: Early life, family and career beginnings

1985–1986: ''Whitney Houston'' and rise to international prominence

1987–1991: ''Whitney'', ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' and "The Star-Spangled Banner"

1992–1994: Marriage, motherhood and ''The Bodyguard''

1995–1997: ''Waiting to Exhale'', ''The Preacher's Wife'' and ''Cinderella''

1998–2000: ''My Love Is Your Love'' and ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits''

2000–2005: ''Just Whitney'' and personal struggles

2009–2012: Return and ''I Look to You''

Death and funeral

Reaction

Pre-Grammy party

Further reaction and tributes

Posthumous sales

Posthumous releases

Artistry

Legacy

Awards and achievements

Philanthropy

Documentaries and portrayals

Documentaries

Portrayals

Discography

Filmography

Tours

Headlining tours

Co-headlining tours

See also

References

Further reading

External links