Whitney Houston
Biography
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress, who rose to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 220 million records sold worldwide. Nicknamed "The Voice," she is renowned for her powerful and soulful vocals.
Early Life and Career
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Houston was surrounded by music from a young age. Her mother was Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, and her cousin was pop superstar Dionne Warwick. By her teenage years, she was singing backup for artists like Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls, and also worked as a fashion model, becoming one of the first African American women to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine. In 1983, at age 19, she was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis.
Rise to Stardom
Houston's self-titled debut album, Whitney Houston, was released in 1985 and became the best-selling debut album by a female artist at the time. It spawned three number-one singles in the US: "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," and "Greatest Love of All." Her second album, Whitney (1987), was the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. This album included the hits "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "So Emotional." She set a record as the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Acting Career
In 1992, Houston made her acting debut in the blockbuster film The Bodyguard. The film's soundtrack is the best-selling soundtrack of all time, largely due to her iconic rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." The song won her Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She went on to star in other films, including Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). She also produced several films, including The Princess Diaries and Cinderella.
Later Years and Legacy
Houston's later career was marked by personal struggles, including a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown and battles with drug addiction. She released the album I Look to You in 2009, which debuted at number one. On February 11, 2012, Houston died at the age of 48. The cause of death was accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. Houston's immense influence on music is undeniable, inspiring a generation of singers. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. She is the first Black artist to have three Diamond-certified albums.