biography of Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston 

(August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded performers of all time.  As a cultural icon,  her chart achievements and music videos influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers.  Known for her vocal delivery and live performances, Houston was ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers of all time in 2023.

Houston signed to Arista Records at the age of 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), topped the Billboard 200 for 14 and 11 weeks, respectively. The former remains the best selling debut album by a solo artist in history, while the latter made her the first woman to debut atop the US and UK charts. Houston took a more urban turn with her third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), and performed an acclaimed rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. The soundtrack of her film debut The Bodyguard (1992) won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, topped the Billboard 200 for 20 weeks, and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling single by a woman in history. Houston continued her work in the film industry, including starring roles in Waiting to Exhale (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Cinderella (1997) and producing series such as The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls. Soundtrack of The Preacher's Wife became the best-selling gospel album of all time.

Houston's first studio album in eight years, My Love Is Your Love (1998), found critical and commercial success, and she renewed her contract with Arista Records for $100 million in 2001, one of the largest recording deals of all time.  However, her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown tarnished her "America's Sweetheart" image, overshadowing her next album, Just Whitney (2002). After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 with her final album, I Look to You (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was covered internationally along with her memorial service.

Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of more than 220 million records worldwide.  Her first two albums, along with The Bodyguard soundtrack, rank among the best-selling albums of all time and made her the only black artist to score three RIAA diamond-certified albums. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "I Will Always Love You" are among the best-selling singles ever, with the latter being certified diamond by RIAA. Houston scored 11 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and remains the only artist to have seven consecutive singles top the chart. She has been inducted into multiple halls and walks of fame. Guinness World Records named Houston the highest-earning posthumous female celebrity.  Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career. 

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, at Presbyterian Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, to Emily "Cissy" (née Drinkard) and John Russell Houston Jr. Cissy was a Grammy-winning gospel and soul singer who was a member of The Drinkard Singers and the founder of The Sweet Inspirations before becoming a solo artist.  John was a former Army serviceman who later became an administrator under Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson. According to her mother, Houston was named after actress Whitney Blake.  Houston was given the nickname "Nippy" by her father. 

Houston's parents were both African-American. Cissy Houston stated that she had partial Dutch and Native American ancestry. Houston was a cousin of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick as well as a cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Aretha Franklin became an "honorary aunt" while Darlene Love was Houston's godmother.  Houston's paternal great-great-grandfather Jeremiah Burke Sanderson was an American abolitionist and advocate for the civil and educational rights of black Americans during the mid-19th century.  Houston had three older brothers: paternal half-brother John III; maternal half-brother Gary, a basketball player and singer;  and full brother Michael. 

At three, Houston witnessed the Newark race riots of 1967. Following Cissy signing a solo recording contract in 1970, the Houston family relocated to a suburban area of East Orange, New Jersey called Doddtown. Prior to moving to East Orange, the Houstons had raised their children at Newark's Wainwright Street. Houston's parents married in the spring of 1964, just months before Houston's first birthday. Initially a happy union, the marriage dissolved by Houston's teen years after Houston's father suffered a near-fatal heart attack. By 17, Houston's parents separated; divorcing over a decade later. 

Houston was raised in the Baptist faith. She joined the church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark at the age of five, and she also learned to play piano at New Hope.  She later recalled being exposed to the Pentecostal church nearby as well. Houston made her solo performance debut at New Hope singing the hymn "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" at the age of 12. Around this same period, she told her mother that she wanted to pursue a career in music.  Houston would be trained on how to sing by Cissy throughout her teen years. Houston’s biggest musical influence was her mother. She was also heavily influenced by her successful cousins Dionne and Dee Dee. Other musical influences included Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack. 

Houston attended Franklin Elementary School (now the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts) from first grade to sixth grade before transferring to Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a Catholic girls' high school in Caldwell, New Jersey, at 13. She graduated from Mount Saint Dominic in 1981

MINI BIO :

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston (née Emily Lee Drinkard) and John Russell Houston, Jr., and cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick.

She began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'. She went on to provide backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and worked briefly as a model, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981.

She began working as a featured vocalist for the New York-based funk band Material and it was the quality of her vocal work with them that attracted the attention of the major record labels, including Arista with whom she signed in 1983 and where she stayed for the rest of her career.

Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies.

The 1987 follow-up album, 'Whitney', which included the hits 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', built on her success but it was the 1992 film The Bodyguard (1992) that sealed her place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. While the movie itself and her performance in it were not highly praised, the soundtrack album and her cover of the Dolly Parton song 'I Will Always Love You' topped the singles and albums charts for months and sold 44 million copies around the world.

That same year she married ex-New Edition singer Bobby Brown with whom she had her only child, their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in March 1993. It was about this time that her much documented drug use began and by 1996 she was a daily user.

Her 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love' was well reviewed but the drug abuse began to affect her reputation and press reports at the time said that she was becoming difficult to work with, if she turned up at all. She was dropped from a performance at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) because she was "out of it" at rehearsals. Her weight fluctuated wildly - she was so thin at a 'Michael Jackson' tribute in 2001 that rumors circulated the next day that she had died - and her voice began to fail her. She was twice admitted to rehab and declared herself drug-free in 2010 but returned to rehab in May 2011.

Her 2009 comeback album 'I Look To You' was positively received and sold well, but promotional performances were still marred by her weakened voice. Her final acting performance was in Sparkle (2012) (a remake of the 1976 movie, Sparkle (1976)), released after her death.

Houston's professional career began when she joined her mother's band as a background singer at fourteen while Cissy performed at Manhattan cabaret clubs. Houston gave her first solo during Cissy's performance at Manhattan's Town Hall in February 1978, performing "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical, Annie, where she received her first standing ovation.  Houston began a career as a session vocalist backing up artists like her mother, Michael Zager, Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. Houston was the featured vocalist in Zager's disco song "Life's a Party" (1978). 

Houston became a fashion model in 1980 after being spotted at Carnegie Hall and signed first with Click Models before moving onto the Wilhelmina Models agency, where she landed the cover of Seventeen.  Houston's girl next door charm helped her to land in fashion spreads for Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Young Miss. Houston continued her music career during this period, recording demos of gospel recordings.  Houston's vocal talent made her sought after for recording deals, but were turned down by her mother, who insisted that Houston finish high school. 

Signing with Tara Productions in September 1981, Houston hired Gene Harvey as her manager, with Daniel Gittleman and Seymour Flics also playing part in managing her.  During 1982, Houston auditioned for both Elektra Records and CBS Records. Houston's feature on the song "Memories" from Material's album One Down, led to critical raves, with then-Village Voice critic Robert Christgau calling it "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".  Producer Paul Jabara later featured her on the ballad, "Eternal Love", issued off his album, Paul Jabara & Friends. 

After seeing Houston perform at the Seventh Avenue South nightclub in Manhattan, Gerry Griffith--then the A&R representative for Arista Records--convinced label head Clive Davis to see her perform at the Sweetwaters nightclub the following evening. Upon viewing the performance, an impressed Davis offered Houston a recording contract. Houston signed the contract on April 10, 1983. 

Houston was introduced to a national audience in June 1983, performing the song "Home" from the Broadway musical The Wiz on The Merv Griffin Show.^{[53][52][54][55]} During this period, Houston almost landed a role on The Cosby Show before pulling out on the show due to her emerging career.  Houston landed a cameo role on Gimme a Break!, was featured in a Canada Dry commercial and also sang commercial jingles, including one for the restaurant brand, Steak & Ale. 

Houston did not begin work on an album immediately.  The label wanted to make sure no other company 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. After seeing her perform in New York, Michael Masser paired Houston with Teddy Pendergrass, on the duet, "Hold Me", which appeared on his album, Love Language.  Released in May 1984, the song gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a top-ten hit on the US R&B and adult contemporary charts.  Houston also received notice in 1984 after being paired up with Jermaine Jackson, with whom the duet, "Take Good Care of My Heart", was featured on Jackson's Dynamite album, while also appearing with Jackson performing the song and another duet, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", on an episode of As the World Turns. All three songs eventually appeared on her debut album.

Houston was a Christian, and she made it a point to sing gospel songs when on tour.   During her childhood, she regularly attended New Hope Baptist Church where she joined the children's choir and later performed solos on a regular basis there. Houston was also influenced by Pentecostalism after she began attending a Pentecostal church not too far from New Hope. Houston's mother Cissy wrote that while at New Hope, Houston "got saved" and she later told her that she "accepted the Savior into her life" at around 12 years old.  Houston's recording of "Do You Hear What I Hear", from the Christmas compilation album, A Very Special Christmas (1987), has constantly appeared on the Billboard gospel charts since 2011. In 1997, Houston was given a special honor from the Dove Awards for helping to bring gospel music to the attention of the mainstream. Two of Houston's final recordings — "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and "Celebrate", from the 2012 film, Sparkle — posthumously made the Billboard gospel charts. Her last public performance prior to her death was an impromptu duet of "Jesus Loves Me" with friend and former collaborator Kelly Price at the Tru nightclub in Hollywood. 

Houston first met Robyn Crawford when Crawford was 19 and Houston was 16; the two were summer camp counselors. According to Crawford, the two were romantically involved for a few years until Houston began seeking a recording contract. Crawford and Houston continued their professional relationship and platonic friendship until Crawford left Houston's employ in 2000. 

In the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to musician Jermaine Jackson, American football star Randall Cunningham, and actor Eddie Murphy. 

Houston met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992. The two singers occasionally collaborated on songs, including the hit record, "Something in Common".  The following year, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015),  the couple's only child.

During their marriage, Brown had several run-ins with the law for drunken driving, drug possession and battery, including some jail time.  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. 

Starting in April of the following year, the reality show Being Bobby Brown was taped and later premiered on Bravo, in June 2005. The show drew criticism for what critics perceived to be unflattering moments from the couple,  but still achieved high ratings. However, the show was not renewed for a second season after Houston declined further participation.  In September 2006, a year after Being Bobby Brown aired, Houston filed for legal separation from Brown, later filing for divorce the following month, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was granted on April 24, 2007. 

TRIVIA  : 

• Because she passed away the night before the 54th Grammy Awards (2012), the host for the evening, LL Cool J, opened the show with a tribute and a prayer in her honor.
• One of the last times Whitney Houston was seen on camera was at a rehearsal for Monica and Brandy's performance at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. At the time, Brandy did not know that Houston had planned a surprise birthday party for her on the night she passed away.
• Her mother was at one time a background singer for Elvis Presley.
• Her powerful rendition of "I Will Always Love You", from The Bodyguard (1992), was ranked #65 on the American Film Institute's list of "The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs".
• Once "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" hit #1 in April 1988, she was honored as the first artist in history to ever have seven consecutive Billboard number one singles. An accomplishment that she still holds to this day.
• The Preacher's Wife (1996) soundtrack is the best-selling gospel album of all time. The soundtrack also remained at number one for for a record twenty-six weeks on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart.
• The world's biggest selling soundtrack is The Bodyguard (1992) with over thirty-seven million units sold. It also ranks as the best-selling female album of all time.
• "I Will Always Love You" is the best-selling single by a female artist, and the biggest selling non-charity single of all time, with world sales of nearly nine million copies.
• She was a fashion model before she started singing professionally.
• She earned 14 gold singles in the United States, behind only Madonna among female artists.
• Suffered three miscarriages during her relationship with Bobby Brown: in 1991, 1994 and 1996.
• Her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away at age 22 on July 26, 2015 having been in a medically induced coma for the past 6 months after being found unconscious face down in her bathtub.
• Her funeral was held at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Following services, she was laid to rest beside her father at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey.
• Multi-Grammy Award winning singer; has had an unequaled run of seven consecutive #1 records (1980s) in the United States, and held the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 for 14 weeks with "I Will Always Love You" from November 28, 1992 to February 27, 1993.
• She has a school named after her (1997) formerly Franklin School, now the Whitney E. Houston School of Creative and Performing Arts in her hometown of East Orange, New Jersey.
• Her godmother is Darlene Love.
• Her album "Whitney" (1987) became the first female album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts.
• Holds the record for winning the most American Music Awards, twenty-six in total.
• Returned to work four months after giving birth to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in order to participate in "The Bodyguard World Tour", performing songs from her debut motion picture The Bodyguard (1992).
• While Whitney scored a massive international hit with "The Greatest Love of All" (by Michael Masser and Linda Creed), she was not the first to record it. That distinction belongs to George Benson who introduced the song on the soundtrack of the biopic The Greatest (1977).
• Delivered her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown via emergency Caesarean section after a 14-hour labor.
• Cousin of Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.
• Her family moved from Newark to East Orange, New Jersey in the wake of rioting in Newark when she was 4 years old.
• Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
• Favourite movie was Sparkle (1976). She would later release a remake of the film in 2012 starring Houston herself and Jordin Sparks. It was also unfortunately her last film before passing away.
• Her last romantic relationship was with Ray J from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2009 to her death in 2012.
• Her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Superbowl shot to #20 on the Billboard Charts, supported mainly due to the Gulf War. The single eventually re-entered the Hot 100 in 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and this time peaked at #6.
• Her remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard (1992) became the topic of the NBC news show Now (1993) because it was so overplayed and people were sick of it. It was the first song ever to be the topic on a news show for being too overplayed.
• When Whitney won her first Grammy Award at age 21 for the Michael Masser / Gerry Goffin song "Saving All My Love for You", the trophy was presented to her by Dionne Warwick and Julian Lennon (Shrine Auditorium / February 25, 1986).
• On the afternoon of February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. She was pronounced dead at 3:55pm PST.
• The world's best selling debut album by a female is "Whitney Houston" (1985), with over twenty-four million copies sold.
• After spending one week at number one, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" spent the next eleven weeks at number two, the longest number-two stay in Hot 100 history.
• Was snubbed for a Best New Artist Grammy nomination due to the fact that she sang back up on a Jermaine Jackson single before her debut album was released. This caused much controversy since several other nominees in this category (including Led Zeppelin, Asia and The Knack) were industry veterans, as were some winners (Crosby Stills & Nash and Jody Watley).
• She almost received the role of Sondra Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984). The role went to Sabrina Le Beauf, whose theater experience won her the role.
• She is the only female artist to have three albums sell over nine million copies each: "Whitney Houston" (1985), "Whitney" (1987) and "The Bodyguard" (1992).
• Both of her first two albums spent over 100 weeks on the UK chart. Although it had been a huge success, her debut "Whitney Houston" (1985) had actually peaked at number two. However, her album "Whitney" (1987) knocked Simple Minds' "Live in the City of Light" off number one on the chart and kept Marillion's "Clutching at Straws" at number two. It spent an impressive six consecutive weeks at the top.
• Had a Mezzo-Soprano vocal range and could sing at 3.2 octaves.
• Daughter of Cissy Houston (gospel-blues singer).
• Her manager and confidant was Arista Records founder and president Clive Davis.
• Had a daughter: Bobbi Kristina Brown (March 4, 1993 - July 26, 2015) with ex-husband, Bobby Brown.
• Her #1 hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was ranked #86 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs.
• The Whitney E. Houston Academy is located in her home town of East Orange, New Jersey.
• Ranked #24 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
• She and her cousin Dionne Warwick were inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame for their services to arts and entertainment (2013).
• She appeared on the covers on Seventeen and Glamour magazines before becoming a major recording artist.
• Named after actress Whitney Blake.
• Ranked #61 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
• Erroneously was reported deceased by various radio stations and publications. Houston's spokesperson quickly denied rumors.
• Hawaiian security guards discovered a half an ounce of marijuana in baggage being carried by Whitney and her husband Bobby Brown. The couple were permitted to board their plane.
• She was offered the role of Grace Hitchens on Glee (2009), which she turned down. Eve was then cast instead.
• Friends with Deborah Cox, Loretta Devine and Vivica A. Fox.
• She had two brothers, Michael Houston and Gary Houston.
• Born at 8:55PM (EDT).
• During one of her live performances, she fell down a step and snapped a strap on her bra.
• She was a lifelong Democrat.

• Whitney Houston (1985)
• Whitney (1987)
• I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)
• My Love Is Your Love (1998)
• Just Whitney (2002)
• One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003)
• I Look to You (2009)

Films starred

• The Bodyguard (1992)
• Waiting to Exhale (1995)
• The Preacher's Wife (1996)
• Cinderella (1997)
• Sparkle (2012)

Films produced

• Cinderella (1997)
• The Princess Diaries (2001)
• The Cheetah Girls (2003)
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
• The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006)
• Sparkle (2012)

Documentaries and others

• Nora's Hair Salon (2004)
• Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
• Whitney (2018)
• The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) (2024)