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Early Years
"Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 9, 1963; her mother is Grammy award winning gospel/R&B singer Cissy Houston, and her
cousin is Grammy Award winning pop singer Dionne Warwick. By age 11, Houston was performing as a soloist in the junior gospel
choir at the New Hope Baptist church in Newark. As a teenager, she began accompanying her mother in concert (as well as on the
1978 album Think It Over). She was a backing singer with established acts, such as Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls, as well as the lead
vocalist on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's A Party". Somewhat bizarrely, Houston's first recording as a featured
vocalist was with Bill Laswell's experimental jazz-funk ensemble Material; their 1982 album One Down placed Houston alongside
such unlikely avant-gardists as Archie Shepp and Fred Frith. She also appeared as a model in various magazines, appearing on the
cover of "Seventeen" and as an actress in television shows such as Give Me A Break and Silver Spoons." (Steve
Huey, All Music Guide)
Debut Album
By 1983, Whitney Houston had entered a worldwide contract with Arista Records after Arista chief Clive Davis heard Houston
perform at a nightclub with her mother. The following year had her first commercial success when "Hold Me", a duet with Teddy
Pendergrass , crept into the US Top 50. However, the rest of that year was taken up with the recording of a debut album. Clive
Davis, who had taken a strong personal interest in the vocalist, insisted on selecting the best songwriters and producers in
search of the definitive debut album. Her self titled debut, Whitney Houston, was released in March of 1985, from which time it
would begin its slow stalking of the album charts. Its steady climb was encouraged by the success of the singles "You Give Good
Love" and "Saving All My Love For You", which hit numbers 3 and 1, respectively. The latter single also saw her on top of the
charts in the UK and much of the rest of the world. The disco-influenced "How Will I Know" and the more soul-flavored "Greatest
Love Of All", both topped the US charts in rapid succession. A year to the month after its release, Whitney Houston hit number
one on the album charts. It eventually sold over 13-million copies in the U.S. alone, making it the best-selling debut ever by an
American female artist. Her domination was acknowledged by a series of prestigious awards, notably a Best Pop Vocal
Performance-Female Grammy for "Saving All My Love For You" and an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety
Program On TV.
Whitney
"Whitney Houston cemented her superstar status on her next album, Whitney; despite the unimaginative title, it sold over
nine-million copies in the U.S" (Steve Huey, All Music Guide). "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", released in 1987,
topped charts around the world, paving the way for Houston to become the first album by a female artist to debut at number 1 on
the US album chart, a feat it also achieved in the UK. The album included a version of "I Know Him So Well", sang as a duet with
her mother Cissy, and the ballad "Didn't We Almost Have It All" which became her fifth successive US number 1 shortly afterwards.
However, even this was surpassed when "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" continued the sequence, making seven
consecutive number one hits, breaking a record previously shared by the Beatles and the Bee Gees. In 1988, she made a
controversial appearance at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Party, where other acts accused her of behaving like a prima donna. By
September, "Love Will Save The Day" had finally broken the winning sequence in the USA where it could only manage number 9.
Another series of awards followed, including the Best Pop Vocal Performance-Female Grammy for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who
Loves Me)" and Pop Female Vocal and Soul/R&B Female Vocal categories at the American Music Awards. Rumors abounded of film
offers alongside such actors as Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy, however Houston turned down all movie offers at this time.
I'm Your Baby Tonight
Her recording of the title track to the 1988 Olympics tribute, One Moment In Time, restored her to US Top 5 prominence and
topped the UK singles chart. The follow-up single "I'm Your Baby Tonight" put Houston back on top of the US singles chart.
Despite the relatively modest success of the album of the same name (number 3 in the US charts), "All The Man That I Need"
compensated by becoming her ninth number 1. She became permanently enshrined in the hearts of the American public, however, when
she took the microphone to perform "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in Miami. The public response ensured that the
version emerged as a single shortly afterwards. The single went gold and helped to raise funds for The American Red Cross. She
also performed the song and her other hits at Norfolk, VA as she welcomed back US troops returning from the Gulf War with a
highly rated HBO concert.
Early To Mid-90's
The Bodyguard
In July 1992, Whitney Houston married R&B singer Bobby Brown; the relationship would prove turbulent. The same year she
made a credible acting debut in the movie "The Bodyguard" alongside Kevin
Costner. Houston recorded six songs for the phenomenally successful soundtrack album - cover versions of Dolly Parton's powerful "I Will Always Love You", which topped the US chart for 14
weeks and the UK charts for nine, and Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman", in addition to "I Have Nothing", "Run To You", "Queen of
the Night" and "Jesus Loves Me". The album went on to sell 17 million copies in the U.S. making it the best selling soundtrack
album of all time. The movie went on to gross $120 million + in the U.S. and over $300 million worldwide, making Whitney Houston
a movie star was well as a pop music star. Houston won numerous awards in 1993 including Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal
Performance-Female, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year. In 1993, Houston gave birth to her only child, a daughter, who she
named Bobbi Kristina Brown. In 1994, Whitney Houston became the first American singer to perform in post-apartheid South Africa.
Her concerts raised money to aid South Africa's children.
Waiting to Exhale
In 1995, Waiting to Exhale was released. The movie was very successful, earning over $70 million in the U.S. alone. The all
female African-American soundtrack was an even bigger hit, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. It was written and produced
by Houston's close friend Babyface. It featured three songs by Houston, the # 1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", a top ten duet with
gospel artist CeCe Winans, "Count On Me" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" an emotional song about love gone wrong.
Late 90's To Present
The Preacher's Wife
In 1996, Whitney Houston co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Preacher's Wife, a remake of the 1947 classic, The Bishop's
Wife. The movie did not do as well as the others, bringing in just over $40 million in the U.S. The soundtrack, a Gospel
dominated album with 14 new songs from Houston, sold poorly compared to her previous releases. However, it is still the best
selling Gospel album of the Billboard Era with sales of more than 3 million copies. The two big singles from the album were the
top five hit "I Believe In You And Me" and the surprise Pop and Dance hit "Step By Step".
Cinderella
In 1997, Houston stared in and produced a multicultural version of the classic fairly tale "Cinderella". When Rodgers and
Hammerstein's Cinderella premiered on ABC-TV on November 2, 1997, it was watched by over 60 million Americans. The movie went on
to win an Emmy Award and has become the best selling video ever of a made-for-TV movie.
My Love Is Your Love
As you can see Whitney Houston spent most of the 90's concentrating on her acting career, but made a surprise return to the
studio for 1998's My Love Is Your Love. The album, which was supposed to be a greatest hits collection, instead feature 13 new
tracks from Houston. Enlisting the songwriting help of Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott , Diane Warren and Wyclef Jean, among others,
the album was a confident attempt by Houston to reclaim her status as the preeminent musical Diva. "When You Believe", a sappy
duet with Carey taken from the animated DreamWorks movie The Prince Of Egypt, was a transatlantic hit. With the album selling
poorly, however, Houston's fortunes were revived by the US #2 single, "Heartbreak Hotel". The atypical and hard-hitting "It's Not
Right But It's Okay", and the reggae inspired title track, both were US/UK Top 5 hit singles. "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not
Right, But It's Okay", "My Love Is Your Love", and the fifth single from My Love Is Your Love, "I Learned From The Best" all went
on to become #1 dance hits for Whitney, making her one of the club scenes hottest artists. Houston also stole the show at VH1's
Diva Live in 1999, her show stopping performance of "I Will Always Love You" was hailed as her best performance of her signature
song ever, and helped to make Divas '99 the highest rated show in VH1 history.
The Greatest Hits
In 2000, Houston got into trouble as she was found with marijuana at an airport in Hawaii and she skipped out on a performance
at the Oscars. Nevertheless, in 2000, Arista released, Whitney: The Greatest Hits, a two CD compilation of Houston's biggest
hits. Disc One- Cool Down featured a collection of her ballads as well as two new tracks, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a
duet with Enrique Iglesias) and "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox). Both songs received considerable airplay
in the U.S. Disc Two- Thrown Down, is a collection of her dance songs and remixes. It also featured two new songs, "Fine" and "If
I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael). Neither song made a splash in the U.S., however they were hits internationally.
The Greatest Hits has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. In 2001, Houston and Arista Records agreed to re-release her version
of the Star Spangled Banner to benefit the families of police officers and firefighters killed during the tragic events of
September 11, 2001. It sold more than 300,000 copies, raised more than $1 million, and earned Whitney yet another Top 10 single
as it peaked at #6.
Just Whitney
In November of 2002, Houston released her 5th non-soundtrack studio album, Just Whitney. The lead off single,
"Whatchulookinat", is a attack on the media for their reporting about her personal life. The song did poorly worldwide. The
follow up singles "One of Those Days" and "Try It Own My Own" also failed to make much of an impact. The album has sold one
million copies in the U.S.
One Wish
In October of 2003, Houston released a holiday album, One Wish. The album's single, One Wish, barely registered a pulse on
radio and the album made a poor showing on the charts. It amassed sales of just 500,000 copies.
Controversy
In the year 2000 era Houston's public image became tarnished when it was revealed that
she had been battling spousal abuse with her husband. Additionally she had clearly lost a great deal of weight and this, coupled
with shaky (if not cancelled) public performances gave way to rumours of cocaine
addiction.
In 2002, Houston admitted in a television interview to abusing cocaine, marijuana and various other drugs. She claimed to have
stopped using illegal drugs, but was seemingly making this admission to address the rumours circulating about her lifestyle.
During said interview, Houston's comment about having never used crack cocaine because it was "for poor people," caused a new
uproar. In March of 2004, Houston entered a drug rehab program in California.
Discography
- Whitney
Houston album)(1985, "You Give Good Love", "Saving All my Love For You", "How Will I Know", "All At Once", "The Greatest Love
of All") US Sales- 13 Million
- Whitney (1987, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", "Didn't We Almost have It All", "So
Emotional", "Where Do Broken Hearts Go") US Sales-9 Million
- I'm Your Baby
Tonight (1990, "I'm Your Baby Tonight", "My Name Is Not Susan", "All The Man That I Need", "Miracle")US Sales- 4 Million
- The Bodyguard OST(1991, "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing", "I'm Every Woman", "Run To
You") US Sales- 17 Million
- Waiting To Exhale
OST (1995, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop", "Count on Me", "Why Does It Hurt So Bad")US Sales- 7 Million
- The Preacher's Wife OST (1996, "I Believe In You And
Me", "Step By Step")US Sales- 3 Million
- My Love Is Your
Love (1998, "My Love Is Your Love", "I Learned From The Best", "Heartbreak Hotel", "When You Believe")US Sales- 4
Million
- Greatest Hits (2000, "Could
I Have This Kiss Forever", "Same Script Different Cast", "If I Told You That")US Sales- 2 Million
- Love, Whitney (2002)
- Just Whitney... (2002,
"Whatchulookinat", "One Of Those Days", "Try It On my Own")US Sales- 1 Million
- One
Wish: The Holiday Album (2003"One Wish: For Christmas")US Sales- 500,000
Billboard Hot 100 Placements (Top 10 Only)
- You Give Good Love - (1985) - (# 3)
- Saving All My Love For You - (1985) - (# 1, 1 Week)
- How Will I Know - (1985) - (# 1, 2 Weeks)
- Greatest Love Of All - (1986) - (# 1, 3 Weeks)
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody - (1987) - (# 1, 2 Weeks)
- Didn't We Almost Have It All - (1987) - (# 1, 2 Weeks)
- So Emotional - (1987) - (# 1, 1 Week)
- Where Do Broken Hearts Go - (1988) - (# 1, 2 Weeks)
- Love Will Save The Day - (1988) - (# 9)
- One Moment In Time - (1988) - (# 5)
- I'm Your Baby Tonight - (1990) - (# 1, 1 Week)
- All The Man I Need - (1990) - (# 1, 2 Weeks)
- Miracle - (1991) - (# 8)
- I Will Always Love You - (1992) - (# 1, 14 Weeks)
- I'm Every Woman - (1993) - (# 4)
- I Have Nothing - (1993) - (# 4)
- Exhale (Shoop Shoop) - (1995) - (# 1, 1 Week)
- Count On Me - (1995; with CeCe Winans) - (# 8)
- I Believe In You And Me - (1996) - (# 4)
- Heartbreak Hotel - (1998; featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price) - (# 2)
- It's Not Right But It's Okay - (1999) - (# 4)
- My Love Is Your Love - (1999) - (# 4)
- The Star-Spangled Banner - (2001) - (# 6)
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