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{{Short description|American singer (1963–2012)}}{{For|the album|Whitney Houston (album){{!}}Whitney Houston (album)}}{{Pp-protected|small=yes}}{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}{{fanpov|date=May 2024}}

factoids

| birth_place = Newark, New Jersey, U.S.2012118|9}}| death_place = Beverly Hills, California, U.S.| education = Mount Saint Dominic AcademyFairview Cemetery & Arboretum (Westfield, New Jersey)>Fairview Cemetery, {{avoid wrap|Westfield, New Jersey}}Singersongwriterfilm producerphilanthropist}}| years_active = 1977–2012Bobby Brown2007|end=divorce}}| children = Bobbi Kristina Brown| mother = Cissy Houston

• Gary Garland (half-brother)
• Dionne Warwick (cousin)
• Dee Dee Warwick (cousin)
• Leontyne Price (cousin)

{edih}List of awards and nominations received by Whitney Houston>records}}| module =

factoids

Arista Records>RCA}}}}whitneyhouston.com}}| signature = WhitneyHoustonSignature.svg}}Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, and philanthropist. Known as "the Voice", she is one of the most awarded entertainers of all time and among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. Houston is known for her crossover appeal on popular music charts that influenced the breaking down of racial barriers, the recording industry, and popular culture, as well as her soulful vocal performances and the popularization of using gospel singing techniques in pop music. In 2023, she was ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers of all time. Houston had 11 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the chart.{{efn|"Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All", "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"}} She also enhanced her popularity by entering the film industry. Her accolades include eight Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards, two Emmy Awards, and 30 Guinness World Records. Houston's inductions include the Grammy Hall of Fame (twice), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, the BET Walk of Fame, the Soul Train Hall of Fame,MAGAZINE, J.R. Reynolds, November 18, 1995, 'Soul Train' Opens Hall Of Fame, Audience Is Enthusiastic Despite Delays .,weblink June 29, 2010, Billboard, 32, 107, 46, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.Houston began singing at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, 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 after becoming a teen model in 1981. With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, Houston signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. Hit singles from the albums, including "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", established her as a catalyst in the acceptance of black female artists on MTV. Her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), yielded two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, the title track and "All the Man That I Need". Houston's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 received widespread media coverage.Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992), which despite its mixed reviews became the tenth highest-grossing film to that date. Its soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. It generated multiple hit singles, including "I Have Nothing", "I'm Every Woman" and "I Will Always Love You"; the latter won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, spent a then-record 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. Subsequently, she went on to star in the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), and she recorded their respective soundtracks; the former scored her last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", while the latter, produced by Houston herself, became the bestselling gospel album of all time. Houston's first studio album in eight years, My Love Is Your Love (1998), spawned multiple hit singles, including the title track, "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and the Academy Award-winning Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe". As a film producer, she produced hit series such as The Princess Diaries, The Cheetah Girls and multicultural movies such as Cinderella (1997) and Sparkle (2012).Following the music and film success, she renewed her contract with Arista Records for $100 million in 2001, one of the biggest recording deals of all time.WEB, May 25, 2016, The 10 biggest record deals of all time, ranked,weblink July 29, 2021, Insider, Paul, Schrodt, However, her personal problems began to overshadow her music career. Her 2002 studio album, Just Whitney, received mixed reviews, while her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with her final studio album, I Look to You (2009). In February 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards, which took place the day following her death, and was covered internationally along with her memorial service. Coverage of Houston's death was ranked as the most memorable entertainment event in television history, according to a study by Sony Electronics and the Nielsen Television Research Company.WEB, July 11, 2012, TV's most memorable moments: 9/11 tops the list,weblink March 13, 2024, CBS, Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career.WEB, June 19, 2015, Whitney Houston's Fortune In Limbo Amid Bobbi Kristina Tragedy,weblink October 9, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter, Ian, Halperin, Her life and career were dramatized in the 2022 biopic (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody|I Wanna Dance with Somebody).

Early life and family

File:NewHopeNewark 02.jpg|thumb|left|New Hope Baptist ChurchNew Hope Baptist ChurchWhitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, at Newark Beth Israel Hospital (now Newark Beth Israel Medical Center) in Newark, New Jersey, to Emily "Cissy" (née Drinkard) and John Russell Houston Jr. Cissy. Emily is 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.WEB, Emily 'Cissy' Houston 2019 Inductee - Performing Arts,weblink New Jersey Hall of Fame,weblink March 17, 2024, live, BOOK, Smith, Jessie Carney, Notable Black American women, 1996, VNR AG, 978-0-8103-9177-2, 304–305, registration,weblink John was a former Army serviceman who later became an administrator under the Newark mayor. Houston was given the nickname "Nippy" by her father.BOOK, Crawford, Robyn, A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, 2019, 16, Houston's parents were both African-American. On her mother's side, Houston was alleged to have partial Dutch and Native American ancestry.NEWS, Cissy, Houston, Visionary Project Video – Cissy Houston: My Family, September 2, 2009,weblink February 11, 2012, September 21, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180921111821weblink">weblink dead, Through Cissy, Houston was a cousin of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick as well as a distant cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Aretha Franklin became an "honorary aunt", while Darlene Love later became Houston's godmother.NEWS, Whitney's godmother: 'She was a light', February 13, 2012,weblink Nancy Grace spoke with Whitney Houston's and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Darlene Love, February 17, 2012, dead, January 2, 2013,weblink" title="archive.today/20130102115445weblink">weblink WEB, Whitall, Susan, Aretha Franklin recalls meeting a young Whitney Houston,weblink The Queen of Soul corrected one thing about her relationship to Houston. She says she wasn't Houston's godmother, but a sort of honorary aunt., The Detroit News, February 18, 2012, {{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}MAGAZINE, Jet, Whitney Houston Sings Her Way To Stardom With Hit Album, Road Tour, August 26, 1985, 59, 0021-5996,weblink Through her father, her 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.WEB, Jeremiah Burke Sanderson – New Bedford Historical Society,weblink 2020-11-07, en-US, JOURNAL, Lapp, Rudolph M., 1968, Jeremiah B. Sanderson: Early California Negro Leader,weblink The Journal of Negro History, 53, 4, 321–333, 10.2307/2716356, 2716356, 150279633, 0022-2992, Houston had three older brothers, paternal half-brother John III,NEWS,weblink John Russell Houston III, January 17, 2021, The Star-Ledger, Legacy.com, December 4, 2022, maternal half-brother Gary, a former basketball player and singer,"Top 10 Things You May Not Know About Whitney Houston" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119215437weblink |date=November 19, 2018 }}. ABC. February 16, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012. and Michael.WEB,weblink Michael Houston 'Devastated' At Death Of Sister, Entertainment Wise, February 12, 2012, November 4, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120215191826weblink">weblink February 15, 2012, The family later relocated to a suburban area of East Orange three years following the Newark race riots of 1967. Houston attended Franklin Elementary School (now Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts) before transferring to Mount Saint Dominic Academy by sixth grade. Houston was raised in the Baptist faith by her parents and joined the church choir of the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark at age five where she also learned to play piano.NEWS,weblink Cissy Houston remembers Whitney, with love and candor, Gardner, Elysa, January 28, 2013, December 19, 2017, USA Today, MAGAZINE, Whitney & Bobby – Addicted to Love, September 2005, Vibe, 204,weblinkweblink dead, March 23, 2022, Rob, Kenner, 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 age 12.BOOK,weblink Diva: the totally unauthorized biography of Whitney Houston, Bowman, Jeffrey, XII-XIII, 1994, Harper, 9780061008535, April 30, 2023, When Houston became a teenager, she told her mother that she wanted to pursue a career in music. Throughout her teenage years, she would be taught how to sing by Cissy. Along with her mother, cousins Dionne and Dee Dee, and Franklin, Houston was also influenced by other singers such as Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack.MAGAZINE, DeCurtis, Anthony, Whitney Houston: Down and Dirty, June 10, 1993, Rolling Stone,weblink September 7, 2021,

Career

1978–1984: Early career

After placing second place at a statewide talent showcase in 1977, Houston began singing background for her mother's band on the cabaret club circuit in New York City. On February 18, 1978, a fourteen-year-old Houston made her non-church performance debut at Manhattan's Town Hall singing the Broadway standard "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie, receiving her first standing ovation.BOOK,weblink Diva: the totally unauthorized biography of Whitney Houston, Bowman, Jeffrey, 1994, 58, Harper, 9780061008535, April 30, 2023, Later that year, Houston sang background on mother Cissy's solo album, Think It Over, with the title track later reaching the top 5 of the Billboard disco chart. The album's producer Michael Zager recorded her lead vocal on his disco song, "Life's a Party", with the album of the same name released later in 1978. Houston's session vocal career took off when she sang background for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls on their respective albums, Naughty and Shades of Blue, both released in 1980.MAGAZINE, Jet, Singer Whitney Houston A Model Of Success, July 16, 1990, 32, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021,weblink Houston became a fashion model after she was discovered by a photographer who filmed her and her mother during a performance for the United Negro College Fund at Carnegie Hall. She became one of the first black women to appear on the cover of a fashion magazine when she appeared on the cover of Seventeen.WEB, Wilson, Julee, Whitney Houston Graces Cover Of Seventeen Magazine, November 1981 (PHOTO), HuffPost, February 13, 2012,weblink She would also appear inside other magazines such as Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Young Miss. Her looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought-after teen models. In February 1981, Houston recorded three demo recordings of gospel music with producer and music executive Steven Abdul Khan Brown in hopes of Houston getting signed to a recording deal.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston Gospel Songs from 'I Go to the Rock' Explained - The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, Fekadu, Mesfin, March 22, 2023, April 26, 2023, Khan Brown later would claim the demos helped Houston secure her deal with Arista Records in early 1983. During this period, Houston was sought after for record deals between 1979 and 1981 by the likes of Michael Zager and Luther Vandross.BOOK, Bronson, Fred, The Billboard book of number 1 hits, October 1, 2003, Random House Digital, 978-0-8230-7677-2, 629, MAGAZINE, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, Forever Daddy's Girl, June 1990, 136, 0012-9011,weblink September 7, 2021, Lynn, Norment, The offers, however, were turned down by her mother because she wanted Houston to finish school. Weeks after graduation, Houston signed with Tara Productions, under the advice of her cousin Dionne, and hired Gene Harvey as her manager, with co-managers Daniel Gittelman and Seymour Flics, also working closely with the singer.WEB,weblink Fall River music businessman was instrumental in launching Whitney Houston's early career, Wicked Local, Holtzman, Michael, February 14, 2012, April 26, 2023, MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston: The Long Road to Overnight Stardom, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, December 1986, April 26, 2023, WEB,weblink HOUSTON HITS: MASTER PLAN, BLIND LUCK, Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1986, Grein, Paul, April 26, 2023, Houston would see her profile raised after being hired to sing on the song "Memories" by the band Material, later released on their 1982 album, One Down. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice called her contribution "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".WEB, Robert Christgau, Christgau, Robert, Material she was a great song writer, RobertChristgau.com,weblink December 12, 2007, Later in 1982, she recorded the soul ballad, "Eternal Love", by producer and songwriter Paul Jabara, which was later featured on Jabara's 1983 album, Paul Jabara & Friends, with its original title including Houston's name on the cover.WEB, Ripol, Vince,weblink Paul Jabara & Friends Album Review, AllMusic, July 27, 2019, The song was later covered by R&B singer Stephanie Mills for her album, Merciless that same year. During this time, she was sought after by Elektra president Bruce Lundvall, who offered her a contract at the end of 1982. In March 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative for Arista Records, saw Houston performing with her mother at the Seventh Avenue South nightclub in Manhattan. He convinced Arista head Clive Davis to make time to see her perform at another nightclub called Sweetwaters the following week. Davis was impressed and immediately offered a worldwide record deal, which Houston eventually signed on April 10, 1983; since she was only nineteen, her parents also signed for her. Two weeks later, on April 29, Houston performed on The Merv Griffin Show, after an introduction from Davis.MAGAZINE, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, December 1985, 155, 0012-9011,weblink September 7, 2021, Whitney Houston: For Talented Young Star, Singing Is A Family Tradition, Her performance later aired on June 23.WEB,weblink "The Merv Griffin Show" Episode dated 23 June 1983 (TV Episode 1983), IMDb, May 17, 2023, She performed "Home", a song from the musical The Wiz.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston: Watch her earliest TV appearances, Los Angeles Times, February 12, 2012, July 27, 2019, Houston did not begin work on an album immediately.BOOK, Finkelman, Paul, Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present: from the age of segregation to the twenty-first century, 2009, Oxford University Press, 978-0-19-516779-5, 459–460, 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.NEWS, Scoppa, Bud, The Long Road To Overnight Stardom, December 1986, Billboard, Houston first recorded a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, "Hold Me", which appeared on his gold album, Love Language.WEB, Wynn, Ron,weblink Love Language Album Review, AllMusic, January 14, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091206005129weblink">weblink December 6, 2009, The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a top ten hit on the R&B and adult contemporary charts.MAGAZINE, Arista Aims New Houston Album at 'Core Urban' Fans, Billboard, December 14, 2002, 64, 0006-2510, It would also appear on her debut album in 1985. She also appeared as a duet vocalist and background singer on Jermaine Jackson's Dynamite and Kashif's Send Me Your Love albums. During this early period, Houston continued to model, appeared in a commercial for the Canada Dry soft drink, and also began singing commercial jingles, including one for the restaurant brand, Steak & Ale.WEB,weblink Listen to a young Whitney Houston's stunning vocal in unearthed TV 'Steak & Ale' Advert, Bennigans, Lovejoy, Hannah, October 25, 2021, April 26, 2023,

1985–1986: Whitney Houston and rise to international prominence

After nearly two years of sessions, Whitney Houston was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985.NEWS,weblink Sullivan, Caroline, Whitney Houston obituary, The Guardian, February 11, 2012, July 27, 2019, Co-produced by Kashif, Jermaine Jackson, Michael Masser and Narada Michael Walden, the album would spend more than three years on the Billboard 200 and shot up to No. 1 on the chart in March 1986, over a year after its release, where it would stay for fourteen weeks.MAGAZINE, Charts '86, Billboard,weblink December 27, 1986, 52, 0006-2510, MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston - Chart History: Billboard 200, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, June 19, 2023, The album would hit number one or hit the top five in more than ten other countries. Certified Diamond in the United States for sales of 14 million copies,CERTIFICATION, United States, Whitney Houston, album, June 19, 2023, the album has reportedly sold 25 million copies worldwide.WEB,weblink Music Industry Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston, VOA, Dia, Bekheet, February 11, 2012, NEWS,weblink Inside Whitney's world, NBC News, September 28, 2013, June 18, 2017, WEB,weblink Philly reflects on Houston's legacy, The Philadelphia Tribune, Bobbi, Booker, February 14, 2012, June 18, 2017, {{efn|The album is also the best-selling debut album in history by a black recording artist.BOOK,weblink Guinness world records 2000, Kynaston, Nic, 126, 2000, Guinness World Records Limited, 978-1-892051-00-4, June 1, 2023, }} Rolling Stone 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".MAGAZINE, Shewey, Don, Music Review: Whitney Houston, June 6, 1985, Rolling Stone,weblink March 17, 2011, June 28, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110628231222weblink">weblink dead, NEWS, Stephen Holden, Holden, Stephen, Critic's Choice; Pop Music, The New York Times, A2, May 12, 1985, The album launched seven singles in various countries, including four alone in the United States. The album spawned four top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top five crossover hit, "You Give Good Love",NEWS, Grein, Paul,weblink Houston Hits: Master Plan, Blind Luck, Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1986, and three consecutive number one singles, "Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All". This feat made Houston the first solo female recording artist to launch three number one singles off a single album. Outside the US, "Saving All My Love for You" hit number one in the UK and Ireland, "How Will I Know" reached number one in Canada, and "Greatest Love of All" topped the charts in Australia. In addition, the album's international success was further buoyed by the ballad "All at Once", which hit the top five in selected European countries.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston's Success Is Global, Billboard, June 8, 1985, 54, 0006-2510, Another song, "Thinking About You", became a top ten single on the R&B chart.The album would receive four Grammy Award nominations, including three at the 1986 ceremony, including Album of the Year, winning one in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category for "Saving All My Love for You".MAGAZINE, Tina, Whitney Top Picks For Annual Grammy Awards, Jet, January 27, 1986, 57, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021,weblink MAGAZINE, 'We Are The World' Big Winner At 28th Grammys, Jet,weblink March 17, 1986, 14, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, A controversy arose after Houston was deemed ineligible for entry for a nomination for Best New Artist. Despite an angry letter from Clive Davis, the committee defended the decision, noting Houston's previous chart duet with Teddy Pendergrass.NEWS, Richard, Harrington, Dire Straits Tops List for Grammy's; We are the World Wins 6 Nominations, January 10, 1986, The Washington Post, Houston received more awards from her work on the album including 14 Billboard Awards, including "Top Pop Artist" and "Top Pop Album", the first album by a female artist to receive that distinction, and an NAACP Image Award. Houston's music video for "How Will I Know" won her an MTV Video Music Award. Houston's performance of "Saving All My Love for You" at the 1986 Grammys later resulted in Houston winning an Emmy Award.MAGAZINE, 'Cosby Show' Snubbed At Emmy Awards Ceremony; Receives Only One Honor, Jet,weblink October 13, 1986, 16, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, Houston would also receive seven American Music Awards, including five alone in 1987.MAGAZINE, Whitney, Aretha, Stevie Snare Honors At Recent American Music Awards, Jet,weblink February 17, 1986, 56, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, MAGAZINE, Aldore, Collier, Whitney Houston: Why Success Won't Go to Her Head, Jet,weblink February 16, 1987, 58, 0021-5996, Houston first supported the album by being an opening act for singer Jeffrey Osborne before moving on to open for Luther Vandross.WEB,weblink SINGER WHITNEY HOUSTON HITS A HIGH NOTE EARLY IN HER CAREER, Orlando Sentinel, August 4, 1985, June 20, 2023, By October 1985, Houston had become a solo headliner, later opening at Carnegie Hall.NEWS,weblink POP: WHITNEY HOUSTON IN CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT, New York Times, October 29, 1985, Holden, Stephen, May 17, 2023, Houston embarked on her first world tour, The Greatest Love World Tour, in July 1986. Houston toured for 50 dates up until the end of the year. The album's success was attributed to Houston's performances on late night talk shows, something that was usually not accessible to emerging black acts. Though Houston's early music video clips for "You Give Good Love" and "Saving All My Love for You" found heavy airplay on stations such as BET and VH1, the singer and Arista struggled to submit these videos to MTV. At that time, the channel received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by artists of color while favoring predominantly white acts.EPISODE, Whitney Houston, Headliners And Legends,weblink August 11, 2000, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091021140553weblink">weblink October 21, 2009, In 2001, Houston explained in an interview with the channel how it rejected "You Give Good Love" because it was a "very kind of R&B song".VIDEO,weblinkweblink December 11, 2021, live, Whitney Houston Reminisces About '80s Music on MTV (2001 interview), 2001, MTV, January 13, 2020, {{cbignore}} Following the release of "Saving All My Love for You", MTV agreed to play its video clip on light rotation because, Houston said, the song "hit so hard and exploded so heavy" that they "had no choice but to play it."In December 1985, Arista submitted the video to "How Will I Know", which immediately gained heavy rotation and introduced Houston to the young MTV audience.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists, February 12, 2023, May 17, 2023, WEB, Traister, Rebecca, Didn't She Almost Have It All, Salon, April 13, 2006,weblink July 27, 2019, Though other artists such as Donna Summer and Tina Turner had enjoyed heavy rotation on the channel prior to Houston's entrance, black female artists were still "woefully underrepresented on MTV's playlist". According to author Ann Kaplan, in her book, Rocking Around the Clock: Television, Postmodernism and Consumer Culture, "until the recent advent of Whitney Houston, Tina Turner was the only female Black singer featured regularly, and even so, her videos are far and few between." Houston was credited for breaking barriers for black female artists on the channel resulting in videos by Janet Jackson, Jody Watley and Tracy Chapman to be immediately accepted to the channel's playlist. Houston's success also made it possible for other African American female artists to break through on pop radio following the fallout of disco, opening doors for Jackson and Anita Baker among others.NEWS, Rizzo, Frank, August 30, 1987, Houston Tops New Wave of Women With Pop Punch Aplenty, 11, Orlando Sentinel,weblink NEWS, Hunt, Dennis, Anita Baker: 'Most Powerful Black Woman Singer of 80s', San Francisco Chronicle, 44, February 1, 1987, 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's Definitive 200 list.MAGAZINE,weblink 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone, November 18, 2003, March 17, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101220143033weblink">weblink December 20, 2010, WEB,weblink The Definitive 200, January 15, 2008, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080113130726weblink">weblink January 13, 2008, 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.NEWS, Gundersen, Edna, 25 years of memorable musical moments, USA Today,weblink January 1, 2008, June 18, 2007,

1987–1989: Whitney and social activism

In June 1987, Houston's second album, Whitney, was released. Produced majorly by Narada Michael Walden, the album also featured productions from past collaborators Michael Masser and Kashif, with the sole new producer, Jellybean Benitez, contributing the hit dance song, "Love Will Save the Day". Critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. Rolling Stone said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating".MAGAZINE, Vince, Aletti,weblink Review: Whitney, Rolling Stone, August 13, 1987, March 16, 2011, June 28, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110628230956weblink">weblink dead, The album nonetheless enjoyed commercial success. Houston became the first woman in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and the first artist ever to enter number one in the US and UK, while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album would stay at number one on the Billboard 200 for its first eleven weeks, a record by a female artist that remains so to this day.WEB,weblink Chart Check [Billboard 200]: SZA Joins Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey As Only Black Women To Have 10-Week Runs at #1, March 4, 2023, June 3, 2023, WEB,weblink First solo female to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, Guinness World Records, June 27, 1987, June 10, 2023, The album's first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", released a month earlier in May, 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, West Germany and the UK. To date, the single has sold over 14 million copies worldwide.WEB,weblink PERFECT PLANNING MAKES WHITNEY NO. 1 AGAIN, Chicago Tribune, August 6, 1987, February 11, 2024, Following that single was three more singles, "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", all of which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. With this feat, Houston became the first recording artist in history to earn seven consecutive number one hits, besting the previous record of six, held by the Beatles and the Bee Gees. Houston remains the only artist to ever accomplish this feat as of 2024.MAGAZINE, Whitney Breaks Record For Consecutive No. 1 Tunes, Jet,weblink May 2, 1988, 54, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, BOOK, Billboard,weblink May 13, 2000, 104, 0006-2510, In addition, Houston also became the first female artist to generate four number one singles off 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.WEB,weblink This Day in Black History: June 27, 1987, BET.com, December 7, 2019, December 7, 2019,weblink dead, The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 1988 ceremony. Houston would eventually win her second Grammy that year in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)".MAGAZINE, Battle and Jackson Top Grammy Award Nominees, Jet,weblink February 1, 1988, 56, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, MAGAZINE, Blacks Turn Grammys Into A Show Biz Extravaganza, Jet,weblink March 21, 1988, 52, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, In addition, Houston would win four American Music Awards for her work on the album.MAGAZINE, Anita Baker, Whitney Houston Top Black Winners At Recent American Music Awards Show, Jet,weblink February 15, 1988, 60, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, MAGAZINE, Houston, D. J. Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Jackson Top American Music Awards, Jet,weblink February 20, 1989, 55, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, She also won her first Soul Train Music Award when the album won for best R&B album by a female artist.NEWS,weblink Showtime: Jackson is top winner at Soul Train Awards, The Washington Afro American, African-American News & Information Consortium, April 5, 1988, June 28, 2010, 6C, In addition, the album also won Houston six Billboard Awards.Just a month after the album's release, Houston launched her second world tour, the Moment of Truth World Tour at Tampa Stadium in July 1987. The tour eventually ended its North American leg as one of the ten highest-grossing concert tours of the year and the highest-grossing of the year by a female performer, topping tours by both Madonna and Tina Turner.MacDonald, Patrick. "U2, Bon Jovi were top concert acts of 1987". The Seattle Times. January 15, 1988. Page 5. Retrieved May 16, 2008.WEB,weblink U2's $35-Million Gross Is Highest for '87 Tour, Los Angeles Times, January 23, 1988, Robert Hilburn, December 6, 2022, Houston would eventually toured 150 dates throughout the nearly two-year tour, including eight sold out dates at London's Wembley Arena. The singer's unprecedented successes helped her to earn notices on Forbes magazine. In 1987, she was ranked the eighth highest-ranking entertainer of the year on its Forbes 40 list, earning $43 million in that year alone.MAGAZINE, Cosby's $84 Million Makes Him Richest Entertainer, Jet,weblink September 28, 1987, 52–53, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, The highest-earning musician and highest black female entertainer on the list, she was only the third highest after Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy. In 1988, she ranked 17th."Forbes Names Jackson as the Best-Paid Star 5 Women, 3 Boxers on List of 40 Celebrities". Los Angeles Times. September 19, 1988. Page 2.MAGAZINE, Michael Jackson Earns $97 Million To Become Highest Paid Entertainer, Jet,weblink October 3, 1988, 12, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, she refused to work with agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston Uses Fame To Help Good Causes, Jet,weblink June 20, 1988, 59, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, NEWS, Jim, Gilchrist,weblink Diva Will Always Love Limelight, The Scotsman, August 23, 2009, January 12, 2010, Edinburgh, UK, On June 11, 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston joined other musicians to perform a set at Wembley Stadium 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.NEWS,weblink Pop Music's Homage to Mandela, Watrous, Peter, June 13, 1988, The New York Times, Houston then flew back to the US for a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August. The show was a benefit concert that raised a quarter of a million dollars for the United Negro College Fund.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston's Concert Raises $250,000 For UNCF, Jet,weblink September 19, 1988, 54, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, In the same year, she recorded a song for NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics, "One Moment in Time", which became a Top 5 hit in the US, while reaching number one in the UK and Germany.MAGAZINE, Whitney, Aretha On Summer Olympics Album, Jet,weblink September 12, 1988, 59, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, WEB,weblink 1988 UK Number Ones, number-ones.co.uk, January 12, 2010, WEB,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20140707100451weblink">weblink dead, July 7, 2014, October 24, 1988 Single Top 100, charts.de, October 24, 1988, January 12, 2010, The song later won Houston and her producer Narada Michael Walden a Sports Emmy Award.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's 'One Moment in Time': The Anatomy of an Olympic Anthem, August 5, 2016, Tufayel, Ahmed, Newsweek, June 19, 2023, In January 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.WEB,weblink Abou, May 18, 2023, WEB,weblink Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, April 22, 2017, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141007082548weblink">weblink October 7, 2014, The organization now functions under the name, the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation.

1990–1991: I'm Your Baby Tonight and "The Star-Spangled Banner"

(File:Whitney Houston 90s.jpg|thumb|Houston in 1990)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".EPISODE, A History of Soul Music, VH1, October 18, 2007, They felt her singing on record lacked the soul that was present during her live concerts.MAGAZINE, Duckett Cain, Joy, December 2003, The Soul of Whitney, Essence, At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, when Houston's name was called out for a nomination, a few in the audience jeered.MAGAZINE, Ebony, Ebony,weblink May 1991, 112, 0012-9011, 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."Houston took a more urban direction with her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, released in November 1990. The first album in which she served as executive producer and exerted creative control for the first time in her career, Houston chose mostly black producers such as the team of L.A. Reid and Babyface, as well as Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder, while maintaining Narada Michael Walden as one of the main producers. The album showed Houston's versatility on a new batch of tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads and uptempo dance tracks. Reviews were mixed. Rolling Stone felt it was her "best and most integrated album",MAGAZINE, James, Hunter,weblink Review: I'm Your Baby Tonight, Rolling Stone, January 10, 1991, March 16, 2011, February 16, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120216213000weblink">weblink dead, while Entertainment Weekly, at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial".WEB, Browne, David,weblink Music Review: I'm Your Baby Tonight, Entertainment Weekly, November 23, 1990, March 16, 2011, February 16, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120216232023weblink">weblink dead, Reaching number three on the Billboard 200, the album stayed inside the top ten for 22 weeks, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 1991. The album also became Houston's second number one album on the Top R&B Albums chart, staying there for eight consecutive weeks. The album launched six singles, three of which - "I'm Your Baby Tonight", "All the Man That I Need" and "Miracle", made the top ten, with the former two topping the Billboard Hot 100. That feat helped Houston become the first female solo artist to have multiple number one singles off three or more albums.MAGAZINE,weblink The Weeknd Matches Michael Jackson for Hot 100 history, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, Trust, Gary, March 10, 2023, June 20, 2023, {{efn|Along with Houston, the other acts who have done this include the Supremes, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and The Weeknd.}} The fourth single, "My Name Is Not Susan", peaked inside the top 20, while the latter two - "I Belong to You" and "We Didn't Know", a duet with Wonder, was only issued to R&B stations. It became Houston's third album to yield five or more top ten singles on the R&B chart. The album would be certified four times platinum in the US for sales of four million copies, while shipping 10 million copies worldwide.MAGAZINE,weblink Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs, Rolling Stone, Jordan, Runtagh, September 15, 2017, October 10, 2017, October 19, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171019161624weblink">weblink dead, The album would eventually win Houston eight Billboard awards, including four trophies at the actual Billboard Music Awards in December 1991, including Top R&B Artist. Three of the songs, including "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need", received Grammy nominations. The remix to "My Name Is Not Susan", with British rapper Monie Love, marked one of the first instances of a remix of a pop song to feature a rapper.WEB,weblink Monie Love Talks About Her First New Solo Project in 30 Years, BET, April 6, 2023, June 19, 2023, A bonus track from the album's Japanese edition, "Higher Love", was remixed by Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo and released posthumously in 2019 to commercial success. It topped the US Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number two in the UK, becoming Houston's highest-charting single in the country since 1999.WEB, Copsey, Rob,weblink Higher Love is now Whitney Houston's longest-running single ever on the Top 100 Official UK Singles Chart, Official Charts Company, February 28, 2020, May 20, 2021, File:Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 7a.JPEG|thumb|upright=1.1|Houston performing "Welcome Home Heroes concert in 1991">alt=During the Persian Gulf War, on January 27, 1991, Houston performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", the US national anthem, at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium.NEWS,weblink Pop View; Caution: Now Entering The War Zone, Pareles, Jon, February 24, 1991, October 5, 2008, The New York Times, Houston's vocals were pre-recorded, prompting criticism.MAGAZINE,weblink Jet, March 18, 1991, Google Books, 60, Whitney Houston Did Not Lip-Sync National Anthem, WEB,weblink Spokane Chronicle - Google News Archive Search, news.google.com, WEB,weblink The Daily Gazette - Google News Archive Search, news.google.com, NEWS, Luchina, Fisher, Sheila, Marikar, Hudson's Super Bowl Lip-Sync No Surprise to Insiders, ABC News, February 3, 2009, January 22, 2013,weblink Dan Klores, a spokesman for Houston, said: "This is not a Milli Vanilli 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."NEWS,weblink Was Whitney live, or was she Memorex?, The Daily Gazette Co., Associated Press, March 5, 1991, March 31, 2011, A6, 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.{{efn|José Feliciano's version reached number 50 in November 1968.}}MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston's Star Spangled Banner To Be Released On Cassette, Jet,weblink February 18, 1991, 31, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, BOOK, Steven, Otfinoski, Steven Otfinoski, African Americans in the performing arts,weblink February 12, 2012, April 1, 2010, Infobase Publishing, 978-0-8160-7838-7, 116–, Houston donated her share of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund and was named to the Red Cross Board of Governors.MAGAZINE, Houston Raises $500,000 For Red Cross; Named To Its Board Of Governors, Jet,weblink June 17, 1991, 37, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, Blair, Tom. "The village verbiage collector". The San Diego Union. May 23, 1991. Page B1. Her rendition was critically acclaimed and is considered the benchmark for singers;NEWS,weblink Jennifer Hudson delivers on Super Bowl stage, The Washington Times, News World Media Development, February 2, 2009, March 27, 2011, VH1 listed the performance as one of the greatest moments that rocked TV.WEB,weblink 100 Greatest Moments That Rocked TV (20–1), VH1, December 27, 2021, May 29, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080529034954weblink">weblink dead, Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 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.WEB,weblink Gold & Platinum â€“ Search Results for "The Star Spangled Banner" single and its video single, Recording Industry Association of America, October 3, 2001, March 17, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130725045044weblink">weblink July 25, 2013, mdy-all, Later in 1991, Houston put together her Welcome Home Heroes concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch.Smith, Patricia. "Mom, apple pie and Whitney Houston in concert for troops" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725032104weblink |date=July 25, 2013 }}. The Boston Globe April 1, 1991. The show gave HBO its highest ratings ever.Hodges, Anne. "Hope opens his home to U.S. troops". Houston Chronicle April 6, 1991. Houston then embarked on her third world tour, the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour, which Houston would give 96 shows, including a historic ten date sold-out residency at Wembley Arena in London. The concert tour produced mixed to positive reviews. While The Sun Sentinel argued that Houston should've opted for smaller venues and theaters that were "far more suitable to her sophistication and talent",Wilker, Deborah. "Whitney Houston: Bigger – but better?" Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. June 13, 1991. Page 3E. USA Today praised Houston for "shak[ing] the confinements of her recordings' calculated productions and gets downright gutsy and soulful"Jones, James T. "Whitney is so emotional, soulful in concert". USA Today. April 19, 1991. Page 01D.

1992–1994: The Bodyguard

With the success of her music, Houston received offers of film work, including work with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones and Spike Lee, but she did not feel the time was right.MAGAZINE, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, May 1991, Lynn, Norment,weblink Whitney Houston Talks About The Men In Her Life – And The Rumors, Lies And Insults That Are The High Price Of Fame, 46, 7, 0012-9011, 111–118, 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) to protect her. Houston's mainstream appeal allowed audiences to look past the interracial nature of her character's relationship with Costner's character.MAGAZINE, Entertainment Weekly,weblink Up close with Whitney Houston, Meredith, Berkman, February 5, 1993, July 28, 2019, August 9, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140809012013weblink">weblink dead, However, controversy arose as some felt Houston's face had been intentionally left out of the advertising to hide the film's interracial relationship. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, Houston said that "people know who Whitney Houston is â€“ I'm black. You can't hide that fact." The film received mixed reviews. Writing for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley wrote that Houston was merely "playing herself", but came out "largely unscathed if that is possible in so cockamamie an undertaking".NEWS, Rita, Kempley,weblink The Bodyguard, The Washington Post, November 25, 1992, October 30, 2011, Janet Maslin of The New York Times felt Houston lacked chemistry with Costner.NEWS, The New York Times,weblink Janet, Maslin, Review/Film: The Bodyguard; Tragic Flaw Meets Pampered Pop Star Over Multiple Risks, November 25, 1992, October 29, 2011, Houston was nominated for a Razzie Award but also received favorable acting nods, including a nomination for Outstanding Actress at the NAACP Image Awards, four acting nods at the 1993 MTV Movie Awards and a People's Choice Award nod for Favorite Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture.WEB,weblink People's Choice noms out, Variety (magazine), Variety, February 3, 1993, June 3, 2023, WEB,weblink A look back at 1993 and the second annual MTV Movie Awards, Uproxx, April 14, 2013, June 3, 2023, Upon its release, The Bodyguard grossed more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 highest-grossing films in history at its time of release.WEB,weblink All Time Box Office Domestic Grosses, Box Office Mojo, January 12, 2010, It remains in the top forty of most successful R-rated films in box office history.WEB,weblink The Bodyguard - Box Office Mojo, December 6, 2022, The film's soundtrack also enjoyed success. Houston executive produced the soundtrack along with Davis and recorded six songs for the album.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston Estate to Reissue 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack for 25th Anniversary, Bianca, Garwood, October 13, 2017, EBONY, WEB,weblink Deep 10: Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album, November 17, 2016, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, September 7, 2021, Chuck, Crisafulli, Rolling Stone described it as "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane".MAGAZINE, CD review digest, Jazz, popular, etc, 1994, 7, 4, Peri Press, 174, The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton 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 (wikt:tour de force|tour-de-force).MAGAZINE, Rolling Stone,weblink 100 Greatest Singers of All Time (2008), December 3, 2010, March 17, 2011, NEWS, USA Today, subscription, James T. Jones IV,weblink'+album&pqatl=google, Houston heroic on 'Bodyguard' album, November 17, 1992, September 25, 2010, dead,weblink July 25, 2012, The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts for fourteen and eleven weeks respectively, record-setting numbers at the time, while also topping the Adult Contemporary chart for five weeks, resulting in her fourth record-setting "triple-crown" number one single.NEWS, Chicago Tribune, Jan, DeKnock,weblink Whitney Houston Hits 4th 'Triple', January 15, 1993, March 17, 2011, {{efn|Houston shares the feat with singer Lionel Richie.}} The single was later certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of ten million copies, becoming Houston's first diamond single. She posthumously joined singers Taylor Swift and Mariah Carey as only the third female artist to earn both a diamond single and album.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston Joins Taylor Swift And Mariah Carey In An Extremely Rare Musical Feat, Forbes, January 12, 2022, February 4, 2022, In January 1993, the song became the first single by a solo artist in US history to sell four million copies, later being certified 4x platinum by the RIAA and becoming the bestselling single in US history, a feat later surpassed by Elton John's "Candle in the Wind '97". It remains the bestselling US physical single in history by a female recording artist.BOOK, Billboard,weblink April 11, 1998, 10, 0006-2510, MAGAZINE, Gary, Trust,weblink Battle of the Divas, Round 3, Billboard, August 28, 2009, September 25, 2010, MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Is Certified Diamond by RIAA, Billboard, January 13, 2022, February 4, 2022, WEB,weblink Best-selling single by a female artist (US), Guinness World Records, June 20, 2023, The song was a global success, topping the charts in almost all countries. With 24 million copies sold, it became the best-selling single ever by a female solo artist.NEWS, FIVE FAST FACTS ABOUT WHITNEY HOUSTON,weblink Houston Symphony, May 26, 2013, December 2, 2014, WEB,weblink's%20hit%20single%20I%20Will,actually%20written%20by%20Dolly%20Parton., 5 Things About Whitney Houston, February 23, 2023, en-US, December 2, 2023, Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You".WEB,weblink Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, rockonthenet.com, In addition, it won the MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Film, two American Music Awards in the favorite pop and soul song categories and two Soul Train Music Awards, including best single by a woman and song of the year. The soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart and remained there for 20 weeks. It remains the second longest cumulative number one album by a female artist on the chart after singer Adele's 21. The soundtrack also became one of the fastest-selling albums in history.BOOK, Billboard,weblink May 13, 2000, 110, 0006-2510, During Christmas week of 1992, it sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album in music history to achieve that feat under the Nielsen SoundScan system.NEWS, Aleene, MacMinn,weblink Morning Report: Pop/Rock, Los Angeles Times, December 31, 1992, September 1, 2010, "Whitney Houston gets a boost from Bodyguard". The Globe and Mail. January 1, 1993. Page C6. Houston released four more singles from the soundtrack. Two of which, "I'm Every Woman" and "I Have Nothing", both reaching the top five. On the week of March 13, 1993, Houston became the first solo artist in history to ever have three singles in the top 11 simultaneously and the first artist in general to do so since the beginning of SoundScan.MAGAZINE,weblink Billboard Hot 100 (the week of March 13, 1993), Billboard (magazine), Billboard, March 13, 1993, June 19, 2023, NEWS, Chicago Tribune, DeKnock, Jan,weblink Houston Still Plugged In As Contender, March 19, 1993, October 29, 2011, O, BOOK, Billboard,weblink December 8, 2001, 85, 0006-2510, BOOK, Billboard,weblink February 13, 2012, March 13, 1993, 134–, 0006-2510, Both "I'm Every Woman" and "I Have Nothing" hit number one in other Billboard charts, with the former topping the Dance Club Songs chart, and the latter becoming Houston's tenth number one song on the adult contemporary chart. "Run to You" was released, peaking at number 31 on the Hot 100, while a remix of "Queen of the Night" made number one on the dance chart. On November 3, 1993, Houston made history again when The Bodyguard became the first album by a female artist to be certified ten times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, which also made it technically the first album by a female artist to be certified Diamond. It has since gone on to sell more than 18 million copies alone in the United States, with total sales reaching 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album by a female artist ever and also the best-selling soundtrack album in history,WEB,weblink 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack: 25 Years After Whitney Houston's Masterpiece, Grammy Awards, June 21, 2023, Billy, Johnson Jr, November 8, 2017, earning Houston several Guinness World Records.The Bodyguard Soundtrack worldwide sales:

• NEWS,weblink American Music Awards: Christina Aguilera to Honor Whitney Houston With 'Bodyguard' Tribute, The Hollywood Reporter, October 30, 2017, January 3, 2019, Nordyke, Kimberly,
• NEWS,weblink Exclusive: Whitney Houston's 'Bodyguard' turns 25 with never-before-seen performance, USA Today, November 9, 2017, January 3, 2019, Ryan, Patrick,
• NEWS,weblink Deep 10: Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, May 15, 2017, January 3, 2019, Crisafulli, Chuck,
• NEWS,weblink Christina Aguilera Will Honor Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard's 25th Anniversary at the 2017 AMAs, E! News, October 30, 2017, January 3, 2019, Johnson, Zach,
• MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston Estate to Reissue 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack for 25th Anniversary, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, October 13, 2017, January 3, 2019, Garwood, Bianca,

Houston won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the soundtrack, making her just the second black female artist to win in the category after Natalie Cole won it in 1992 for her album, Unforgettable... with Love.WEB,weblink This Is How The Biggest Movie Soundtrack Of All Time Got Made, BuzzFeed News, November 21, 2017, September 7, 2021, Alessa, Dominguez, Houston won a record eight American Music Awards, with the album winning in the pop, R&B and adult contemporary album categories, the only album in its history to do so. Houston also received its highest honor, the Award of Merit, becoming at thirty, the youngest female recipient.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston Eight American Music Awards Make Her Top Female Winner, Jet,weblink February 28, 1994, 56, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, {{efn|The youngest recipient of the Award of Merit remains Michael Jackson, who won it in January 1984 at the age of 25.}} In addition, the album also won Houston a record fifteen Billboard awards, including 11 at the actual ceremony, three Soul Train Music Awards, including the Sammy Davis, Jr. Award as Entertainer of the Year,MAGAZINE, Billboard, J.R., Reynolds,weblink The Rhythm and the Blues: 8th Soul Train Awards Are Aglow With Stellar Performances, Star Appearances, 106, 13, 34, March 26, 1994, June 29, 2010, 0006-2510, five NAACP Image Awards including Entertainer of the Year,MAGAZINE, The Crisis, Denise, Crittendon,weblink Stars Shine At The NAACP Image Awards, 101, 2, 34, 0011-1422, February–March 1994, MAGAZINE, Billboard, J.R., Reynolds,weblink The Rhythm and the Blues: Tupac's Loss May Preserve Awards' Image; New Indies Form Out West And Down South, 106, 3, 15, January 15, 1994, June 29, 2010, 0006-2510, NEWS, Los Angeles Times, Marisa, Leonardi,weblink Michael Jackson Shares Whitney Houston's Spotlight, Honors: Houston wins five NAACP Image Awards, but Jackson gets cheers in a show marked by controversy, January 7, 1994, June 29, 2010, a record five World Music Awards,MAGAZINE, Billboard, Mark, Dezzani,weblink World Music Awards Gaining Stature, 106, 21, 41, May 21, 1994, June 29, 2010, 0006-2510, a Juno Award and a BRIT award.WEB,weblink The BRITs 1994 Winners & Nominees, British Phonographic Industry, February 14, 1994, June 29, 2010, Nine years after she first appeared on the charts, Houston was a cover story for Rolling Stone, appearing on the June 10, 1993, issue.File:Whitney Houston performs at state dinner for Mandela in 1994 2.png|alt=|thumb|Houston performing at a state dinner in the White House honoring then-South African president Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaFollowing the success of The Bodyguard, Houston embarked on another expansive global tour (The Bodyguard World Tour) in 1993–94. Her concerts, movie and recording grosses made her the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993–94, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to Forbes."Spielberg Dethrones Oprah As Highest-Paid Entertainer" The San Francisco Chronicle. September 12, 1994. Page C16. Houston placed in the top five of Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s annual "Entertainer of the Year" rankingNEWS, San Francisco Chronicle, Steven Spielberg Is Mr. Entertainer, December 24, 1994, D11, and was labeled by Premiere magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood.NEWS, Telegram & Gazette, Jim, Keogh, Few women producers make the top 100 list, April 15, 1993, C2, In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela.NEWS, USA Today, Kelly, Katy, Greeting Mandela with elegance and esteem, October 5, 1994, D02, NEWS, The Free Lance–Star, October 5, 1994, June 12, 2011,weblink White House Lionizes Mandela, Nita, Lelyveld, A8, 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.NEWS, Cincinnati Post, Paeth, Greg, HBO worth seeing, November 9, 1994, 7B, 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".MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney In South Africa, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, 50, 4, 116–124, February 1995, 0012-9011, After two performances in Brunei and Singapore early in 1995, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work in June of that year.BOOK, Billboard,weblink February 15, 2012, July 15, 1995, 38–, 0006-2510,

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

In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon in her second film, Waiting to Exhale, 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,WEB,weblink Waiting to Exhale (1995), Box Office Mojo, March 2, 1996, June 13, 2010, 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 and the Tyler Perry movies that became popular in the 2000s.BOOK,weblink African American Filmmakers, African American Films: A Bibliography of Materials in the UC Berkeley Library, Berkeley, CA, UC Berkeley Library, February 15, 2008, MAGAZINE, Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca,weblink Back in the Groove?, Entertainment Weekly, August 14, 1998, February 20, 2020, December 8, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141208001109weblink">weblink dead, MAGAZINE, LaPorte, Nicole,weblink Diary of a Mad Niche Hit, Variety, March 6, 2005, February 20, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090308073005weblink">weblink March 8, 2009, dead, The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens rather than as stereotypes.MAGAZINE, Jack E., White, Heavy Breathing, January 15, 1996, Time,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080528223545weblink">weblink dead, May 28, 2008, March 17, 2007, 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."NEWS, Stephen, Holden, December 22, 1995, December 1, 2014,weblink Waiting to Exhale (1995) Film Review;4 Divas Have Lots Of Fun Telling Off Mr. Wrong, The New York Times, Houston was nominated for a second acting NAACP Image Awards nod for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in the film, but lost to her co-star Bassett.MAGAZINE, The Crisis,weblink The 27th NAAPC Image Awards Official Ballot, 103, 2, February 3, 1996, November 19, 2014, 20–22, 0011-1422, The film's accompanying soundtrack was written and produced by Babyface and was executive produced by Houston and Clive Davis. Though Babyface 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.MAGAZINE, Christopher John, Farley, No More Prissy, December 4, 1995, Time,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080528223545weblink">weblink dead, May 28, 2008, March 17, 2007, Consequently, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" became just the third single in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" and Mariah Carey's "Fantasy".WEB,weblink 'Waiting To Exhale' Celebrates 15 Years Today, BET.com, Clay, Cane, December 21, 2010, September 7, 2021, August 15, 2021,weblink dead, {{efn|It also became the first song from a soundtrack to debut at number one and is only one of four soundtrack songs to do so, the others being Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", both released in 1998 and Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling!" in 2016.}} It would be Houston's eleventh and final number one single in her lifetime. It also would spend a record eleven consecutive 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 song Houston co-wrote and composed with her brother Michael and Babyface and made into a duet with longtime friend CeCe Winans, hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and later won Houston two ASCAP Awards, a BMI Award and two Grammy Award nominations including Best Song Written for Visual Media. A third Houston single, and the last song from the soundtrack to be released, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", reached number 26 on the Hot 100. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 in January 1996 and would later be certified seven-times platinum in the United States, with total worldwide sales reaching 12 million. 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"BOOK, Entertainment Weekly, December 1, 1995, 73, and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks.MAGAZINE, Chris, Willman, 100 Best Movie Soundtracks, October 12, 2001, Entertainment Weekly,weblink March 17, 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141209174030weblink">weblink December 9, 2014, dead, Houston would win two American Music Awards at the 1997 ceremony for the soundtrack including Top Soundtrack and for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington. She plays the gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). It was largely an updated remake of the 1948 film The Bishop's Wife, which starred Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant. 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.NEWS, Laurence, Charles, The Arts: The gospel according to Whitney, The Daily Telegraph, December 14, 1996, The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning about $50 million at the U.S. box offices.WEB, IMDb,weblink Box office / Business for "The Preacher's Wife", December 13, 1996, February 15, 2008, The movie gave Houston the strongest reviews of her acting career. 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".NEWS, Stack, Peter,weblink Human Comedy's Divine in 'Preacher's Wife', San Francisco Chronicle, December 13, 1996, Houston won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in the film.MAGAZINE, Jet,weblink Ebony's 50th Anniversary Show, Denzel Washington Among NAACP Image Award Winners, 95, 15, 60–61, March 3, 1997, November 19, 2014, 0021-5996, For the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack, Houston co-produced nine of the album's fifteen tracks with Mervyn Warren. Six of the more traditional gospel material was recorded with the Georgia Mass Choir at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also recorded a duet with Shirley Caesar and the soundtrack also featured her mother Cissy Houston. Upon its release, it became the first gospel album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston Chart History: Top Gospel Albums, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, July 16, 2023, The album sold six million copies worldwide, including three million alone in the United States, becoming the best-selling gospel album ever.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston 1996 Interview Sheds Light on Movie Career, Personal Demons, Gary, Susman, February 13, 2012, December 1, 2014, Moviefone, AOL,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141129045846weblink">weblink November 29, 2014, dead, The album featured two hit singles, the Grammy-nominated "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step". In addition to its commercial success, it was also received positively by critics. The album itself was nominated for the Best R&B Album at the 1998 Grammys. However, Houston snubbed the ceremony due to the album not getting a gospel nomination.WEB,weblink Whitney May Pass on Grammys Over Gospel Snub, MTV, February 18, 1998, June 19, 2023, {{efn|Houston told Entertainment Tonight, "basically it was my gospel album, and it was excluded from the gospel category altogether. I'm not going this year... I'm sick of work being done and people not recognizing it."}} That year, Houston received two Dove Awards for the album, including Best Traditional Gospel Recorded Song for "I Go to the Rock", while also receiving the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist alongside the Georgia Mass Choir.In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions from Houston Productions and was joined by Debra Martin Chase. 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.MAGAZINE, Whitney Scores As Producer and Star, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, November 1997, September 7, 2021,weblink Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the film as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened.NEWS, Purdum, Todd S.,weblink Television; The Slipper Still Fits, Though the Style Is New, The New York Times, November 2, 1997, The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and non-stereotypical message.MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney & Brandy in Cinderella, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, November 1997, September 7, 2021, An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years.NEWS, Carter, Bill, TV Notes; Happy Ending For 'Cinderella', The New York Times, 7, November 5, 1997,weblink The movie received seven Emmy 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. Houston was to play Dandridge, the first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Houston wanted the story told with dignity and honor. However, Halle Berry also had rights to the project and got her version going first.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston To Take On "Christie Love, MTV News, April 9, 1997, Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols, such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick, 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.NEWS,weblink Streetwise Houston tries new approach Singer's tour hits town Monday, July 3, 1999, The Washington Times, Article ID: R00018180056, In February 1998, Houston, 34, received the Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements in the field of entertainment at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.MAGAZINE, Billboard, Anita M., Samuels,weblink Badu Heads Soul Train; Singer Picks Up 4 Awards, 110, 11, 10, March 14, 1998, June 30, 2010, 0006-2510, WEB,weblink Soul Train Music Awards Library: 1998 The 12th Soul Train Music Awards, Don Cornelius Productions, Inc, February 27, 1998, June 30, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130725073904weblink">weblink July 25, 2013,

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

By 1998, Houston hadn't recorded a full-length studio album in eight years. During discussion over a possible greatest hits album with Clive Davis, however, it was agreed that Houston should return to the studio for a brand new album instead. Recorded and mixed in a six-week period - fastest for any Houston recording - Houston released the album, My Love Is Your Love, on November 17, 1998. The album featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. Led by the Academy Award-winning duet, "When You Believe",WEB,weblink The 71st Academy Awards (1999) Nominees and Winners, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, March 21, 1999, October 29, 2011, with singer Mariah Carey off the Prince of Egypt soundtrack in a week full of star-studded releases, the album debuted and peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 200, while later topping the European Top 100 Albums chart for six weeks, starting in August 1999.MAGAZINE, Billboard,weblink The Billboard 200 chart listing for the week of December 5, 1998, 126, 110, 49, 0006-2510, December 5, 1998, October 29, 2011, MAGAZINE,weblink Eurochart Hot 100 Singles / European Top 100 Albums, Music & Media, 16, 34, 21 August 1999, 11–12, 29800226, World Radio History, The album gave Houston some of her strongest reviews ever. Rolling Stone said Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice"MAGAZINE, Vibe, Vibe Vixen,weblink April 1999, 60, 1070-4701, and The Village Voice called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far".WEB, Vince, Aletti,weblink Look Who's Ticking, The Village Voice, December 8, 1998, September 7, 2021, Billboard magazine noted the album had a "funkier and edgier sound than past releases" and saw Houston "handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B, reggae, torch songs and ballads all with great dexterity."MAGAZINE, Billboard,weblink Houston Finds a New Groove with Arista Set, Melinda, Newman, 1, 86, 110, 44, 0006-2510, October 31, 1998, October 29, 2011, The album launched five top 40 singles in the Billboard Hot 100, including three top five singles, "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and "My Love Is Your Love". "When You Believe" peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 while the album's final single, "I Learned from the Best", reached No. 27. The album would itself stay on the charts for more than two years and would later be certified four times platinum in the US for sales of four million copies, moving 11 million copies globally altogether. Four of the five singles reached number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart thanks to remixes by the likes of Hex Hector, Junior Vasquez and Thunderpuss. In Europe, the title track became massively successful, topping the Eurochart Hot 100 and selling over three million copies worldwide.MAGAZINE, Billboard,weblink "My Love Is Your Love" single; triple platinum worldwide, 137, 111, 47, November 20, 1999, September 25, 2010, 0006-2510, In February 2000, Houston won her sixth and final competitive Grammy for "It's Not Right but It's Okay" in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston - Grammy History, Grammy Awards, June 19, 2023, The European success of the album helped it to win the MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B.NEWS,weblink Entertainment: Dublin gears up for MTV show, BBC News, November 11, 1999, July 3, 2010, MAGAZINE,weblink Spears Tops 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, November 12, 1999, July 2, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121105153513weblink">weblink November 5, 2012, WEB, Brian, Ives,weblink Bono Honored As Britney Spears Dominates MTV Europe Awards, MTV Network, November 12, 1999, July 3, 2010, Houston earned four additional Grammy nominations for the album and the music video for "Heartbreak Hotel" gave Houston her first MTV Video Music Award nomination in 13 years.WEB,weblink 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Network, September 9, 1999, July 3, 2010, In 1999, Houston participated in VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70-date My Love Is Your Love World Tour. While the North American leg was plagued by cancellations with Houston's publicist citing "throat problems and a 'bronchitis situation'",NEWS,weblink US city makes $100,000 Whitney claim, BBC News, August 26, 1999, March 3, 2018, the European leg became hugely successful ending the year as the highest-grossing arena tour of the year in Europe.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston World Tour '99 Becomes Europe's Highest Grossing Arena Tour of the Year, AllBusiness.com, October 19, 1999, October 29, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090725205420weblink">weblink July 25, 2009, In November 1999, the Recording Industry Association of America hosted its Century Awards and named Houston the top-selling R&B female artist of the century with certified US sales of 51 million records at the time while the soundtrack to The Bodyguard received awards for being the top-selling soundtrack album of the century and the best-selling album of the century by a female artist.WEB,weblink The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century, Recording Industry Association of America, November 10, 1999, July 23, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110724032619weblink">weblink July 24, 2011, In March 2000, Houston earned a special honor at the 2000 Soul Train Music Awards as the female artist of the decade for her extraordinary artistic contributions during the 1990s.WEB, David, Basham,weblink TLC Nominated For Three Soul Train Music Awards, MTV, February 11, 2000, July 4, 2010, MAGAZINE, Billboard, Gail, Mitchell,weblink TLC Rides Soul Train, March 18, 2000, July 4, 2010, 0006-2510, 112, 12, 20, 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.MAGAZINE, Billboard,weblink The Billboard 200 chart listing for the week of June 3, 2000, 116, 112, 23, 0006-2510, June 3, 2000, October 29, 2011, In addition, the album reached the Top 10 in many other countries.MAGAZINE, Billboard, Hits of the World,weblink 72–73, 112, 25, June 17, 2000, October 29, 2011, 0006-2510, While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album features house/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" 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.MAGAZINE, Billboard,weblink Reviews & Previews: Spotlight, 26, 112, 21, 0006-2510, May 20, 2000, October 29, 2011, 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.WEB, Steve, Huey,weblink Whitney: The Greatest Hits review, AllMusic, October 29, 2011, The set was later certified five times platinum in the US for sales of five million copies, while worldwide sales reached 11 million.MAGAZINE,weblink Florida Orchestra Sues Arista Over Anthem, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, December 17, 2001, October 29, 2011,

2000–2008: Just Whitney and personal struggles

File:Whitney Houston 2000.jpg|thumb|upright|Houston outside the Capitol HillCapitol HillThough Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, her behavior had changed by 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.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston biography, Rolling Stone, 2012,weblink February 12, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091209024845weblink">weblink December 9, 2009, 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 marijuana in Houston's handbag at Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii, but she departed before authorities could arrive.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston reportedly Escapes Drug Arrest in Hawaii, Vanhorn, Teri, January 17, 2000, MTV News, WEB,weblink Whitney Houston Faces Charges, September 29, 2000, CBS News, en-US, Charges against her were later dropped,WEB, TCM Breaking News,weblink Fears for Whitney Houston Grow, September 11, 2001,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090924054858weblink">weblink September 24, 2009, but rumors of drug usage by Houston and Brown would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but was a no-show.MAGAZINE, Andrew, Dansby,weblink Whitney Insider Tells of Drug Use, Failed Intervention, Rolling Stone, June 7, 2000, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090527083340weblink">weblink May 27, 2009, 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"; though she was supposed to perform "Over the Rainbow", she would sing a different song during rehearsals.Movie & TV News @ IMDb, "Houston's Oscar Confusion" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325203750weblink |date=March 25, 2017 }}, December 23, 2004. Houston was replaced at that Oscar telecast by singer Faith Hill. Houston later admitted she had been fired.Diane Sawyer, Interview, ABC Primetime, December 4, 2002 (transcript available here weblink" title="https:/-/web.archive.org/web/20120214082903weblink">weblink).In May 2000, Houston's longtime executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company. In 2019, Crawford said she had left after Houston declined to seek help for her drug dependency.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston First Tried Cocaine at 14 Years Old Says Best Friend Robyn Crawford in New Memoir, People, November 7, 2019, September 7, 2021, Liz, McNeil, 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/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to release six new albums, for which she would also earn royalties.MAGAZINE, Lafranco, Robert, Binelli, Mark, Goodman, Fred,weblink The Rolling Stone Money Report, Rolling Stone, July 4, 2002, January 15, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070204053142weblink">weblink February 4, 2007, MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston Signs $100 Million Contract with Arista Records, 18, Jet (magazine), Jet, August 20, 2001, MAGAZINE, Billboard, Mitchell, Gail, Arista Aims New Houston Album At 'Core Urban' Fans, December 14, 2002, 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."NEWS, Knolle, Sharon, Reports of Whitney Houston's Death Denied, September 13, 2001, ABC News,weblink July 27, 2019, In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston acknowledged that drug use had been the reason for her weight loss.WEB, Winfrey, Oprah,weblinkweblink December 11, 2021, live, Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview, Oprah Winfrey Network, December 25, 2017, video, September 2009, {{cbignore}} She canceled a second performance scheduled for the following night.NEWS, Lynette, Holloway, In Switch, Whitney Houston Has to Sell an Album, The New York Times', November 11, 2002, C0009, Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was re-released after the September 11 attacks, with the proceeds donated to the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police.NEWS, Shaheem, Reid,weblink Whitney Houston's 'Star-Spangled Banner' To Wave Again, MTV Networks (Viacom (2005–present), Viacom), September 17, 2001, July 27, 2019, It reached No. 6 on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position.MAGAZINE, {{BillboardURLbyName, Whitney Houston, all, | title = Whitney Houston Billboard chart history |magazine=Billboard | access-date =October 29, 2011}}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.NEWS, Jennifer, Vineyard,weblink Whitney Houston Sued For $100 Million By Dad's Company, July 27, 2019, MTV, October 8, 2002, 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.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston is sued for $100 million by her father's entertainment company, Jet, October 28, 2002, 64, Houston's father later died in February 2003.NEWS, Friedman, Roger,weblink Whitney and Bobby No-Shows at Dad's Funeral, Fox News, February 10, 2003, July 27, 2019, The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing.NEWS,weblink Judge throws out Houston lawsuit, January 15, 2008, BBC News, April 15, 2004, 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 rumors that she was abusing crack cocaine, she said, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. 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 a mural that Keith Haring painted in 1986 on the handball court at 128th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan.WEB, Crack is Wack, 1986,weblink The Keith Haring Foundation, July 28, 2019, 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, Just Whitney. 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 Clive Davis, as Davis had been released by top management at BMG. Upon its release, Just Whitney received mixed reviews.WEB,weblink Just Whitney" by Whitney Houston, Metacritic, July 27, 2019, 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.MAGAZINE, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, September 2003, 186, 1070-4701, The four singles released from the album did not fare well on the Billboard Hot 100, but became dance chart hits. Just Whitney was certified platinum in the United States and sold about two million worldwide.WEB,weblink RIAA Certification Searchable Database, Recording Industry Association of America, Record Industry Association of America, January 10, 2003, January 13, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070626050454weblink">weblink June 26, 2007, MAGAZINE, Norment, Lynn, Ebony (magazine), Ebony, L.A. Reid: The Most Powerful Black In The Music Business, June 2003, 116–124, 0012-9011,weblink September 7, 2021, 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 Mervyn Warren 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.WEB, Live About,weblink Mark Edward, Nero, 10 Great R&B Christmas Songs, May 24, 2019, July 27, 2019, 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 World Music Awards in a tribute to long-time friend Clive Davis. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into the studio to work on her new album.NEWS, Cashmere, Paul,weblink Whitney Back With Clive Davis, September 17, 2004,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120709025508weblink">weblink July 9, 2012, In early 2004, Brown starred in his own reality TV program, Being Bobby Brown, on 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".Barry Garron, "'Being Bobby Brown' Is Disgusting", MSNBC, June 29, 2005. 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.Steve Rogers, "Report: Bravo's 'Being Bobby Brown' coming back for second season", RealityTV World, October 31, 2005. 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."Brown Reality Show Cancelled" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924145216weblink |date=September 24, 2018 }}, SFGate, The Daily Dish, January 10, 2007.

2009–2012: Return and I Look to You

File:Flickr Whitney Houston performing on GMA 2009 6.jpg|thumb|Houston performing "I Look to You" on alt=|upright=1.2Houston 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 Houston to Tell All On Oprah" CBS, August 20, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2019. Houston admitted on the show to having used drugs with Brown during their marriage; she said Brown had "laced marijuana with rock cocaine".WEB,weblink Whitney Houston â€“ Houston Details Drug Use: 'We Laced Marijuana With Rock Cocaine, Contact Music, September 15, 2009, July 27, 2019, She told Winfrey 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."NEWS, Nekesa Mumbi, Moody,weblink Whitney Houston, pop superstar, dies in Beverly Hills hotel, The Globe and Mail, February 11, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120215072814weblink">weblink February 15, 2012, dead, Houston told Winfrey that she had attended a 30-day rehabilitation program.WEB, Oprah Winfrey, Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview,weblink Oprah Winfrey Network, December 25, 2017, video, September 2009, "I did my stint. You do your 30 days. I went to one where I could take my child with me. Everywhere I just had to have her with me. I wanted her to understand. I didn't lie to her. I couldn't.", 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.WEB, Oprah Winfrey, Winfrey, Oprah, Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview,weblink Oprah Winfrey Network, April 21, 2010, 40:02 minutes, video, September 2009, "I see the love and the passion that my mother had for me and she walks in with these sheriffs and she says 'I have a court junction [sic] here. Either you do it my way or we're just not going to do this at all. We're going to go on TV and you're going to retire and say you're going to give this up. Because this is not worth it. It's not worth it. And if you move, Bobby [Brown], [these officers are] going to take you down. Don't you make one move. Let's go. Let's do this. I'm not losing you to the world. I'm not losing you to Satan. I want my daughter back. I'm not doing this. I want my daughter back. I want you back. I want to see that glow in your eyes, that light in your eyes. I want to see the child I raised. You weren't raised like this. And I'm not having it.'", (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.NEWS,weblink Ginger Adams, Otis, Cissy Houston details daughter Whitney's decline in new book, Daily News, January 26, 2013, December 25, 2017, ) Houston also told Winfrey that Brown had been emotionally abusive during their marriage and had even spat on her on one occasion.NEWS,weblink Sheila, Marikar, Whitney Houston Reveals Dark Days With Bobby Brown: 'He Spit on Me', ABC News, September 14, 2009, December 28, 2017, 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.'"NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Staying Sober 'One Day at a Time', Parade, September 16, 2009, Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays, File:MillionDollarBillScreen-Shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A screen-shot from Houston's music video for "Million Dollar BillMillion Dollar BillHouston released her new album, I Look to You, in August 2009.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Album Due Out Sept. 1; 'American Idol' Auditions Kick Off, VOA News, Voice of America, June 9, 2009, July 27, 2019, The album's first two singles were the title track "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 Whitney. 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 a guest mentor on 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".NEWS, Singh, Anita,weblinkweblink January 10, 2022, subscription, live, Whitney Houston's weird performance on The X-Factor gives her top five hit, The Telegraph, October 20, 2009, October 20, 2009, {{cbignore}}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.NEWS, Harmsworth, Andrei, Whitney Houston sparkles on Italian X Factor,weblink July 27, 2019, Metro, October 23, 2009, 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 season 9 finale.File:WhitneyHoustonApril2010.jpg|thumb|Houston at the O2 Arena in London, April 28, 2010, as part of her alt=|uprightHouston 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.NEWS,weblink This just in: Whitney Houston disappoints in Australia, Charlie Sheen enters rehab, Placido Domingo to undergo surgery, The Washington Post, February 24, 2010, June 13, 2010, WEB,weblink Whitney cancels more shows, ITN, April 7, 2010, June 13, 2010, dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20120711135844weblink">weblink July 11, 2012, Elizabeth, Scott, 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.NEWS,weblink Due To Illness, Belinda, Goldsmith, April 6, 201, Billboard, February 12, 2012, 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".WEB,weblink High: A Lifetime of Achievements (2010) from Whitney Houston's Highs & Lows, E!, en-US, On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry.WEB,weblink 2010 BET Honors, January 16, 2010, Essence, en-US, dead,weblink November 23, 2019, November 22, 2019, Houston also performed the song "I Look to You" on the 2011 BET Celebration of Gospel, with gospel–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The performance aired on January 30, 2011.NEWS,weblink Childs, Joy, Whitney Houston, Kim Burrell Turn BET's Celebration of Gospel Out, Los Angeles Sentinel, December 17, 2010, July 27, 2019, 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".NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston in outpatient rehab for alcohol, drugs, D'Zurilla, Christie, Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2011, May 11, 2011, 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. 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 â€“ originally tapped to star as Sparkle â€“ died in a 2001 plane crash. Her death derailed production, which would have begun in 2002.Kit, Borys. Billboard. September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.MAGAZINE, Tanner, Stransky,weblink Whitney Houston circling 'Sparkle' musical remake with Jordin Sparks, Entertainment Weekly, September 12, 2011, July 28, 2019, NEWS,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, Kit, Borys, Whitney Houston in Talks to Star in Music-Themed Drama 'Sparkle' (Exclusive), September 12, 2011, July 27, 2019, Houston's remake of Sparkle was filmed in late 2011 over two monthsNEWS, Sneider, Jeff,weblink Cee-Lo Green joins 'Sparkle' cast, Variety, September 23, 2011, July 27, 2019, and was released by TriStar Pictures.NEWS,weblink Variety, Sneider, Jeff, Sony dates a trio of pics, December 8, 2011, {{dead link|date=December 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} 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.WEB, Ballhorn, Kelly, WORLD PREMIERE: Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks Duet 'Celebrate' From 'Sparkle' [AUDIO],weblink ryanseacrest.com, May 21, 2012, May 21, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120521072837weblink">weblink May 21, 2012, The movie was released on August 17, 2012, in the United States.

Personal life

When Houston was 16, she met Robyn Crawford, then a collegiate basketball player for Monmouth University, 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 [she] never had".MAGAZINE, Vibe, Vibe Vixen, June 2007, 78, 1070-4701, MAGAZINE,weblink The Prom Queen of Soul, Richard, Corliss, July 13, 1987, Time, After Houston graduated, they became roommates at an apartment complex in Woodbridge, 20 miles from East Orange. Shortly after Houston signed with Arista, Crawford became the singer's executive assistant.WEB,weblink Inside Whitney Houston's Relationship With Best Friend Robyn Crawford, Rachel, Chang, Biography, December 7, 2019, October 4, 2020,weblink dead, NEWS,weblinkweblink November 8, 2019, limited, live, Whitney Houston's Confidante Robyn Crawford Breaks Her Silence, Jon, Caramanica, The New York Times, November 7, 2019, During Houston's early fame, rumors speculated of a romance between Houston and Crawford, which both denied during a Time magazine interview in 1987. In 2019, Crawford admitted in her memoirs, A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, that their early relationship included sexual activity but stopped before Houston signed a recording deal.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston's close friend Robyn Crawford says they had sexual relationship, Beaumont-Thomas, Ben, November 7, 2019, The Guardian, November 12, 2019, en-GB, 0261-3077, Crawford remained a close friend and employee of Houston's until 2000.Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to musician Jermaine Jackson,NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson had year-long love affair early in their careers: report, Connor, Tracy, March 5, 2012, Daily News, New York, American football star Randall Cunningham, restaurateur Brad Johnson and actor Eddie Murphy. She then 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.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston Sets The Record Straight About Rumors Of Her Troubled Marriage To Bobby Brown, Jet,weblink April 26, 1999, 60, 0021-5996, September 7, 2021, The two singers occasionally collaborated on songs, including the hit record, "Something in Common". Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law for drunken driving, drug possession and battery, including some jail time.NEWS,weblink Warrant issued for Bobby Brown, January 16, 2003, CNN, NEWS,weblink Inside Whitney Houston's Violent Marriage to Bobby Brown, Lee, Chris, February 12, 2012, Daily Beast, NEWS,weblink Bobby Brown charged with battery, December 10, 2003, December 19, 2017, CNN, On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015),MAGAZINE, Speidel, Maria, March 22, 1993, Passages,weblink People (magazine), People,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140202164534weblink">weblink February 2, 2014, July 10, 2013, dead, the couple's only child. Houston revealed in a 1993 interview with Barbara Walters that she had a miscarriage during the filming of The Bodyguard.WEB,weblink 50 Celebrities Who Opened Up About Their Miscarriages, Caroline, Bologna, HuffPost, October 19, 2017, February 3, 2018, Throughout their marriage, Houston and Brown tried having another child, with Houston suffering several miscarriages, including one in July 1994NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Suffers Miscarriage, The Associated Press, July 13, 1994, May 17, 2023, and another in December 1996.WEB,weblink Whitney Miscarries Third Time, Daily News (New York), Daily News, New York, Lewittes, Michael, December 21, 1996, March 3, 2018, March 4, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180304172355weblink">weblink dead, 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. In September 2006, a year after Being Bobby Brown aired, Houston filed for legal separation from Brown, later filing for divorce the following month.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown separate, Today (American TV program), Today, September 13, 2006, May 17, 2023, NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston files for divorce from Brown - The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, October 18, 2006, May 17, 2023, The divorce was granted on April 24, 2007, with Houston admitting Brown was "unreliable" in supporting their teenage daughter.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Wins Custody in Divorce from Bobby Brown, People (magazine), People, April 4, 2007, May 17, 2023,

Death and funeral

File:BeverlyHilton03.jpg|thumb|The Beverly HiltonThe Beverly HiltonHouston reportedly appeared "disheveled" and "erratic" in the days before her death.WEB, Fleeman, Mike, Whitney Houston's Final Days Marked by Erratic Behavior,weblink People,weblink December 28, 2016, February 12, 2012, live, On February 9, 2012, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica, together with Clive Davis, at their rehearsals for Davis's pre-Grammy Awards party at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.NEWS, McCartney, Anthony, Investigators seek answers to Houston's death,weblink ABC News 4, WorldNow, February 14, 2012, February 13, 2012, {{dead link|date=March 2012}}NEWS, Grammys 2012: Clive Davis sets the stage for Brandy/Monica redux,weblink Los Angeles Times Blogs, Gerrick D., Kennedy, February 13, 2012, February 13, 2012, That same day, she made her last public performance when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, California, and sang "Jesus Loves Me."WEB, Fashingbauer, Gael,weblink Watch Whitney Houston's final performance, MSNBC Entertainment, MSNBC, February 12, 2012, February 13, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120214094010weblink">weblink February 14, 2012, WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's 'haunting' last performance, The Week, January 9, 2015, September 7, 2021, Two days later, on February 11, Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton, submerged in the bathtub.NEWS, Whitney Houston was found underwater in bathtub, police say,weblink February 13, 2012, Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2012, Richard, Winton, Andrew, Blankstein, BOOK, 2012, Whitney: Tribute to a Music Legend, Boca Raton, Florida, American Media, (one-time newsstand collector's publication) Pg. 37: "434: The room number at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles in which she was found dead on Feb 11, 2012." Beverly Hills paramedics arrived about 3:30 pm, found Houston unresponsive, and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm PST.NEWS, Andrew, Blankstein, Randy, Lewis,weblink Whitney Houston's death: Medics performed CPR for about 20 minutes, Los Angeles Times, February 12, 2012, NEWS, Sheila, Marikar,weblink ABC News, February 12, 2012, February 22, 2012, Whitney Houston, Iconic Pop Star, Dies at 48, The cause of death was not immediately known;NEWS, February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston, Pop Superstar, Dies at 48, Jon, Pareles, Adam, Nagourney,weblink The New York Times, February 12, 2012, local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".WEB,weblink Music exec: Whitney Houston looked 'healthy and beautiful' days earlier, Yan, Holly, Quan, Denise, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, CNN, (File:Whitney Houston Flowers 2.JPG|thumb|Flowers near the Beverly Hilton Hotel|upright=1.2)An invitation-only memorial service was held for Houston at her home church, New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, New Jersey, on February 18, 2012. The service was scheduled for two hours but lasted four.WEB, Newcomb, Alyssa, Whitney Houston Funeral: Singer Laid to Rest,weblink February 19, 2012, ABC News, February 19, 2012, Among those who performed at the funeral were Stevie Wonder (rewritten version of "Ribbon in the Sky" and "Love's in Need of Love Today"), CeCe Winans ("Don't Cry" and "Jesus Loves Me"), Alicia Keys ("Send Me an Angel"), Kim Burrell (rewritten version of "A Change Is Gonna Come") and R. Kelly ("I Look to You").WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's funeral: Love and humor dominate remembrances of pop superstar, The Star-Ledger, November 1, 2011, February 19, 2012, WEB,weblink Whitney Houston funeral notable moments and celebrities, Glenn, Gamboa, Newsday, February 18, 2012, February 20, 2012, The performances were interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by Clive Davis, Houston's record producer; Kevin Costner; Rickey Minor, her music director; Dionne Warwick, her cousin; and Ray Watson, her security guard for the last 11 years. Aretha Franklin 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.WEB, Olivia, Allin,weblink Whitney Houston funeral: Bobby Brown leaves shortly after service began, OnTheRedCarpet.com, February 19, 2012, February 19, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120219150046weblink">weblink February 19, 2012, Houston was buried on February 19, 2012, in Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey, next to her father, John Russell Houston, who had died in 2003.NEWS, Terruso, Julia, Whitney Houston to be buried in Westfield: A Jersey girl comes home,weblink February 18, 2012, The Star-Ledger, February 18, 2012, On March 22, 2012, the 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".WEB, Wynter, Kareen, Martinez, Michael, March 22, 2012, Coroner: Drowning, heart disease, cocaine use killed Houston,weblink March 22, 2012, CNN, March 24, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120324164039weblink">weblink dead, NEWS, March 22, 2012, Whitney Houston drowned after cocaine use, says coroner, BBC, The office said the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death.WEB, March 22, 2012, Coroner: Whitney Houston died of accidental drowning,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120323025243weblink">weblink March 23, 2012, March 23, 2012, Today Entertainment, MSNBC, Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), alprazolam (Xanax; a potent tranquilizer of moderate duration within the triazolobenzodiazepine group of chemicals called benzodiazepines), cannabis, and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril).NEWS, McCartney, Anthony, March 22, 2012, Houston died from drowning, coroner says, Associated Press (via Y! Music),weblink dead, March 22, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131203225758weblink">weblink December 3, 2013, The manner of death was listed as an "accident".NEWS, Blankstein, Andrew, April 4, 2012, Whitney Houston: Final coroner's report, Los Angeles Times,weblink April 6, 2012,

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.NEWS,weblink Clive Davis: Whitney Houston would have wanted the music to go on, Los Angeles Times, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's death before performing at Davis's party. He said, "First, it was Michael Jackson, 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.{{' "}}NEWS,weblink Tony Bennett calls for legalization of drugs, February 12, 2012, Toronto Sun, February 14, 2012, 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. Chaka Khan, 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.'"WEB,weblink Chaka Khan: Clive Davis Should Have Canceled His Party, Brooklyne, Gipson, BET, BET Interactive, February 14, 2012, February 17, 2012, 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."WEB,weblink Digital Spy, Sharon Osbourne slams Clive Davis party after Whitney Houston death, Justin, Harp, February 16, 2012, February 17, 2012, February 17, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120217140251weblink">weblink dead,

Further reaction and tributes

File:Whitney Houston We Miss You.jpg|thumb|right|"We miss you" message at the upright=1.2Many other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death. Darlene Love, Houston's godmother, hearing the news of her death, said, "It felt like I had been struck by a lightning bolt in my gut."WEB, Bob Considine/The Star-Ledger,weblink Whitney Houston's talent was evident in her childhood years, singer Darlene Love recalls, February 13, 2012, The Star-Ledger, August 14, 2012, Dolly Parton, 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.{{' "}} Aretha Franklin said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."NEWS,weblink Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48, CNN, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, Others paying tribute included Mariah Carey, Quincy Jones, and Oprah Winfrey.MAGAZINE,weblink Mariah Carey, Diddy, Others React to Whitney Houston's Death, Rolling Stone, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, February 14, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120214182018weblink">weblink dead, MAGAZINE,weblink Celebs react to Whitney Houston death: 'Please tell me it's not true', Lynette, Rice, Entertainment Weekly, February 11, 2012, February 17, 2012, Moments after news of her death emerged, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC News, Sky News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. The networks and channels 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.WEB,weblink 'SNL' Showcases Karmin, Honors Whitney Houston, Idolator, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, WEB,weblink 'SNL' Honors Whitney Houston, The Daily Beast, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, 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.WEB, February 11, 2012, Fans, celebrities react to Whitney Houston's death: 'We will always love you',weblink June 24, 2021, CNN, June 24, 2021,weblink dead, Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, 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 watched as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney."MAGAZINE,weblink Bobby Brown Says 'I Love You, Whitney' During Emotional Concert, Billboard, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, 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 â€“ an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist â€“ 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."NEWS,weblink Singer Whitney Houston found dead, Fox News, February 12, 2012, February 12, 2012, 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".NEWS, New York Post,weblink Grammys honor 'fallen sister' Houston, NYP Holdings, February 13, 2012, February 17, 2012, NEWS,weblink Grammys salute late icon: 'Whitney, we will always love you', CNN, Greg, Botelho, February 12, 2012, February 17, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120216232708weblink">weblink February 16, 2012, The tribute was partially credited for the Grammys telecast getting its second highest ratings in history.NEWS, Kaufman, Gil, Grammy Ratings Up Thanks To Adele, Whitney Houston Tribute,weblink September 6, 2012, MTV, February 13, 2012, 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 Greatest Love of All".MAGAZINE,weblink NAACP Image Awards tributes Whitney Houston, hands prizes to 'The Help' and George Lucas, Ray, Rahman, Entertainment Weekly, February 18, 2012, February 22, 2012, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21, to honor Houston.NEWS, February 20, 2012, Michigan man burns N.J. state flag to protest lowering of flags for Whitney Houston,weblink February 21, 2012, The Star-Ledger, Associated Press, 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.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120222215845weblink">weblink dead, February 22, 2012, Brit Awards 2012: Rhianna and Bruno Mars win international gongs at Brit Awards 2012, The Daily Telegraph, February 22, 2012, February 22, 2012, Houston was also featured, alongside other recently deceased figures from the film industry, in the In Memoriam montage at the 84th Academy Awards on February 26, 2012.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston, Elizabeth Taylor Remembered At Oscars, Ryan, J. Downey, MTV, February 27, 2012, February 27, 2012, WEB,weblink Academy pays tribute to Whitney Houston at Oscars, The Guardian, February 27, 2012, February 27, 2012, In June 2012, the year's McDonald's Gospelfest in Newark was dedicated as a tribute to Houston.{{citation |last1=McCall |first1=Tris |title=At Gospelfest, big tributes for Whitney Houston |date=May 12, 2012 |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/05/whitney_houstons_brother_mothe.html |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |access-date=October 15, 2012 |author-link=Tris McCall}}Beyoncé performed a tribute to Houston during her revue (Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live) in May 2012 at the Revel resort by performing the first verse and chorus of "I Will Always Love You".MAGAZINE,weblink Beyonce's post-baby concerts: Whitney Houston tribute, Goo Goo Dolls and Lauryn Hill songs, Entertainment Weekly, Kyle, Anderson, May 29, 2012, June 26, 2013, WEB,weblink Live: Beyoncé Brings The House Down At Atlantic City's Newest Casino, The Village Voice, Maura, Johnston, Maura Johnston, May 27, 2012, June 26, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120529031543weblink">weblink May 29, 2012, 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.WEB, December 12, 2012, Whitney Houston, Gangnam Style, Hurricane Sandy Top Google Searches in 2012,weblink June 24, 2021, eWEEK, Todd R., Weiss, Her death was ranked as the most memorable entertainment event in television history, according to a study by Sony Electronics and the Nielsen Television Research Company. 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 "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" in the chorus.WEB,weblink Bebe Rexha Samples Whitney Houston On New Single, May 2, 2017, idolator, July 16, 2019, Mike, Wass, The song was in part made as a tribute to Whitney Houston's life.NEWS,weblink Listen: Bebe Rexha channels Whitney Houston on 'The Way I Are' featuring Lil Wayne, AXS, July 16, 2019, en-GB, WEB,weblink Lil Wayne & Bebe Rexha Pay Homage To Whitney Houston On New Single "The Way I Are", genius.com, July 16, 2019, May 20, 2017, Robby, Seabrook III,

Posthumous sales

According to representatives from Houston record label, Houston sold 8 million records worldwide in the first ten months of the year she died.WEB, Why Whitney Houston Didn't Make Forbes' List Of Top Earning Dead Celebs,weblink June 24, 2021, Forbes, October 24, 2012, Zack, O'Malley Greensburg, 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.WEB, Whitney Houston's Posthumous Sales Surge: By the Numbers,weblink June 24, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter, February 15, 2012, Mikey, O'Connell, 43 of the top 100 most-downloaded tracks on iTunes were Houston songs, including "I Will Always Love You" from 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.WEB, Whitney Houston Dominates iTunes Charts,weblink June 24, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter, February 11, 2012, Mikey, O'Connell, 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.NEWS, Whitney Houston songs race up music charts, Today.com,weblink 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.MAGAZINE, February 15, 2012, The Hot 100,weblink June 24, 2021, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, 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.MAGAZINE, February 24, 2012, Whitney Houston's YouTube & Vevo Plays Gain 4,523%,weblink June 24, 2021, Keith, Caufield, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, On February 29, 2012, Houston became the first female artist, first solo artist and first posthumous artist in history ever to place three or more albums in the top ten of the US Billboard 200 simultaneously, with Whitney: The Greatest Hits at number 2, The Bodyguard at number 6 and Whitney Houston at number 9.MAGAZINE, Whitney Houston: First Woman With Three Albums In Billboard 200's Top 10,weblink February 29, 2012, September 7, 2021, Keith, Caufield, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, On March 7, 2012, Houston claimed two more additional feats on the US Billboard charts: she became the first female act to place nine albums within the top 100NEWS,weblink Kid Cudi's WZRD scores top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele still No. 1, March 7, 2012, September 7, 2021, Keith, Caufield, (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, My Love Is Your Love at number 31, I'm Your Baby Tonight at number 32, Just Whitney at number 50 and (The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album|The Preacher's Wife) at number 80);MAGAZINE,weblink Catalog Albums, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, March 17, 2012, November 19, 2023, MAGAZINE,weblink Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, March 17, 2012, November 19, 2023, 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. In addition, Houston set a Guinness World Record by being the first female artist to place the most albums inside the Billboard 200 simultaneously by a female artist with ten.WEB,weblink Most simultaneous albums on the US Billboard 200 (female), Guinness World Record, March 4, 2023, July 16, 2023, In October 2023, Houston made the list of the top ten highest-earning posthumous celebrities on Forbes earning $30 million, later winning Houston a posthumous Guinness World Records entry as the highest-earning posthumous female celebrity, her record 30th.NEWS,weblink The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2023, Forbes, October 31, 2023, November 19, 2023, WEB,weblink Highest-earning dead celebrity (female, current), Guinness World Records, November 19, 2023,

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" with R. Kelly.WEB, September 24, 2012, Sneak Peek: Whitney Houston's New Duet With R. Kelly 'I Look to You' (Audio),weblink September 27, 2012, Ryan Seacrest, RyanSeacrest.com, The album won two NAACP Image Awards for 'Outstanding Album' and 'Outstanding Song' ("I Look to You"). It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2020.WEB, March 3, 2020, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU: THE BEST OF WHITNEY HOUSTON,weblink August 12, 2021, Record Industry Association of America, 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 190 weeks on the Billboard 200, making it one of the longest-charting compilations in chart history,MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston: Chart History, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, June 16, 2022, the second by a woman after H.E.R.. On the week of May 27, 2023, it replaced Madonna's The Immaculate Collection as the longest charting greatest hits album by a woman in the history of the Billboard 200 after it notched 149 weeks on the chart.MAGAZINE,weblink Billboard 200 (Week of May 27, 2023), Billboard (magazine), Billboard, May 27, 2023, November 14, 2023, 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.NEWS,weblink Five Star Review for Whitney Houston's Live Album, Daily News (New York), Daily News, New York, November 7, 2014, September 7, 2021, Jim, Farber, NEWS,weblink Discs: Whitney Houston, 'Live: Her Greatest Performances', Buffalo News, November 12, 2014, September 7, 2021, In 2017, the 25th anniversary reissue of The Bodyguard (soundtrack)—(I Wish You Love: More from The Bodyguard)—was released by Legacy Recordings.NEWS, Anderson, Trevor, December 1, 2017, Whitney Houston's 'Bodyguard' Redux Debuts on Charts After American Music Awards Tribute, Billboard,weblink December 2, 2017, It includes film versions, remixes and live performances of Houston's Bodyguard songs.In 2019, Houston and Kygo's version of "Higher Love" was released as a single.WEB, White, Jack, June 27, 2019, Whitney Houston's first posthumous release in seven years announced as Kygo collaboration Higher Love,weblink June 27, 2019, Official Charts Company, The record became a worldwide hit. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in several countries."Swisscharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 13, 2021."Swedishcharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2021."Norwegiancharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". VG-lista. Retrieved August 13, 2021. "Higher Love" was nominated at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards for "Top Dance/Electronic Song of the Year",MAGAZINE, September 22, 2020, Post Malone Leads 2020 Billboard Music Awards Nominations With 16: Full List,weblink September 7, 2021, Rania, Aniftos, Billboard, the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards for "Dance Song of the Year" and "Best Remix".WEB, January 8, 2020, iHeartRadio Music Awards: Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Jonas Brothers Among Nominees,weblink August 13, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter, Rania, Aniftos, It was certified multi-platinum in the United States,"American single certifications – Kygo & Whitney Houston – Higher Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 3, 2022. Australia,WEB, January 25, 2020, ARIA Dance Singles Chart #16,weblink January 25, 2020, auspOp, Canada,"Canadian single certifications – Kygo". Music Canada. Retrieved September 29, 2019. Poland"Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD – Archiwum – Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 28, 2021. and the United Kingdom."British single certifications". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 9, 2020. The song was also a platinum hit in Denmark,"Danish single certifications". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved January 4, 2020. Switzerland,"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards 2020". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2021. Belgium,"Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2020". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2020. and Spain.WEB,weblink El portal de Música, Productores de Música de España, Kygo & Whitney Houston - Higher Love, January 22, 2024, On December 16, 2022, RCA released the soundtrack album to Houston's (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody|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.NEWS,weblink MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE "WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY", TO BE RELEASED BY RCA RECORDS ON DECEMBER 16, PRNewsWire, December 16, 2022, December 17, 2022, The soundtrack includes reimagined remixes of some of Houston's classics and several newly discovered songs such as Houston's cover of CeCe Winans' "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 1994, remixed by house producer Sam Feldt.In March 2023, Arista, Legacy Recordings and Gaither Music Group released Houston's first gospel compilation, (I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston). The album included three 1981 demo recordings recorded when Houston was 17, including "Testimony" and "He Can Use Me", while also featuring unearthed live recordings of Houston performing the gospel standards, "This Day", "He/I Believe" and, with CeCe Winans, an inspired rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", recorded live at the second annual VH1 Honors in 1995 as well as previous recordings from The Bodyguard, The Preacher's Wife, and Sparkle. The album debuted at number two on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, marking her first new entry on the chart since 1996.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Returns to Billboard's Gospel Chart After More Than a Quarter Century Away, Forbes, McIntyre, Hugh, April 7, 2023, April 26, 2023, MAGAZINE,weblink Whitney Houston's 'I Go to the Rock' Debuts on Top Gospel Albums Chart, Billboard, April 5, 2023, Asker, Jim, April 26, 2023, The album earned Houston a posthumous Billboard Music Award nomination for Top Gospel Album.NEWS,weblink Taylor Swift Tops 2023 Billboard Music Awards Finalists, The Hollywood Reporter, October 26, 2023, November 7, 2023,

Artistry

File:Flickr Whitney Houston performing on GMA 2009 4.jpg|thumb|Houston's vocal ability earned her the nickname "the Voicethe VoiceHouston had a mezzo-soprano vocal range, and was referred to as "the Voice" for her vocal talent.NEWS, Robinson, Peter, 16 October 2019, Whitney Houston: the life, death and rebirth of a pop princess, The Times,weblink September 7, 2021, 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".NEWS,weblink POP REVIEWS: Part Divas, Part Goddesses: 2 Women of Glamour and Music; Whitney Houston At Radio City, The New York Times, September 19, 1994, June 4, 2012, Pareles, Jon, In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Houston second on their list of the greatest singers of all time, stating, "The standard-bearer for R&B vocals, Whitney Houston possessed a soprano that was as powerful as it was tender. Take her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", which became one of the defining singles of the 1990s; it opens with her gently brooding, her unaccompanied voice sounding like it's turning over the idea of leaving her lover behind with the lightest touch. By the end, it's transformed into a showcase for her limber, muscular upper register; she sings the title phrase with equal parts bone-deep feeling and technical perfection, turning the conflicted emotions at the song's heart into a jumping-off point for her life's next step."MAGAZINE, Rolling Stone,weblink The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, January 1, 2023, January 2, 2023, 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."MAGAZINE,weblink Photos: Ten Incredible Whitney Houston Performances, Rolling Stone, Matthew, Perpetua, Jann S. Wenne, February 13, 2012, February 18, 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120215202234weblink">weblink February 15, 2012, According to Newsweek, Houston had a four-octave range.WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's 'One Moment In Time': The Anatomy of an Olympic Anthem, Newsweek, Ahmed, Tufayel, August 5, 2016, December 28, 2018, 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 â€“ at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star â€“ not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand â€“ quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama."WEB, Gardner, Elysa, November 24, 1996, Oh, Whitney â€“ for Heaven's Sake,weblink Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2011, Singer and entertainer Michael Jackson named Houston as one of his musical inspirations, calling her a "wonderful singer, real stylist. You hear one line, and you know who it is''.R&B singer Faith Evans stated: "Whitney was not 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."WEB, January 7, 2015, Why Whitney Houston Deserves To Be Called 'The Voice',weblink July 29, 2021, Vibe, 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."NEWS, The New York Times,weblink A Voice of Triumph, the Queen of Pain, Jon, Caramanica, February 12, 2012, February 18, 2012, Mariah Carey stated, "She [Whitney] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong."MAGAZINE, Vibe, en,weblinkweblink dead, August 9, 2021, Higher and Higher, 6, 9, 95, November 1998, November 7, 2014, 1070-4701, Group, Vibe Media, 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."Powers, Ann. "Album Review: Whitney Houston's 'I Look To You'". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2009Lauren Everitt from BBC News 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."WEB,weblink Whitney Houston and the art of melisma, Lauren, Everitt, BBC, February 15, 2012, February 20, 2012, 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 "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 NEWS, Lister, Linda, Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars, Popular Music and Society, 25, 3/4, 1, 2001, 0300-7766, 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 â€“ shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration â€“ infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning."NEWS, Holden, Stephen,weblink Review/Pop; For Whitney Houston, Showy Doesn't Count: The Show Is the Voice, The New York Times, July 22, 1993, March 13, 2011, Stephen Holden, 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.'"NEWS,weblink Whitney's bitter pill, Perry, Caroline, August 12, 2012, New York Post, March 3, 2018, 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.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Insider Reveals Singer's Anguished Fight to Win Back Her Voice, Connelly, Chris, February 17, 2012, ABC News, December 19, 2017, 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,WEB, Whitney Houston,weblink August 9, 2021, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, soul, gospel, funk,MAGAZINE, May 31, 2009, 500 Greates Albums: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121022191812weblink">weblink October 22, 2012, March 17, 2011, Rolling Stone, dance, Latin pop,NEWS, Farber, Jim, May 16, 2000, Whitney Goes Half-Wild: Latest album set is 1 part bad ballads and 1 part boogie bliss, Daily News (New York), Daily News, New York,weblink December 19, 2011, November 12, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131112042705weblink">weblink dead, disco,WEB, Dance with somebody: The ultimate Whitney Houston playlist,weblink August 9, 2021, Yard Barker, June 22, 2021, Jeff, Mezydlo, house,MAGAZINE, Clark, Randy, January 23, 1993, Music Reviews: Singles,weblink Cashbox (magazine), Cashbox, 5, November 1, 2020, hip hop soul,"Chartslot". Daily Record. July 16, 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2020. new jack swing,WEB, Agbai, Bailey, November 13, 2020, The evolution of R&B: from the 90s to now,weblink December 18, 2020, The Boar (newspaper), The Boar, opera,WEB, July 14, 2017, You're Guaranteed to Get "So Emotional" Watching Whitney Houston Sing With Luciano Pavarotti,weblink September 5, 2021, wfmt, Galilee, Abdullah, reggae,WEB, Cocker, Dan, BBC - Music - Review of Whitney Houston - My Love Is Your Love,weblink 2023-08-22, www.bbc.co.uk, en-GB, and (One Wish: The Holiday Album|Christmas).WEB, 2021-12-04, The Top 10 Best Christmas Songs Recorded By Whitney Houston - A Definitive List Of Her Holiday Recordings,weblink 2023-08-22, en-US, The lyrical themes in her recordings are mainly about love, social, religious and feminism.MAGAZINE, June 11, 2020, Whitney Houston's 25 Best Songs: Staff Picks,weblink August 9, 2021, Billboard, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated: "Her sound expanded through collaborations with a wide array of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Bobby Brown, and Mariah Carey." While AllMusic commented that, "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity".

Legacy and influence

File:Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 9.JPEG|thumb|Houston performing "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" during her HBO-televised concert "Welcome Home HeroesWelcome Home HeroesHouston has been regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a cultural icon.WEB, February 15, 2012, Whitney Houston's death hits her native New Jersey hard,weblink July 6, 2021, CNN, Greg, Botelho, WEB, February 21, 2012, Whitney: Cultural icon of our era,weblink July 6, 2021, The Herald, Charles, Simon-Aaron, She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history.MAGAZINE, September 3, 2021, The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time,weblink Billboard, December 11, 2015, During the 1980s, MTV was coming into its own and received criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With Michael Jackson breaking down the color barrier for black men, Houston did the same for black women. She became the first black woman to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "How Will I Know" video.WEB, 2023-02-22, Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists — Here's the Story of 'How Will I Know',weblink 2023-08-23, Yahoo Life, en, WEB, How Whitney Houston changed MTV - Macleans.ca,weblink 2023-08-23, macleans.ca, February 12, 2012, WEB, Maura Johnston, Jeff Gage, 2023-02-22, Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists — Here's the Story of 'How Will I Know',weblink 2023-08-23, Woman's World, en-US, Black female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music partly because Houston paved the way.WEB, February 12, 2015, Remembering Whitney Houston 3 years after her untimely death,weblink July 31, 2021, ABC7, WEB, August 9, 2021, Whitney Houston's close friends Chaka Khan, Brandy reflect on her life and legacy,weblink August 10, 2021, ABC, Susan, Welsh, Haley, Yamada, Baker commented that "Because of what Whitney and Sade did, there was an opening for me ... For radio stations, black women singers aren't taboo anymore."NEWS, Hunt, Dennis, January 18, 1987, Baker And The Rise Of Black Women In Pop, Los Angeles Times,weblink March 26, 2011, AllMusic noted her contribution to the success of black artists on the pop scene.WEB, Steve, Huey,weblink Whitney Houston Biography, AllMusic, October 16, 2010, 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".Holden, Stephen. "The Pop Life; 1986, A Musically Conservative Year". The New York Times. December 31, 1986. Richard Corliss of Time 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.(File:Whitney Houston Welcome Heroes 8 (cropped).JPEG|thumb|Houston influenced generations of singers.|274x274px)Stephen Holden of The New York Times said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing".Holden, Stephen. "Review/Pop; Diana Ross Flirts With a Willing Audience". The New York Times. June 16, 1989. 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 â€“ the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning".NEWS, Gill, Any, February 17, 2012, Whitney Houston, the greatest voice of her generation, The Independent, Independent Print,weblink dead,weblink July 26, 2021, February 20, 2012, 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 â€“ male or female â€“ 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".MAGAZINE, Macnie, Jim, 2001, Whitney Houston Biography,weblink Rolling Stone, October 16, 2010, The magazine placed her 34th on their "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list. Over a decade later, in 2023, Houston was placed at second place, behind just Aretha Franklin. Essence ranked Houston at number five on their list of 50 Most Influential R&B Stars ever, calling her "the diva to end all divas".MAGAZINE,weblink 50 Most Influential RnB Stars, Essence (magazine), Essence, June 21, 2011, July 1, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110628203900weblink">weblink June 28, 2011, 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.WEB,weblink The 10 Best R&B Soloists of All Time, Ranked, Essence, October 25, 2022, October 28, 2022, A number of artists have acknowledged Whitney as an influence and inspiration, including Michael Jackson,WEB, July 20, 2021, March 2002, Interview: Michael Jackson Vibe Magazine 2002,weblink Vibe, Taylor Swift,WEB, February 20, 2012, Whitney Houston: "She Was Relatable," Says Taylor Swift,weblink January 10, 2024, E!News, Rihanna,WEB, April 3, 2012, Rihanna Expresses Interest in Portraying Whitney Houston,weblink March 25, 2023, E! Online, WEB, Trzcinski, Matthew, 2021-01-24, Rihanna: This Whitney Houston Hit Made Her Want to Pursue Music,weblink 2023-05-04, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, en-US, Beyoncé,MAGAZINE, February 12, 2012, Beyonce Remembers Whitney Houston,weblink March 25, 2023, Billboard, WEB, Beyonce: 'I Always Wanted To Be Just Like Whitney Houston',weblink March 25, 2023, Essence, October 28, 2020, en-US, Sam Smith,WEB, INTERVIEW: Sam Smith On… the Beauty of One-Night Stands, Whitney Houston and the 'Lord of the Rings' Musical,weblink self-titled, May 27, 2014, Britney Spears,WEB, February 17, 2012, Britney 'devastated' by Whitney death,weblink March 27, 2023, Digital Spy, en-GB, Lady Gaga,WEB, Trzcinski, Matthew, 2022-11-26, Why Lady Gaga Imagined Whitney Houston Singing 'Born This Way' While She Wrote It,weblink 2023-05-04, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, en-US, WEB, Lady Gaga on Whitney Houston: 'She's the Greatest of All Time',weblink 2023-05-04, Rap-Up, en-US, Celine Dion,WEB, Lanford Beard, February 13, 2012, Celine Dion: Whitney Houston was 'an amazing inspiration',weblink March 25, 2023, EW.com, en, Adele,WEB, Whitney Houston Honored 10 Years After Her Death with PEOPLE Special Edition,weblink March 25, 2023, Peoplemag, en, Lucky Daye,WEB, interview {{!, lucky daye |url=https://schonmagazine.com/interview-lucky-daye/ |website=Schon|date=August 4, 2021 }} Demi Lovato,WEB, Demi Lovato credits career, success to Black women,weblink March 25, 2023, UPI, en, Kelly Clarkson,MAGAZINE, Scaggs, Austin, March 15, 2012, Q&A: Kelly Clarkson on Loving Whitney Houston, Adele and More,weblink March 25, 2023, Rolling Stone, en-US, WEB, Kelly Clarkson is 'saving all her love' in latest Whitney Houston cover,weblink March 25, 2023, TODAY.com, October 2021, en, Nicole Scherzinger,WEB, Johnston, Lucy Hunter, February 1, 2013, Hero worship: today's stars pay homage to their childhood idols,weblink March 25, 2023, Evening Standard, en, Kelly Rowland,WEB, September 29, 2013, Kelly Rowland: "Whitney Houston Inspired Me To Sing" - The Hot Hits,weblink March 25, 2023,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130929175702weblink">weblink September 29, 2013, Toni Braxton,WEB, 2012-03-29, More than a woman: Toni Braxton,weblink 2023-08-10, gulfnews.com, en, Ashanti,WEB, Ashanti Tributes Whitney Houston With 'I Have Nothing',weblink 2023-08-10, MTV, en, Deborah Cox,MAGAZINE, Mitchell, Gail, 2014-08-22, Deborah Cox on Re-Recording Whitney Houston's Vocals for Lifetime Biopic: 'I Had Some Big Shoes to Fill',weblink 2023-08-10, Billboard, en-US, Robin Thicke,WEB, Whitney Houston 'So Special,' Robin Thicke Says,weblink 2023-08-18, MTV, en, Ciara,WEB, Ciara Pays Tribute To Whitney Houston Five Years After Her Death,weblink March 25, 2023, Music, February 11, 2017, en, Brandy,WEB, Brandy opens up about loving and losing Whitney Houston in new biography 'Didn't We Almost Have It All',weblink March 26, 2023, New York Daily News, February 2022, Monica,WEB, Alexander, Brenda, 2022-03-04, Monica Reveals the Biggest Piece of Advice Whitney Houston Gave Her,weblink 2023-05-04, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, en-US, LeAnn Rimes,WEB, Whitney Houston Tribute: Watch LeAnn Rimes' Emotional Performance of "I Will Always Love You" - E! Online,weblink 2023-05-04, www.eonline.com, February 14, 2012, Melanie Fiona,MAGAZINE, February 13, 2013, Whitney Houston Tribute: Melanie Fiona Sings 'One Moment in Time',weblink April 2, 2023, Billboard, Jennifer Hudson,WEB, Must-See: Jennifer Hudson Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston,weblink March 29, 2023, Essence, October 28, 2020, en-US, Christina Aguilera,WEB, Christina Aguilera Honors Whitney Houston With Emotional American Music Awards Performance,weblink March 26, 2023, Entertainment Tonight, November 19, 2017, en-US, Jordin Sparks,WEB, Jordin Sparks Says She Feels 'Empowered' by Husband Dana Isaiah and 'Inspired' by Whitney Houston,weblink 2023-05-08, Peoplemag, en, Alicia Keys,WEB, Daly, Rhian, November 8, 2020, Alicia Keys inducts Whitney Houston into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: "Her music will live forever",weblink March 26, 2023, NME, en-GB, Leona Lewis,WEB, Radio Swiss Classic,weblink 2023-05-04, www.radioswissclassic.ch, en, {{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Ariana Grande,MAGAZINE, 2013-10-09, Gimme Five: Ariana Grande's Most Inspirational Female Singers,weblink 2023-05-04, Billboard, Mariah Carey,WEB, Papa, Rocco, December 26, 2022, What Happened Between Mariah Carey And Whitney Houston?,weblink March 26, 2023, TheThings, en, {{better source needed|date=May 2024}} Jennifer Lopez,WEB, February 14, 2012, Jennifer Lopez: 'Whitney's death so sad',weblink March 25, 2023, Digital Spy, en-GB, and Nicki Minaj.MAGAZINE, 15 December 2023, Nicki Minaj Talks About Her 'Connection' to Whitney Houston, Dishes on Pink Friday 2 World Tour Details,weblink Billboard,

Awards and achievements

File:Whitney Houston wax figure.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Madame Tussaud wax figure of Houston]]{{Further|List of awards and nominations received by Whitney Houston|Whitney Houston chart records and achievements}}Houston won numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards, eight Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), fourteen World Music Awards, sixteen Billboard Music Awards (46 Billboard awards in all) and twenty-two American Music Awards. Houston holds the record for the most American Music Awards received in a single year by a woman with eight wins in 1994 (overall tied with Michael Jackson).WEB, Brittany, Talarico,weblink Whitney Houston to Take the Stage at the AMAs, OK!, November 11, 2009, March 17, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110816051736weblink">weblink August 16, 2011, Houston was the first artist at the Billboard Music Awards to win more than 11 awards in one night at its fourth annual ceremony in 1993, which set a Guinness World Record at the time.NEWS, Chris, Willman,weblink Pop Music Review: Houston Tops Off Record Night With Show's Highlight, Los Angeles Times, December 10, 1993, March 17, 2011, Houston continues to hold the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five trophies at the sixth World Music Awards in 1994.MAGAZINE, Billboard, Mark, Dezzani,weblink World Music Awards Gaining Stature, 106, 21, May 21, 1994, February 9, 2010, 0006-2510, Houston is also the black female artist with the most Guinness World Records in history with 30.In 1996, eleven years after debuting on BET for her music video to "You Give Good Love", Houston became the first female recipient of the BET Walk of Fame and the youngest-ever recipient of this honor at just 33 years old. Five years later, in 2001, Houston was the first artist to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award.MAGAZINE, Susman, Gary, June 22, 2001, Black Power, Plus Phantom Menace DVD will compete with pirated edit, another movie ad scandal and more,weblink Entertainment Weekly, January 12, 2010, March 23, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100323053029weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink First recipient of the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, Guinness World Records, June 19, 2023, Houston also remains the youngest recipient of the honor as she received the honor at just the age of 37. BET honored her again in 2010 when she received an award from The BET Honors. Houston is only one of two artists to receive all three honors from the BET network.{{efn|Singer Patti LaBelle is the only other artist.}} In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era".WEB,weblink The Greatest " Ep. 071 "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era", VH1, May 17, 2003, March 17, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110629061423weblink">weblink June 29, 2011, In 2008, 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.MAGAZINE,weblink The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, 2008, March 17, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130116133045weblink">weblink January 16, 2013, NEWS, Stephen, Holden, Cabaret: Whitney Houston, February 16, 1985, The New York Times,weblink January 13, 2009, Stephen Holden, Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010.WEB,weblink Who Will Come Out On Top Of VH1's 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time? | Vh1 Blog, VH1, August 25, 2010, November 11, 2010, Rich, Juzwiak,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120823070747weblink">weblink August 23, 2012, dead, 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.MAGAZINE,weblink Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, November 18, 2010, March 17, 2011, Houston's debut album is listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine and is on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list. In 2004, Billboard picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history.MAGAZINE,weblink Billboard 110 Years: A Billboard Anniversary Salute, Billboard, November 27, 2004, October 19, 2010, 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 best-selling recording artists of all time, with more than 220 million records sold worldwide.WEB, August 9, 2023, 11 of Whitney Houston's Most Dazzling Beauty Looks,weblink August 9, 2023, Vogue, WEB, May 25, 2022, Whitney Houston story, song by song,weblink June 28, 2023, Marie Claire, She is also the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century.WEB, November 10, 1999, The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110724032619weblink">weblink July 24, 2011, July 23, 2010, Recording Industry Association of America, Houston had also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history.WEB, Flatow, Joel, February 13, 2012, Whitney Soars in Our Hearts,weblink February 24, 2012, Record Industry Association of America, June 16, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120616140258weblink">weblink dead, As of 2023, she was ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America with 61 million certified albums.WEB,weblink Gold & Platinum, Record Industry Association of America, en-US, October 16, 2019, Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum or platinum.WEB,weblink Search – Whitney Houston, Record Industry Association of America, December 7, 2019, In November 1993, Houston became the first solo female recording artist to go Diamond with an album when her soundtrack to The Bodyguard was certified ten times platinum. In January 1994, she became the first solo artist to receive two Diamond albums after her debut album, Whitney Houston, was also certified ten times platinum. In October 2020, her 1987 release, Whitney, was certified Diamond as well, making Houston the first and only black recording artist to have three Diamond-certified albums. Those three albums are also among the best-selling albums of all time. Houston also is the only black female recording artist with more than six albums that have sold ten million copies or more globally. The Bodyguard remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, as well as the best-selling album of all time by a female recording artist, with global sales of over 50 million copies. Houston's "I Will Always Love You" became the best-selling physical single by a woman in music history, as well as the best-selling single ever by a black recording artist, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Her 1996 soundtrack for The Preacher's Wife is the best-selling gospel 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.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Attends Elementary School Naming Ceremony, MTV News, June 13, 1997, December 18, 2023, She held an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana.MAGAZINE,weblink Ebony, Ebony, June 1990, 138–, 0012-9011, February 13, 2012, Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013.NEWS, 2013 Inductees, New Jersey Hall of Fame,weblink January 14, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140417212545weblink">weblink April 17, 2014, In August 2014, she was inducted into the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class.WEB,weblink R&B Music Hall of Fame sets big weekend to induct sophomore class featuring Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Norm N. Nite and more, August 19, 2014, The Plain Dealer, September 4, 2014, Chuck, Yarborough, On January 15, 2020, more than 35 years after releasing her first record and on the 35th anniversary of the release of her landmark debut, Houston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after her first nomination.WEB,weblink Class of 2020 Nominees, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, en, October 16, 2019, NEWS,weblinkweblink January 15, 2020, limited, live, Whitney Houston and Nine Inch Nails Make the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, January 15, 2020, The New York Times, Coscarelli, Joe, January 15, 2020, 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.WEB, March 25, 2020, National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist,weblink live,weblink March 25, 2020, Library of Congress, 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.WEB, October 27, 2020, Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Hits 1 Billion Views On YouTube,weblink September 4, 2021, ET Canada, Curran, Sarah, September 4, 2021,weblink dead, In May 2023, Houston was one of the first of thirteen artists to be given the Brits Billion Award by the BPI for reaching 1 billion career streams in the United Kingdom.MAGAZINE,weblink BRIT Billion Award, Marking 1 Billion Career UK Streams is Unveiled, Grein, Paul, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, May 4, 2023, May 4, 2023, In July 2023, Houston became the first solo artist who debuted in the 1980s to have a song streamed over a billion times after her 1987 hit, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", reached that feat.TWEET, popbase, 1678554888966422528, July 11, 2023, July 12, 2023, Whitney Houston's classic hit 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' has surpassed 1 BILLION streams on Spotify. It is the first song by an female artist who debuted in the 80s to achieve this., NEWS,weblink The Story of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", the Billboard Staff's No. 1 Pop Song, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, October 19, 2023, December 10, 2023, In December 2023, the New Jersey Hall of Fame unveiled the Whitney Houston Service Area, formerly known as the Vauxhal Service Area at the Garden State Parkway.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston exhibit unveiled at Garden State Parkway service area, NJArts.net, Jay Lustig, December 18, 2023, December 18, 2023, The New Jersey Hall of Fame explained that the renaming was part of their "ongoing program to honor its inductees by renaming Garden State Parkway service areas after them, and building displays about them". Houston joined other New Jersey notables such as Toni Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Celia Cruz and Jon Bon Jovi in having service areas renamed after them.

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.WEB, February 5, 2019, Greenlight Announces Representation of Whitney Houston,weblink August 3, 2021, Associated Press News, At a 1988 Madison Square Garden concert, Houston earned more over $250,000 for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).WEB, August 9, 2012, A Look at Whitney's Great Charity Work, She was a True Humanitarian!,weblink August 3, 2021, BCG, Houston donated all of the earnings from her 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sales to Gulf War servicemen and their families.NEWS, May 23, 1991, Whitney Houston Gives $500,000, 9A, The Mount Airy News, Heartland Publications, LLC,weblink January 18, 2016, The record label followed suit and she was voted to the American Red Cross Board of Directors as a result.MAGAZINE, June 17, 1991, Houston Raises $500,000 for Red Cross; Named Its to Its Board of Governors,weblink Jet, 80, 9, 37, January 18, 2016, Following the 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.NEWS, Reid, Shaheem, September 17, 2001, Whitney Houston's 'Star-Spangled Banner' To Wave Again, MTV,weblink March 18, 2011, Houston declined to perform in apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s.WEB, July 7, 2018, 'Not black enough': the identity crisis that haunted Whitney Houston,weblink August 3, 2021, The Guardian, Steve, Rose, Her participation at the 1988 Freedomfest performance in London (for a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela) grabbed the attention of other musicians and the media.WEB, April 14, 2020, From 'Kingston Town' to the Nelson Mandela Tribute in 1988: interview with UB40,weblink July 22, 2021, The Shortlisted, en-GB, 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.WEB,weblink Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Epidemic: Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", March 23, 2021, January 23, 2024, The Incredible Night Whitney Befriended Me And I Saw She Was Doomed by Peter Tatchell, Mail on Sunday, February 19, 2012Noting of her influence as a gay icon, during the middle of her tour to promote the My Love Is Your Love 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.NEWS,weblink Whitney Houston Surprises Crowd at Lesbian-Gay Pride Event, MTV, June 28, 1999, May 26, 2022, According to 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."WEB,weblink Whitney Houston's 1999 Epic NYC Pride Appearance Is Released, July 16, 2022, November 18, 2022, Before hitting the stage, Houston was asked by MTV veejay 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.MAGAZINE, 6 Things We Learned From the Heartbreaking Whitney Houston Movie,weblink Entertainment Weekly, Dan, Heching, August 25, 2017, September 7, 2021, The film was directed by Nick Broomfield.WEB, Farber, Jim, April 26, 2017, Nick Broomfield on his damning Whitney Houston film: 'She had very little control over her life',weblink The Guardian, On April 27, 2016, it was announced that Kevin Macdonald would work with the film production team Altitude, producers of the Amy Winehouse documentary 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.NEWS, April 28, 2016, Whitney Houston's life to be documented on film, BBC News,weblink April 28, 2016, That film, entitled Whitney, premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was released internationally in theaters on July 6, 2018.WEB, April 5, 2018, Whitney Houston film trailer: Biopic reveals all in HEARTBREAKING new home videos,weblink September 7, 2021, Stefan, Kyriazis, Daily Express, 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".NEWS, Ho, Rodney, Lifetime doc explores Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown tragedies,weblink April 13, 2021, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 3, 2021, April 13, 2021,weblink live, On the tenth anniversary of her death, ESPN ran a thirty-minute documentary of Houston's acclaimed performance of The Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 titled Whitney's Anthem.WEB,weblink Whitney's Anthem: New ESPN E60 Traces Backstory of Singer's Epic Super Bowl National Anthem Performance, ESPN, February 7, 2022, November 7, 2023,

Portrayals

In 2015, Lifetime premiered the biographical film Whitney, which mentions that Whitney Houston was named after prominent television actress Whitney Blake, the mother of Meredith Baxter, star of the television series Family Ties. The film was directed by Houston's Waiting to Exhale co-star Angela Bassett, 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 (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody|I Wanna Dance with Somebody), would be produced, with Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten writing the script and director Kasi Lemmons at the helm. Clive Davis, the Houston estate and Primary Wave were behind the biopic, with Sony Pictures & TriStar Pictures.NEWS, April 23, 2020, A Whitney Houston Biopic Is Officially In the Works, Vibe (magazine), Vibe,weblink April 28, 2020, NEWS, Tonya Pendleton, April 23, 2020, Whitney Houston biopic planned with 'Photograph' director possibly on board, The Grio,weblink April 28, 2020, NEWS, Tom Beasley, April 23, 2020, Whitney Houston is getting a family-approved movie biopic, Yahoo! News,weblink April 28, 2020, On December 15, 2020, it was announced that actress Naomi Ackie had been picked to portray Houston.NEWS, Mia Galuppo, December 15, 2020, Whitney Houston Biopic Finds Its Star in Naomi Ackie, The Hollywood Reporter,weblink December 15, 2020, NEWS, Rebecca Rubin, December 15, 2020, Whitney Houston Biopic Casts Naomi Ackie in Lead Role, Variety (magazine), Variety,weblink December 15, 2020, The film opened on December 23, 2022 and grossed around $60 million, becoming one of the highest grossing biopics based on a historical African American female figure after the Tina Turner biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It.Each actress listed portrays Houston:

• Whitney – Yaya DaCosta, 2015
• Bobbi Kristina – Demetria McKinney, 2017
• The Bobby Brown Story – Gabrielle Dennis, 2018
• (Selena: The Series) – Shauntè Massard, 2021 (S2, E6)
• (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody|I Wanna Dance with Somebody) – Naomi Ackie, 2022

Discography

• 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)

Filmography

• The Bodyguard (1992)
• Waiting to Exhale (1995)
• The Preacher's Wife (1996)
• Cinderella (1997)
• Sparkle (2012)
• (Whitney: Can I Be Me) (2017)
• Whitney (2018)

Tours

Headlining tours

• US Summer Tour (1985)
• The Greatest Love World Tour (1986)
• Moment of Truth World Tour (1987–1988)
• Feels So Right Tour (1990)
• I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour (1991)
• The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994)
• Pacific Rim Tour (1997)
• The European Tour (1998)
• My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999)
• Nothing but Love World Tour (2009–2010)
• (An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour) (2020–2023)

Co-headlining tours

• Soul Divas Tour (2004)

See also

• List of awards and nominations received by Whitney Houston
• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
• List of bestselling music artists
• List of best-selling gospel music artists

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• BOOK, Ammons, Kevin, Bacon, Nancy, 1998, Good Girl, Bad Girl: An Insider's Biography of Whitney Houston, Secaucus, NJ, Carol Publ. Group, 978-0-8065-8012-8, none,
• BOOK, Bowman, Jeffery, 1995, Diva: The Totally Unauthorized Biography of Whitney Houston, New York, Harper, 978-0-06-100853-5, none,
• BOOK, Halstead, Craig, 2010, Whitney Houston: For the Record, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK, Authors OnLine, 978-0-7552-1278-1, 751138536, none,
• BOOK, Houston, Whitney, March 1999, My Love Is Your Love: Piano, Vocal, Chords, Los Angeles, Alfred Publishing Co., 978-0-7692-7734-9, none,
• BOOK, Kennedy, Gerrick, 2022, Didn't We Almost Have it All: In Defense of Whitney Houston,weblink New York, Abrams, 9781419749698, 1289268049, none,
• BOOK, Parish, James Robert, September 2003, Whitney Houston: The Unauthorized Biography, London, Aurum Press, 978-1-85410-921-7, none,
• BOOK, Parish, James Robert, April 2010, Whitney Houston: Return of the Diva, Chicago, John Blake, 978-1-84454-919-1, none,

External links

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• {{allmovie name|33436}}
• {{AllMusic|artist/whitney-houston-mn0000820434}}
• {{discogs artist}}
• {{IMDb name|0001365}}
• {{tcmdb name|id=89490|name=Whitney Houston}}

{{Whitney Houston|state=expanded}}{{Whitney Houston singles}}{{NavboxesList of awards and nominations received by Whitney Houston>Awards for Whitney Houston|list ={{American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist}}{{American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist}}{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist}}{{American Music Award of Merit}}{{UK best-selling singles (by year)}}{{Billboard Millennium Award}}{{Billboard Year-End number one albums}}{{Billboard Year-End Top Artists}}{{EmmyAward VarietyPerformance 1976–2000}}{{Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1990s}}{{Grammy Award for Record of the Year 1990s}}{{MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B}}{{MTV Europe Music Award for Global Icon}}{{MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment}}{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video}}{{NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video}}{{NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song}}{{2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}}}{{Authority control}}

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- time: 8:39am EDT - Sat, May 18 2024