Whitney Houston
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Whitney Houston is one of the greatest singer of all time. Her achievements are extraordinary, not only in music, but also in other areas of her career like movies and modelling. Being born in a talented family, it is not a surprise why singing comes naturally with her.
Contents |
[edit] About
[edit] Career Beginnings and Debut album
Whitney Houston was born as the third and youngest child of John and gospel singer Cissy Houston. She was raised as a baptist, but was also exposed to Pentecostal church during her childhood years. Her family moved at the East Orange, New Jersey after a riot broke at their home in Newark on 1947 at the age of 4. By the age of eleven, Houston followed in her mother's footsteps and pursued singing career. She learned how to play the piano and had her first solo performance in their church. Her teenage life saw her continually improved her singing skills. Her mother continued to teach her how to sing while attending Mount Saint Dominic Academy High School.
By 1977 through 1984, Houston would spend most of her time touring around nightclubs singing. She would occasionally get the chance to perform with her mother on stage. At the age of fourteen, she became the lead vocals on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party." Subsequently, the head of the band wanted the young singer to strike a record deal. But her mother won't allow her to as she wanted her daughter to finish school.
At the age of 15, Houston sang as the background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single "I'm Every Woman." She did have several back-up roles with different albums by Lou Rawls and Jermain Jackson before pursuing fashion model career after a photographer discovered her beauty. While modelling, she continued her recording career, and strike her first major record deal after an A and R representative saw her performing with her mother in New York. The representative was too impressed and offered a worldwide recording contract to Houston.
She signed with Arista on 1983 and began recording a duet with Teddy Pendergrass on 1984 for the single entitled "Hold Me." The song would eventually become Houston's first taste of success, becoming a Top 5 R&B hit.
With production from Michael Masser, Kashif, Jermaine Jackson and Narada Michael Walden, Houston's self-titled debut album was released in February 1985. The album was promoted through singles. The first single "Someone For Me" failed to chart in both the US and UK, the album initially sold modestly and failed to make an impact. The release of the next single, the soulful ballad "You Give Good Love", peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 while going #1 on the R&B Charts. As a result, the album began to sell strongly before topping the R&B Album chart while Houston continued promoting the album while touring nightclubs in the US. The jazzy ballad "Saving All My Love for You" was released next and it would become Houston's first #1 hit single in both the US and the UK. The next single, "How Will I Know", peaked at #1 and introduced Houston to the MTV audience thanks to its video By 1986, a year after its initial release, Whitney Houston topped the Billboard 200 album chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks. The final single, "Greatest Love of All", became Houston's biggest hit at the time after peaking #1 and remaining there for three weeks.
At the time, Houston released the best-selling debut album by a female artist. Houston then embarked on her world tour, Greatest Love Tour. The album had become an international success, and was certified 13x Platinum (diamond) in the United States alone. At the 1986 Grammy Awards, Houston was nominated for three awards including Album of the Year. She won her first Grammy award for 'Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female' for "Saving All My Love for You". The album's popularity would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards when "Greatest Love of All" would receive a Record of the Year nomination.
[edit] Whitney and I'm Your Baby Tonight
Houston’s second album, Whitney, was released in June 1987. The album again featured production from Masser, Kashif and Walden as well as Jellybean Benitez. The album was an enormous success. Houston became the first female artist in music history to debut at number one on the US and UK album chart while also hitting number one in several other countries around the world. The album's first four singles, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, which gave her a total of seven consecutive number one hits, breaking the record of six previously shared by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. The album's fifth, and final single, "Love Will Save the Day" also became a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100. Whitney has been certified 9x Platinum in the US for shipments of over 9 million copies. At the Grammy Awards in 1988, Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year, winning her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the Moment of Truth World Tour which was one of the ten highest grossing concert tours of 1987.
In 1988, 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 U.S., while reaching number one in the UK and Germany. In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer and AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.
Her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, was released in November 1990. She produced and chose producers for this album and as a result, it featured production and collaborations with L.A. Reid and Babyface, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to be certified four times platinum in America while selling twelve million total worldwide. The first two singles, the new jack swing "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and the gospel-tinged "All The Man That I Need", each hit number one on both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. The third and fourth singles, "Miracle"; and "My Name Is Not Susan" peaked at numbers nine and twenty, respectively. A fifth single, "I Belong to You", peaked in the Top 10 on the R&B charts, while yet a sixth single, the duet with Stevie Wonder entitled, "We Didn't Know", made the R&B Top 20.
With America at war, Houston performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. Her recording of the song was released as a commercial single, and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude. She embarked on the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour to promote the album.
[edit] The Bodyguard, Waiting To Exhale and Preacher's Wife
After meeting R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, the two were married on July 18, 1992. Nearly a year later, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown. Houston’s first film role was in The Bodyguard, released in 1992 and co-starring Kevin Costner. The film's soundtrack was a worldwide success. Houston executive produced and contributed six songs for the motion picture's adjoining soundtrack album. It featured production from David Foster. The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. Th single became a massive international hit. The single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks, and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, thus becoming the first single to top those three charts simultaneously for five weeks. The song also hit number-one in nearly every other country worldwide. The soundtrack peaked at #1 and remained there for twenty non-consecutive weeks and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. With the follow-up singles "I'm Every Woman", a Chaka Khan cover, and "I Have Nothing" both peaking in the top five, Houston became the first female artist to ever have three singles in the Top 20 simultaneously. The album was certified 17x platinum in the United States with worldwide sales of 42 million. Houston won three Grammys for the album, including two of the Academy's highest honors, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In addition, Houston won 8 American Music Awards, including the Award of Merit, and a BRIT award. Following the success of the project, Houston embarked on another expansive global tour in 1993 and 1994. At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people.
In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon in her second film Waiting to Exhale. Like Houston's previous project, the film's accompanying soundtrack was also a huge hit. Houston co-produced, with Babyface, the soundtrack, Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album. Though Babyface originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. The album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J. Blige, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Patti Labelle, and Brandy. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at #1, and then spent a record eleven weeks at the #2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B Charts. "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, hit the US Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", made the Top 30. The album debuted at #1, and was certified 7× Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies.
In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington. Houston recorded and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album included six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time.
[edit] My Love Is Your Love and Greatest Hits
After spending much of the early and mid 1990s working on motion pictures and their adjacent soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love, was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful, enough material was produced for a new full-length studio album. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. The album debuted at #13 on Billboard 200 and became Houston's least successful album in the U.S but fared better in the UK where it peaked it #4 and hit #1 in many other countries. But, thanks to its singles the album did not disappoint Houston's career. The album's first single, "When You Believe" (a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998s The Prince of Egypt soundtrack), became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries, the Top 20 in the U.S. and won an Academy Award. The next three singles would all reach the Top Five. "Heartbreak Hotel", which featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price reached number 2 on the Hot 100, while topping the R&B chart for seven weeks. "It's Not Right but It's Okay", which won Houston her sixth Grammy Award; and "My Love Is Your Love" both reached number four and also became international hits as did the previous two singles. The album's fifth single, "I Learned from the Best", became a moderate hit, peaking at number twenty-seven in the United States. All singles, except "When You Believe", also became number one hits on the U.S. Dance/Clubplay Chart. The album went on to be certified four times platinum in the U.S. In 1999, Houston participated in VH-1's Divas’ Live '99. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date My Love Is Your Love worldwide tour.
In May 2000, Whitney: The Greatest Hits was released. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States and reached number one in the United Kingdom. While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album is notable for featuring house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits, in place of their original version. Also 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". Along with the album, an accompanying DVD was also released of the music videos to Houston's greatest hits. The greatest hits album was certified triple platinum in the U.S., with worldwide sales of ten million.
[edit] Just Whitney and One Wish
During the late '90s Houston's behavior changed. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, and canceling concerts and talk-show appearances. With the missed performances and weight loss, rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband circulated. On January 11, 2000, airport security guards discovered marijuana in both Houston's and husband Bobby Brown's luggage at a Hawaiian airport, but the two boarded the plane and departed before authorities could arrive.
In August 2001, Houston signed the biggest record deal in music history with Arista/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to deliver six new albums, on which she would also earn royalties. She later made an appearance on Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. Her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the terrorist attacks of September 11. The song peaked at #6 this time on the US Hot 100. Houston donated her portion of the proceeds.
Also in 2002, Houston did an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her upcoming album. 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, while marking the first time Houston did not produce with Clive Davis. The album debuted at #9, position higher than her prevoius effort, on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and had the highest first week sales of any album she had released. However, all the singles—"Whatchulookinat", "One of Those Days", and "Try It on My Own"—failed to reach the top 40 on the Hot 100 chart. All three singles (along with "Love That Man") would also become Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, with two of the four hitting #1. Just Whitney was certified platinum in the United States.
In late 2003, Houston released her first holiday album One Wish: The Holiday Album, with a track listing of traditional Christmas songs. Houston produced the album with Gorden Chambers and Mervyn Warren. The album debuted at #49, very low compared to all her previous efforts, but hit top ten on Top Holiday albums. The single "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
[edit] I Look To You and upcoming projects
After years of controversy and turmoil, Houston separated from Bobby Brown in September 2006, filing for divorce the next month. The divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston granted custody of the couple's daughter.
In March 2007, Clive Davis of Arista Records announced that Houston would begin recording a new album. In October 2007, Arista released The Ultimate Collection. Houston released her new album, I Look To You, on August 2009. The album's first two singles are "I Look To You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the Billboard 200 at #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 gave her first interview in seven years, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere on September 2009. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade". As of December 2009, "I Look to You" has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales that exceed of one million copies, in the United States. On January 26, 2010, Houston re released her 25th anniversary edition of her debut album, entitled Whitney Houston – The Deluxe Anniversary Edition.
In 2009, Houston embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing but Love Tour. It is her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, poor reviews about her health have brought negative media interest with questions of whether Houston is able to continue performing.
In April 2010, UK newspaper The Mirror reported that Houston is already thinking about recording her eighth studio album and would like to collaborate with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas).
Today, Houston has become one of the most popular artist of all time having recording seven successful studio album. She has also performed in seven world tours and several major concert events.
[edit] Awards & Certifications
Grammys
| Year | Nomination | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Saving All My Love For You | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance |
| 1988 | I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance |
| 1994 | The Bodyguard: Soundtrack | Album Of The Year |
| 1994 | I Will Always Love You | Record of the Year |
| 1994 | I Will Always Love You | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance |
| 2000 | It's Not Right but It's Okay | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance |
Single Certifications
| Single | Certification |
|---|---|
| I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) | Platinum |
| I Will Always Love You | 4x Platinum |
| Exhale (Shoop Shoop) | Platinum |
| I Believe in You and Me | Platinum |
| Heartbreak Hotel | Platinum |
| My Love Is Your Love | Platinum |
| The Star Spangled Banner | Platinum |
Album Certifications
| Album | Certification |
|---|---|
| Whitney Houston (1985) | 13x Platinum [Diamond] |
| Whitney (1987) | 9x Platinum |
| I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990) | 4x Platinum |
| The Bodyguard: Soundtrack (1992) | 17x Platinum [Diamond] |
| Waiting To Exhale: Soundtrack (1995) | 7x Platinum |
| The Preacher's Wife: Soundtrack (1996) | 3x Platinum |
| My Love Is Your Love (1998) | 3x Platinum |
| Just Whitney (2002) | Platinum |
| I Look To You (2009) | Platinum |
[edit] Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Saving All My Love For You | 1 | Whitney Houston |
| 1985 | How Will I Know | 1 | Whitney Houston |
| 1986 | Greatest Love of All | 1 | Whitney Houston |
| 1987 | I Wanna Dance With Somebody | 1 | Whitney |
| 1987 | Didn't We Almost Have It All | 1 | Whitney |
| 1987 | So Emotional | 1 | Whitney |
| 1988 | Where Do Broken Hearts Go | 1 | Whitney |
| 1990 | I'm Your Baby Tonight | 1 | I'm Your Baby Tonight |
| 1990 | All The Man That I Need | 1 | I'm Your Baby Tonight |
| 1992 | I Will Always Love You | 1 | The Bodyguard: Soundtrack Album |
| 1995 | Exhale (Shoop Shoop) | 1 | Waiting To Exhale: Soundtrack |
| 1999 | Heartbreak Hotel | 2 | My Love Is Your Love |
[edit] News
[edit] Tours & Concerts
Nothing But Love World Tour - The Nothing But Love World Tour is the "ninth" and most recent concert tour by Whitney Houston. It is her first tour in over 10 years. The tour is to support her new album "I Look To You"
[edit] Discography
This is a Comprehensive list of the recordings made by Whitney Houston. It includes her Studio Albums, Soundtrack Albums and Compilations
[edit] Studio Albums
| Year | Album | Title | Released Date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 |  | Whitney Houston | February 14, 1985 | Arista |
| 1987 |  | Whitney | June 29, 1987 | Arista |
| 1990 |  | I'm Your Baby Tonight | November 6, 1990 | Arista |
| 1998 |  | My Love is Your Love | November 17, 1998 | Arista |
| 2002 |  | Just Whitney... | December 10, 2002 | Arista |
| 2003 |  | One Wish: The Holiday Album | 2003 | Arista |
| 2009 |  | I Look To You | August 28, 2009 | Arista |
[edit] Soundtrack Albums
| Year | Album | Title | Released Date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 |  | The Bodyguard | November 17, 1992 | Arista |
| 1995 |  | Waiting To Exhale | November 28, 1995 | Arista |
| 1996 |  | The Preacher's Wife | November 26, 1996 | Arista |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Hold Me (with Teddy Pendergrass) | 46 | Whitney Houston |
| 1985 | Someone for Me | - | |
| Thinking About You | - | ||
| You Give Good Love | 3 | ||
| Saving All My Love For You | 1 | ||
| 1986 | How Will I Know | 1 | |
| Greatest Love Of All | 1 | ||
| 1987 | I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) | 1 | Whitney |
| Didn't We Almost Have It All | 1 | ||
| So Emotional | 1 | ||
| 1988 | Where Do Broken Hearts Go | 1 | |
| Love Will Save The Day | 9 | ||
| I Know Him So Well | - | ||
| One Moment in Time | 5 | Olympics '88: The Album | |
| 1990 | I'm Your Baby Tonight | 1 | I'm Your Baby Tonight |
| All the Man That I Need | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Miracle | 9 | |
| My Name Is Not Susan | 20 | ||
| I Belong To You | - | ||
| 1992 | We Didn't Know | - | |
| I Will Always Love You | 1 | The Bodyguard | |
| 1993 | I'm Every Woman | 4 | |
| I Have Nothing | 4 | ||
| Run To You | 31 | ||
| Queen of the Night | - | ||
| 1995 | Exhale (Shoop Shoop) | 1 | Waiting To Exhale |
| 1996 | Count on Me (featuring CeCe Winans) | 8 | |
| Why Does It Hurt So Bad | 26 | ||
| I Believe in You and Me | 4 | The Preacher's Wife | |
| 1997 | Step By Step | 15 | |
| My Heart Is Calling | 77 | ||
| 1998 | When You Believe(with Mariah Carey) | 15 | My Love Is Your Love |
| 1999 | Heartbreak Hotel | 2 | |
| It's Not Right but It's Okay | 4 | ||
| My Love Is Your Love | 4 | ||
| 2000 | I Learned from the Best | 27 | |
| Could I Have This Kiss Forever (with Enrique Iglesias) | 52 | Greatest Hits | |
| If I Told You That | - | ||
| Same Script, Different Cast (with Deborah Cox) | 70 | ||
| Fine | - | ||
| 2001 | The Star Spangled Banner | 6 | Non album Single |
| 2002 | Whatchulookinat | 96 | Just Whitney... |
| 2003 | One of Those Days | 72 | |
| Try It on My Own | 84 | ||
| Love That Man | - | ||
| One Wish (for Christmas) | - | One Wish: The Holiday Album | |
| 2009 | I Look To You | 70 | I Look To You |
| Million Dollar Bill | 100 | ||
| 2010 | I Didn't Know My Own Strength | - |
[edit] Compilations & Live Releases
 April 18, 2000 Arista Records |
 November 20, 2001 Arista Records |
 October 29, 2007 Arista Records |
[edit] Other artists
[edit] Similar artists
[edit] Influences
- BeBe & CeCe Winans
- Lionel Richie
- Diana Ross
- Tina Turner
- Cissy Houston
- Aretha Franklin
- Dionne Warwick
(Source: Rolling Stone.com)
[edit] Contemporaries
[edit] Trivia
- Her remake of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" for The Bodyguard (1992) became the topic of the NBC news show "Now" (1993) because it was so overplayed and people were sick of it. It was the first song ever to be the topic on a news show for being too overplayed. [Source: IMDB.com]
- She has fourteen Gold ceritified singles in US
[edit] Reviews
[edit] External Links
