Whitney Houston Biography

Whitney Houston was born into a talented singing family. The youngest of three children, her mother, Cissy, was a successful backing singer, Dionne Warwick her cousin and Aretha Franklin is her Godmother.

Whitney's singing career began in the local gospel choir but she quickly graduated to backing singing with the likes of Lou Rawls and Chaka Khan, when she also worked as a model.

At the age of 18, Whitney was signed to record label Arista Records, with whom she produced the album, 'Whitney Houston' with 'Saving All My Love For You' earning her a Grammy Award.

Her second album, the uninspiringly titled 'Whitney', was the first album by a woman to enter at number one in the charts. Its first four singles all made #1 in the Billboard chart. ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ also hit the top of the charts in the UK dispelling the impression that Whitney was a one-trick balladeer.

Her growing superstar status ensured she was invited to record ‘One Moment In Time’, the title track for an album to celebrate the Olympics being held in Los Angeles.

Her reputation as a “diva” was also on the rise: Whitney’s participation in 1988 in Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday concert was overshadowed by complaints from disgruntled stars on the bill who accused the singer of behaving like a prima donna.

Releasing a younger, dancier album ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’ in 1990, it was met with relative commercial success and the critics were not convinced. The NME gave it a decisive zero out of ten. A world tour also drew fire from the critics: the New York Times likened her band to “clattering around like a drunk in a kitchen”.

Whitney answered back with a powerful acting debut in the film ‘The Bodyguard’ and the biggest hit of her career, the seminal ‘I Will Always Love You’. The single stayed 10 weeks at the top of the UK charts and the soundtrack album sold over 37 million copies.

The same year, 1992, saw Whitney’s marriage to bad-boy singer Bobby Brown, a relationship that would be troubled but long lasting.

It was a long wait until Whitney’s next album, ‘My Love Is Your Love’ which was well received but sold poorly despite the involvement of Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill.

Whitney’s public persona took several dents in 2000. Tabloids reported that marijuana had been found in her luggage in Hawaii. She then pulled out of the Academy Awards show at the eleventh hour amidst rumours of poor rehearsal performances and a lack of focus. The release of a ‘Greatest Hits’ album, or subsequent flop albums ‘Love, Whitney’ or ‘Just Whitney’, did little to divert tabloid attention from the unravelling of Whitney’s personal life.

In 2002, Whitney admitted in a TV interview with Diane Sawyer to drug abuse. Whitney entered drug rehab in 2004 and again in 2005. She made an appearance in October 2005 at the BET 25th Anniversary show looking thin but healthier than she had for many recent years.

After a successful rehabilitation period in 2006, Houston began to rebuild her career in the public eye by attending the Carousel of Hope Ball in October 2006 and Clive Davis's Pre-Grammy Party in February 2007. She recorded the song "Family First" with Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston for the soundtrack Daddy's Little Girls.

Houston has also divorced Bobby Brown and gained full parental custody of their daughter, Bobbi Kristina. The singer is also working on a new album.