Whitney Elizabeth Houston

Date of Birth 9 August 1963, Newark, New Jersey, USA Date of Death 11 February 2012, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA Birth Name Whitney Elizabeth Houston Nickname Nippy The Prom Queen of Soul Height 5' 8" (1.73 m) Mini Biography Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston, cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of soul legend Aretha Franklin. She began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'. She went on to provide backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and worked briefly as a model, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981. She began working as a featured vocalist for the New York-based funk band Material and it was the quality of her vocal work with them that attracted the attention of the major record labels, including Arista with whom she signed in 1983 and where she stayed for the rest of her career. Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies. The 1987 follow-up album, 'Whitney', which included the hits 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', built on her success but it was the 1992 film The Bodyguard (1992) that sealed her place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. While the movie itself and her performance in it were not highly praised, the soundtrack album and her cover of the Dolly Parton song 'I Will Always Love You' topped the singles and albums charts for months and sold 44 million copies around the world. That same year she married ex-New Edition singer Bobby Brown with whom she had her only child, their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in March 1993. It was about this time that her much documented drug use began and by 1996 she was a daily user. Her 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love' was well reviewed but the drug abuse began to affect her reputation and press reports at the time said that she was becoming difficult to work with, if she turned up at all. She was dropped from a performance at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) (TV) because she was "out of it" at rehearsals. Her weight fluctuated wildly - she was so thin at a 'Michael Jackson' tribute in 2001 that rumors circulated the next day that she had died - and her voice began to fail her. She was twice admitted to rehab and declared herself drug-free in 2010 but returned to rehab in May 2011. Her 2009 comeback album 'I Look To You' was positively received and sold well, but promotional performances were still marred by her weakened voice. Her final acting performance was in Sparkle (2012) (a remake of the 1976 movie, Sparkle (1976)), released after her death. She was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on 11 February 2012. IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous Spouse Bobby Brown (18 July 1992 - 24 April 2007) (divorced) 1 child Trivia Daughter of Cissy Houston (gospel-blues singer). Cousin of Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. Multi-Grammy award winning singer; has had an unequaled run of seven consecutive #1 records (1980s) in the USA, and held the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 for 14 weeks with "I Will Always Love You" in 1993. Brothers: Michael and Gary. Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world. [1991] Hawaiian security guards discovered a half an ounce of marijuana in baggage being carried by Whitney & husband Bobby Brown. The couple were permitted to board their plane. [11 January 2000] Appeared on the covers on Seventeen and Glamour magazines before becoming a major recording artist. Was a fashion model before she started singing professionally. Singer. Erroneously reported deceased by various radio stations and publications. Houston spokesperson quickly denies rumours. [14 September 2001] Born at 8:55 PM EDT. Her 1987 album "Whitney" knocked Simple Minds' "Live in the City of Light" off number one on the British album chart and kept Marillion's "Clutching at Straws" at number two. Her 1987 album "Whitney" became the first female album to debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. Her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Superbowl shot to #20 on the Billboard Charts. Supported mainly due to the Gulf War. Holds the record for winning the most American Music Awards, twenty-six in total. Ranked #61 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock N Roll Her #1 hit "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was ranked #86 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs. Her powerful rendition of "I Will Always Love You", from The Bodyguard (1992), was ranked #65 on the American Film Institute's list of "The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs". Named after actress Whitney Blake. Once "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" hit #1 in February of 1988, she was honored as the first artist in history to ever have seven consecutive Billboard number 1 singles. An accomplishment that she still holds to this day. Almost received the role of Sondra Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" (1984). The role went to Sabrina Le Beauf, whose theater experience won her the role. The Whitney E. Houston academy is located in her home town of East Orange, New Jersey She has a school named after her (1997) formerly Franklin School, now the Whitney E. Houston School of Creative and Performing Arts in her hometown of East Orange, New Jersey. Her 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. "I Will Always Love You" is the best-selling single by a female artist, and the biggest- selling non-charity single of all time, with world sales of nearly nine million copies. The Preacher's Wife (1996) soundtrack is the best-selling gospel album of all time. The soundtrack also remained at number one for for a record twenty-six weeks on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart. After spending one week at number one, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" spent the next eleven weeks at number two, the longest number-two stay in Hot 100 history. She has fourteen gold singles in the United States, behind only Madonna among female artists. She is the only female artist to have three albums sell over nine million copies each: "Whitney Houston" (1985), "Whitney" (1987), and "The Bodyguard" (1992). The world's best selling debut album by a female is "Whitney Houston" (1985), with over twenty-four million copies sold. The world's biggest selling soundtrack is The Bodyguard (1992) with over thirty-seven million units sold. It also ranks as the best-selling female album of all time. Ex-wife of Bobby Brown. Second cousin of David Elliott and Damon Elliott. Ranked #24 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists. Her mother was at one time a background singer for Elvis Presley. Her godmother is Aretha Franklin. Her family moved from Newark to East Orange, NJ in the wake of rioting in Newark when she was 4 years old. Was offered the role of Grace Hitchens on "Glee" (2009), but turned the part down. Eve was then cast instead. Returned to work four months after giving birth to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in order to participate in "The Bodyguard World Tour", performing songs from her debut motion picture The Bodyguard (1992). Her last romantically relationship was with Ray J from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2009 to her death in 2012. Gave birth to her only child at age 29, a daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston-Brown (aka Bobbi Kristina Brown) on March 4, 1993. Child's father is her ex-husband, Bobby Brown. Suffered three miscarriages during her relationship with Bobby Brown: in 1991, 1994 and 1996. Because she passed away the night before the "54th Grammy Awards"(2012), the host for the evening, LL Cool J, opened the show with a tribute and a prayer in her honor. One of the last times Whitney Houston was seen on camera was at a rehearsal for Monica and Brandy's performance at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. At the time, Brandy did not know that Houston had planned a surprise birthday party for her on the night she passed away. On the afternoon of February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. She was pronounced dead at 3:55pm PST. Her funeral was held at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Following services, she was laid to rest beside her father at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey. Personal Quotes I almost wish I could be more exciting, that I could match what is happening out there to me. I've got a good man. He takes care of me. I don't have to be scared of anything because I know he will kick every ass... disrespect him and you've got a problem. God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?" I was aware of people staring at me. No one moved. They seemed almost in trance. I just stared at the clock in the center of the church. When I finished, everyone clapped and started crying. I know that I could really kill for my daughter. I know because I'm living for her, so I'm fierce when it comes down to it. And I feel the same about my husband and my family. I'm just fiercely protective. It's like, that's my lair and nobody messes with my lair.