Whitney Houston Life and Biography

Whitney Houston is a world-famous singer and film actress, a legend whose life has been the subject of various rumors and speculations. Her music, film roles, and music videos have become masterpieces on which several generations of people have grown up, not indifferent to the work of the famous singer. Whitney Houston is undoubtedly a pop diva that created a huge influence on pop music of the 1990s and 2000s largely due to her sensual vocal performances, very classy public image, as well as bright and diverse biography.

Life and Fame

American singer Whitney Houston is one of the most famous artists in the history of world music. Her ballad "I Will Always Love You" became not only a world hit but also an informal "anthem of love". Whitney Houston has received many awards for her work (more than 400), which is why she even entered the Guinness Book of Records (Ammons and Bacon). Such recognition comes from a rather powerful source, which was Houston’s voice. Her vocal strength can be heard and felt on her all-time hit while her public image let her receive all the awards with high decency, effectively creating a role model for future generations of pop singers.

Whitney Houston is a world-famous singer (pop, soul, R&B), producer, actress, and model, and she dealt with stage life for her entire life. Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey. Her mother sang, so young Whitney was not indifferent to music since childhood. At the age of 11, she became a soloist in the church choir. She was quickly recognized as extraordinarily talented, and the first contracts with record companies in Whitney Houston's biography were in the early 1980s (“Whitney Houston”). Like many other famous pop singers, Houston essentially spent her childhood and adolescence preparing for the career that she would have in her adult life. Considering this, it is quite easy to follow the reasons behind her success.

At one of the performances in New York, the singer was noticed by representatives of the company Arista Records, so soon Whitney signed a contract with this company. Whitney Houston's first album was released in 1985. He brought the singer great popularity and high positions in music ratings. The singer's debut was so successful that after the first album she received several significant awards: "Grammy", "Emmy", "MTV Video Music Awards". The next album was released in 1987, immediately reaching number one on the charts in the UK and U.S. (Ammons and Bacon). The success was almost immediate not only due to the singer’s exceptional voice and talent but also largely due to the efforts of the record company that was eager to promote a talented and charismatic Houston.

After earning some considerable prominence in music, Houston decided to diversify her career and made her debut in film in 1992. Whitney Houston performed 6 songs for the film Guardian. The single "I Will Always Love You" brought her great success, as well as Grammy Awards in the category "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year". After the success of the film and its soundtrack, Houston took up philanthropy, and at the age of 26, the star opened a fund to help children. And at her wedding to singer Bobby Brown in 1992, she asked guests to donate money to her charity instead of gifts (Ammonds and Bacon). This largely added to Houston’s positive public image and moved her career further, preventing its stagnation for at least a decade.

Houston’s next album, My Love Is Your Love, was released in 1998, and before that Houston recorded several soundtracks (for Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife). In 2000, the singer again received an award from the National Academy, this time as "Best R&B Singer". And the next studio album Just Whitney was released in 2002 but was harshly criticized. One Wish: The Holiday Album in 2003 was also not a commercial success, and was met with controversy by critics. Whitney Houston's 2009 album I Look To You was released and was received well by critics as well as became commercially successful (“Whitney Houston”). It is noteworthy to mention that despite being critically panned, Houston’s 2002 and 2003 albums still managed to be commercially successful earning Platinum and Gold status in the U.S. This suggests that even despite all the professional criticism, Houston’s strong public image and legacy kept her career on the run.

One cannot ignore the star's personal relationship, without which the biography of Whitney Houston would be incomplete, as short as her life, but rich and bright. Her life has never been perfect, especially when it comes to her relationships with men. Before the girl turned 25, she had only a few short-lived relationships that involved Jermaine Jackson and Eddie Murphy. In 1992, Houston married fellow singer and performer Bobby Brown, with whom she had one daughter and subsequently divorced in 2009 (“Whitney Houston”). Coincidentally, Houston’s studio career has ended at that time with the release of her final critically acclaimed album I Look to You. That being said, the singer had much success around that time and managed to go on a high note.

Conclusion

Whitney Houston became one of the highest-paid singers of her time. Rolling Stone magazine included her in the list of "100 best performers". The charity was an integral part of the singer's life. Each time after her concerts, the singer transferred to the fund's account the money that went to provide and treat homeless and sick children. The singer died on February 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills on the eve of the 54th Grammy Awards at the age of 48. The music award ceremony was dedicated to the life of the amazing and unforgettable Whitney Houston.

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Works Cited

"Whitney Houston". Biography, 2022, https://www.biography.com/musician/whitney-houston.

Ammons, Kevin and Nancy Bacon. Good Girl, Bad Girl: An Insider’s 1996 Biography of Whitney Houston. Carol Publishing Group, 1996.