It’s been almost a decade since Whitney Houston passed away, and today, August 9th would have been her 58’th birthday. The legendary singer had a record-breaking music career and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of 200 million records worldwide.
She began singing in church as a child and was also a teen model, and was one of the first back women to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine in 1981. Destined for stardom, she was signed to a label at the age of 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both hit number one on the Billboard 200 list and are among the best-selling albums of all time.
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From then on Houston’s success seemed unstoppable, but she was battling a drug addiction that would ultimately win. On February 11th, the singer was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the singer‘s legacy deserves to be honored. Take a look at some photos of Houston doing what she loved most, and read some facts about the singer’s life.
Whitney Houston
Houston is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, from “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985 to ”Where Do Broken Hearts Go” in 1988.
Whitney Houston
The singer made her acting debut with The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film‘s soundtrack album, including “I Will Always Love You,” which was originally written and performed by Dolly Parton.
Whitney Houston
“I Will Always Love You,” won the 1994 Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It is the best-selling physical single by a female artist in music history, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide.
Whitney Houston
When it came to her personal life, throughout the 1980’s Houston was romantically linked to Jermaine Jackson, Randall Cunningham, and Eddie Murphy. She met Bobby Brown in 1989 and got married after 3 years of dating in 1992.
Whitney Houston
Houston gave birth to her and Bobby’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown on March 4, 1993. Bobbi passed away 3 years after Whitney in early similar circumstances on June 26, 2015. She was found unresponsive in the bath at her home on January 31st, 2015, and died six months later at the age of 22.
Whitney Houston
After suffering a miscarriage in 1996, Houston went back to work, and in 1998 she released the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love.
Whitney Houston
My Love Is Your Love sold four million copies in America, making it certified 4× platinum, and a total of eleven million copies worldwide. She is the top-selling R&B female artist of the 20th century, per Recording Association of America.
Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston
Following My Love Is Your Love, Houston pumped out singles like the hit song “When You Believe” a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998‘s The Prince of Egypt soundtrack. It became an international hit, peaking in the Top 10 in several countries. It also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson
It’s believed that Michael Jackson always loved Whitney Houston, and they may have had a secret fling at the peak of her death.
Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick used to describe her cousin Whitney as “the little girl I never had.”
Whitney Houston
Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, in 1989 and it’s a nonprofit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world, cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.
Whitney Houston
As of 2020, Houston ranks fourth on the list of best-selling female artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America with 60 million certified albums sold.
Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants v Buffalo Bills
The philanthropic singer donated all of the earnings from her 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sale to Gulf War servicemen and their families.
Whitney Houston
Houston’s last public performance was on February 9, 2012, when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, California, and sang “Jesus Loves Me.” Two days later on February 11th, she was found submerged in the bathtub. The cause of death was not immediately known but 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.”
Whitney Houston
An invitation-only memorial service was held at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey on February 18, 2012. It was scheduled for 2 hours but lasted 4. Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and CeCe Winans were among some of the performers. Aretha Franklin was listed to perform but was unable to attend the service.
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