Historical Spotlight: Whitney Houston
In Black culture, there are a few artists, athletes, and entertainers that are loved well into death. Icons like Bernie Mac, Michael Jackson, Prince, Luther Vandross, and others live on in the hearts of those who loved their art. While some stars are bigger than others, legends like Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin made history as technical artists who can not only command a stage, but also perform a wide vocal range. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on Whitney Houston, America’s Sweetheart who carved her own lane with her powerful voice and made history as a legend.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey to her parents Emily “Cissy” and John Houston Jr. Her mom was a Grammy-winning gospel and soul singer and her dad was a former Army serviceman and an administrator under the mayor. She got her nickname “Nippy” from her dad.
From an early age, she was surrounded by amazing vocalists from her aunts Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick to her cousin Leontyne Price and was heavily influenced by her religious upbringing. She joined the choir at just five years old and eventually learned to play the piano as well. She did her first performance in church at 12 years old and was determined to pursue music professionally.
Acting as her first coach, manager, and instructor, her mom helped train Whitney throughout her teen years and was a major influence on her ability. She even joined her mom’s band as a background singer when she was 14 years old. She performed her very first solo and received her first standing ovation during one of her mom’s shows in February 1978.
She became a fashion model in 1980 and initially signed with Click Models before catching the attention of the illustrious Wilhelmina Models agency. She made history as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine. She was also featured in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Young Miss magazines.
Simultaneously, she practiced her singing by recording demos of gospel recordings, which made her highly sought after by record companies salivating to sign her. Her mom turned them all down, insisting that she at least finish high school first.
In September 1981, she signed her first deal with Tara Productions. A few years later, an Arista Records representative discovered her performing at a nightclub in Manhattan and immediately offered her a recording contract, which she signed on April 10, 1983 at just 19 years old.
She made her national debut by singing commercial jingles, appearing in a Canada Dry commercial, and even almost landed a role on The Cosby Show, but declined due to her rising career. It took her a while to record her first album because her label wanted to make sure she didn’t get poached by another label and that the correct producers and sound technicians were available for her.
She released her first album Whitney Houston on February 14, 1985. It hit number one on the charts for 14 weeks, the longest run of any debut album by a woman. It has remained the best-selling debut album by a solo artist and has been certified Diamond after selling 25 million copies worldwide.
Whitney was declared “the new queen of pop” in a May 25, 1986 article in The New York Times. Her first album was successful because of her regular performances on late-night talk shows and exposure on music video stations like MTV. At that time MTV was receiving backlash from not playing enough videos from Black artists. Whitney’s songs performed so well with the public, MTV had no choice but to give her screen time.
She released her second album Whitney in June 1987. She became the first artist ever to reach number one on the US and UK charts simultaneously. The album has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is certified Diamond.
Her third album I’m Your Baby Tonight was released in November 1990 and had a more urban feel than her previous two albums. She was the executive producer and had full creative control to produce it how she wanted to for the very first time in her career. The album hit number three on the charts and was certified platinum after it sold ten million copies worldwide.
She produced a full-length gospel album in 1996 that hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart, proving her versatility across genres. It sold six million copies worldwide and became the best-selling gospel album of all time. After not receiving a gospel nomination at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards despite the massive success, she decided to boycott the award show.
Her fourth album My Love Is Your Love was released in 1998 and was certified platinum after selling ten million copies globally. Because of her massive success, she renewed her contract with Arista Records for $100 million in 2001. Her contract was one of the largest recording deals of all time.
She released her last albums Just Whitney in 2002, One Wish:The Holiday Album in 2003, and I Look to You in 2009. Throughout her singing career, she headlined sold out world tours including The Greatest Love World Tour in 1986, the Moment of Truth World Tour in 1987, the I’m Your Baby Tonight World Tour in 1991, the Nothing but Love World Tour in 2009, and others.
She was commonly referred to as “the Voice” because of her beautiful, four-octave vocal range and is considered one of the greatest singers of all time. Her talent opened doors for her to perform The Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV (25) in 1991 and even record “One Moment in Time” for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Whitney is one of the most awarded performers and one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In total, she’s sold over 220 million records worldwide and is ranked 2nd on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest singers of all time. She was also the first Black artist to produce three diamond-certified albums and the first Black woman to win a Grammy as both a producer and an artist.
She has won two Emmy Awards, five World Music Awards, nine Grammy Awards, 36 Billboard Awards, and 22 American Music Awards. She’s been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame twice, the BET Walk of Fame, the New Jersey Hall of Fame, the R&B Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Soul Train Hall of Fame for her talent. She’s received the Grammy and the BET Lifetime Achievement Awards to honor her expansive legacy.
Refusing to be put into a box, she also acted in quite a number of successful movies including Cinderella, The Preacher’s Wife, Waiting to Exhale, Sparkle, and The Bodyguard, making her the highest-earning Black actress in Hollywood at the time. In 1996, Whitney formed her film production company called BrownHouse Productions to improve how Black people were portrayed in film and TV. She went on to produce The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls film franchises.
In 1986, she started her own management company Nippy Inc. to handle her music publishing, recordings, and special projects throughout her career. In 1996, she created her own label, Better Place Records, to support other artists.
Her excellence broke down gender and racial barriers that prevented Black artists before her from reaching such a high level of fame and glory. She even refused work in South Africa due to the country’s strict apartheid laws and participated in Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute in support of him and the anti-apartheid movement.
She held a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to fund HBCUs in 1988 and founded the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989 to raise funds for children around the world who experienced homelessness, cancer, AIDS, abuse, and other issues.
Whitney met Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and the pair were married three years later on July 18, 1992. They had one daughter together named Bobbi Kristina Brown on March 4, 1993.
Unfortunately, the two were quite toxic together and the relationship was hectic and even abusive at times. They often enabled each other’s vices, making it difficult for either of them to do the necessary work to improve. Whitney filed for divorce and it was finalized on April 24, 2007.
She was considered America’s Sweetheart during the peak of her career because of her pop appeal, wholesome image, and incredible vocal talent. She was one of only a few Black artists to receive the moniker. From 1985 to 2000, she was the “perfect pop princess” but as time went on, she started succumbing to her personal struggles.
She had erratic behavior that included showing up hours late to interviews, photo shoots, rehearsals, and even cancelling several concerts that made people suspect she was using drugs. In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, she addressed rumors about her drug use and famously said “crack is whack”.
She battled her addiction for decades and in a September 2009 interview with Oprah, she described how she lost herself. Her drug use didn’t stop after a 30-day rehab program and her family even took legal action to get her help. Unfortunately, her addiction disintegrated her voice, making it become hoarse and raspy over time. She was diagnosed with emphysema in 2011.
Whitney died on February 11, 2012 in a Beverly Hills hotel after accidentally drowning from cocaine use and heart disease. Her fans across the globe mourned her death, making her music explode in popularity. She amassed $250 million over her 25 year career.
Whitney was true to herself and never allowed herself to be watered down. She spoke her mind unapologetically and there are many moments where her authenticity was caught on camera. One moment in particular was when she called into the Wendy Williams show for an interview and ended up checking Wendy for speaking ill on her.
She has iconic memes and gifs circling around the internet and her facial expressions remain some of the funniest. She refused to allow reporters to play with her or show her any type of disrespect. A true Black American icon.
Her voice, pure and unfiltered, has survived her time on this earth and she was the original blueprint for a lot of R&B crooners that came after her. She was loved by millions despite her personal struggles and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest singers of all time.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
