Introduction

Whitney Houston was an iconic American singer who is known as one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Family Background

Houston belonged to a musical family as her mother, Cissy Houston, was a renowned gospel singer, and her cousin, Dionne Warwick, was also a successful pop star.

Early Life

Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963, at Presbyterian Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, to Emily “Cissy” (née Drinkard) and John Russell Houston Jr.

Houston’s mother, Cissy, was a Grammy-winning gospel and soul singer who was a member of The Drinkard Singers and the founder of The Sweet Inspirations before becoming a solo artist.

Huston’s parents were African-American. She also grew up with her three older brothers. Along the line, her parents got divorced.

Religious Upbringing

Huston was raised in the Baptist faith, where she joined the choir as a growing child. This is where she started singing publicly.

Education

Houston attended Franklin Elementary School (now Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts) before transferring to Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a Catholic girls’ high school in Caldwell, New Jersey, by sixth grade. She graduated from Mount Saint Dominic in 1981.

Rise to Stardom

Houston began her climb to stardom in the 1980s when she signed a contract with Arista Records and released her self-titled debut album in 1985, which became a massive hit with three number-one singles. The album’s success helped establish Houston as a rising star in the industry.

Acting Career and Iconic Song

Houston also starred in the 1992 film The Bodyguard alongside Kevin Costner. For the movie’s soundtrack, Houston sang her rendition of Dolly Parton’s song I Will Always Love You, which became one of the best-selling songs of all time.

The song occupied the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 14 weeks.

Personal Life

Despite her massive success, Houston’s troubled marriage to singer Bobby Brown and struggles with drug addiction affected her career thanks to the media attention it received.

Houston met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992. They had a daughter, who also unfortunately died a few years after her mother.

Challenges in Marriage

Huston’s marriage to Brown was a rocky one, as there were rumors of drug addiction, physical abuse, and unfaithfulness. She also suffered miscarriages multiple times during the marriage.

The marriage later ended in divorce in 2007.

Death and Legacy

Sadly, Houston passed away in 2012 at the age of 48.