Whitney Houston

At 48 years old, Whitney Houston has this physical status:

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress.

She was named as the best-selling female artist of all time by Guinness World Records, and she remains one of the top-selling music artists of all time with 200 million records sold worldwide.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, none of which have been designated as diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Many female African-American artists were influenced by her crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her fame on MTV, beginning with her video for "How Will I Know." Houston began singing in church as a child and then became a background vocalist while in high school.

She joined Arista Records chairman Clive Davis at the age of 19.

Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), her first two studio albums, all reached number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and to date are the best-selling first two albums of any artist in history.

She is the only artist to have seven consecutive top-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Save All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988. In the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992), Houston made her screen debut.

"I Will Always Love You" was one of six songs on the film's soundtrack, including "I Will Always Love You," which received the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of the Year and became the best-selling single by a woman in music history.

The soundtrack album received the Grammy Award for Best Album of the Year; it is still the best-selling soundtrack album in history.

In addition to Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), Houston made other high-profile film appearances and supervised/produced their accompanying soundtracks, including Waiting to Exhale (1995).

The Preacher's Wife soundtrack went on to become the best-selling gospel album in history. Houston signed a $100 million deal with Arista Records after the critical and commercial success of My Love Is Your Love (1998).

However, her personal woes started dominating her work, and Just Whitney (2002) received mixed feedback.

In media, her heroin use and a tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown were widely shared.

Houston's final studio album, I Look to You, (2008), after a six-year absence from recording, she returned to the top of the Billboard 200 charts. Houston was discovered dead at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on February 11, 2012.

According to the coroner's report, she had mistakenly drowned in the tub, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors.

The death of her mother coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was widely reported in international media.

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Life and career

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 9, 1963, in what was then a middle-income neighborhood. Emily "Cissy" Houston, the daughter of ex-Army serviceman and Newark city administrator John Russell Houston Jr., and gospel singer John Russell Houston Jr. Michael Garland, her elder brother, is a writer, and her elder half-brother is a former basketball player and singer Gary Garland. Both her parents were African-American, and she is believed to have ancestry from Dutch and Native Americans. Houston was the first cousin of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick through her mother. Darlene Love and her honorary aunt Aretha Franklin, who was born in 1981 or 1990, was her godmother and took her to a recording studio. Houston was raised as a Baptist, but he was also exposed to the Pentecostal church. Since the 1967 Newark riots, the family immigrated to a middle-class neighborhood in East Orange, New Jersey, where she was four years old. Her parents divorced later.

Houston began playing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she later learned to play the piano. "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" was her first solo appearance in the cathedral.

Although Houston was still in school, her mother, Cissy, began to teach her how to sing. Cissy was a member of the Sweet Inspirations, which also opened for and sang backup for Elvis Presley. Cissy's teen years in Houston, Texas, would occasionally appear onstage and perform with her, and she'd still be on stage at nightclubs where she was playing. The music of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack was also introduced to the music of Houston, the majority of whom would have a influence on her as a performer and performer. She appeared on Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party" in 1977, aged 14. On their 1980 albums, Naughty and Shades of Blue, respectively, Houston sang background vocals for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls.

Houston attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy, a Catholic girls' high school in Caldwell, New Jersey; she graduated in 1981. Houston met Robyn Crawford, whom she described as the "sister she never had" when she was a teen. Crawford went on to become Houston's best friend, roommate, and executive assistant. She and Crawford were believed to be lovers after Houston rose to fame, although they denied it in 1987. Crawford wrote in 2019 that early relationships had involved sexual behavior, but that Houston stopped this for fear of others' reactions.

Houston began working as a fashion model after a photographer caught her at Carnegie Hall as a child. She was one of the first people of color to appear on Seventeen's cover; she appeared in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Young Miss, as well as a commercial for a Canadian Dry soft drink. Her beauty and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most in-demand teen models. Houston hired Daniel Gittleman, Seymour Flics, and Gene Harvey as her managers in 1982, on the recommendation of longtime friend Valerie Simpson. Houston continued her musical career by collaborating with engineers Michael Beinhorn, Bill Laswell, and Martin Bisi on an album titled One Down, which was attributed to the organization Material. She wrote the ballad "Memories," a cover of a Soft Machine song by Hugh Hopper. "One of the most stunning ballads you've ever heard," Robert Christgau of The Village Voice described her contribution as "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard." She appeared on one track on a Paul Jabara album, titled Paul Jabara and Friends, which was also released by Columbia Records in 1983.

Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative from Arista Records, saw Houston perform with her mother in a New York nightclub in 1983. Clive Davis, Arista's head, was persuaded to attend her appearance. Davis was impressed and immediately agreed to a worldwide record contract, which Houston eventually signed after being rejected by another brand in a different way. (Houston had been rejected by recording companies before Michael Zager in 1980 and 1981, but her mother turned down their offers because Whitney did not attend high school.) On The Merv Griffin Show later this year, Houston made her national television debut alongside Davis. She performed "Home," a song from the musical The Wiz's "Being."

Houston did not start working on an album right away. Davis wanted to make sure no other label had signed her away, so the label wanted to make sure she had the right music and producers for her debut album. Any proponents of the campaign were turned down due to prior commitments. "Hold Me," Houston's first duet with Teddy Pendergrass, appeared on his gold album, Love Language, has appeared. The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of fame, earning her a top-five R&B hit. It would also appear on her debut album in 1985.

Whitney Houston's debut album Whitney Houston was released on Valentine's Day, 1985, with production from Michael Masser, Kashif, Jermaine Jackson, and Narada Michael Walden. "One of the most exciting new voices in years," Rolling Stone magazine praised Houston, while the New York Times called the album "an outstanding, politically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent." Houston's album was released by Arista Records, which released three new singles from the album in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European countries. "Someone for Me," the British pop hit, was the first single, but "All at Once" was released in such European countries as the Netherlands and Belgium, where the song reached the top five on the singles charts, respectively.

The soulful ballad "You Give Good Love" was chosen as the lead single from Houston's debut to establishing herself in the black market in the United States. The song outside of the United States didn't get enough attention to become a success, but it did not get its first major hit when it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and first on the Hot Black Singles chart, as it debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. As a result, the album's success soared and Houston began to promote by touring nightclubs in the United States. She also appeared on late-night television talk shows, which were not widely available to non-established black performers. Next month, the jazzy ballad "Saving All My Love for You" will be released in Houston, the first number one single in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She was already an opening act for singer Jeffrey Osborne on his national tour by then. The funk-oriented "Thinking About You" was released as the promo single only to R&B-oriented radio stations and dance clubs around the country, resulting in the song's number ten on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 24 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in December 1985.

In addition to appearing on several late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman, Houston's success also extended to television, where the Houston native became a television celebrity thanks to early videos for "You Give Good Love" and "Saving All My Love for You" being heavily seen on BET and VH1 stations. During this time, Houston and Arista had trouble getting these videos to MTV. MTV had been chastised for failing to air enough videos by black, Latino, and other racial minorities at the time, when favoring white acts. Houston shared the challenges she and Arista faced in attempting to bring "You Give Good Love" on the channel, but was turned down because it was "too R&B" for their playlist in an interview with MTV years later. Later on, Houston's video for "Save All My Love" was included in light rotation after the album became a huge pop hit, with Houston remarking that the channel "had no choice but to play [the video] [I love it when they had no choice but to play [the song] [...]. The colorful video clip, directed by Brian Grant, was immediately added to MTV's playlist, gaining heavy rotation on the channel after only a few weeks and introducing Houston to the MTV audience. The song itself became Houston's second consecutive number one pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for two weeks, toping the Hot Black and Hot AC chart and peaking at number three on the dance charts. Following the successful airing of "How Will I Know" on MTV, Houston began to change its programming from rock to a more pop-R&B-dance hybrid playlist, as well as artists such as Madonna and Janet Jackson.

Whitney Houston dominated the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first week in 1986, a year after its initial introduction. "Greatest Love of All," the singer's version of "The Greatest Love of All," debuted in 1977, became Houston's first female hit; the album became Houston's first female album to have three number-one hits. Houston debuted 1986 as the best artist of the year, although her debut album debuted on the Billboard Year-End chart, making her the first female to be granted this award. At the time, the album was the best-selling debut album by a solo artist. The album will be a diamond in sales of 13 million copies in the United States alone, while the album is already selling over 22 million copies worldwide. Houston announced her first world tour, The Greatest Love World Tour, in July 1986, where she appeared mainly in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The tour lasted until December, with Hawaii ending the tour.

Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year at the 1986 Grammy Awards. Because of her hit R&B duet recording with Teddy Pendergrass in 1984, she was not eligible for the Best New Artist category. "Saving All My Love for You" was her first Grammy Award for Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song's appearance on the Grammy telecast later earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Variety or Music Program.

Houston received seven American Music Awards in total, as well as an MTV Video Music Award in 1986 and 1987. The album's success would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards, when "Greatest Love of All" will be named in "Reality of the Year" or another category. Houston's debut album is listed as one of Rolling Stone's Top 100 Albums of All Time, as well as on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list. According to USA Today, Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is regarded as one of the top 25 musical landmarks of the past 25 years. Following Houston's success, doors were opened to other African-American women, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker.

Whitney, Houston's second album, was released in June 1987. Masser, Kashif, and Walden's album was also on display, as well as Jellybean Benitez. Many commentators complained that the material was too similar to her previous work. "The narrow channel by which this talent has been directed is frustrating," Rolling Stone said. Nevertheless, the album was a hit in the business world. Houston became the first woman in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the first artist to debut at number one in both the United States and UK, as well as dozens of other countries around the world.

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) the album's first single, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the singles chart in 17 countries, including Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. "We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" were among Houston's top ten single hits on the US pop chart, the first time she and the Beatles had a string of six consecutive number one hits; the Bee Gees' previous record of six consecutive number one hits had been posted. Houston became the first woman to earn four number one singles from an album. Whitney has been awarded Diamond in the United States for shipments of over ten million copies and has sold a total of 20 million copies around the world.

Houston was nominated for three awards, including Album of the Year, at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" earned her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Houston has also received two American Music Awards in 1988 and 1989, as well as a Soul Train Music Award. Houston embarked on the Moment of Truth World Tour, one of the top-grossing concert tours of 1987, following the album's unveiling. During 1986-87 and her two studio albums, the tours were ranked No. 1 in Houston. According to Forbes, ranked 8 for the highest-earning entertainers list. After Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy, she was the highest-earning African-American woman overall, highest-earning musician, and the third highest entertainer.

Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement were among the supporters in Houston. She refused to work with companies that did not do business with the then-apartheid South Africa during her modeling days. On June 11, 1988, Houston joined other artists on the European leg of her tour to perform a set at Wembley Stadium in London to commemorate then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Over 72,000 people attended Wembley Stadium and over a billion viewers tuned in around the world as the rock concert raised over $1 million for charities while still raising money for charities while still bringing hope to apartheid. In August, Houston returned to the United States for a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The benefit concert raised a quarter of a million dollars for the United Negro College Fund, which was a benefit concert. "One Moment in Time" was a top-five hit in the United States last year, while Germany and Germany rose to the top of the charts. According to Forbes, Houston was still one of the top ten highest-earning entertainers for 1987-88, with her world tour continuing in Asia.

The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit group that has raised money for children around the world, was founded in 1989. The group supports homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, as well as other issues of self-empowerment.

Houston made a worldwide crossover celebrity with the success of her first two albums, appealing to all demographics. Nonetheless, some black scholars believed she was "selling out." They felt that her live performances she had lost the energy that had been lacking. A few people in the audience booed Houston's name out for a nomination at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, as the Houston name was called out for a nomination. Houston defended herself against the skepticism, saying, "If you're going to have a long career, there's a certain way to do it, and I did it the right way." I'm not ashamed of it."

Houston's third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, was released in November 1990, taking a more urban route. She produced and selected producers for this album, and as a result, it featured production and collaborations with L.A. Reid and Babyface, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. The collection showcased Houston's versatility on a new batch of bouncing grooves, soulful ballads, and up-tempo dance tracks on the album. Reviews were mixed. Rolling Stone said it was her "best and most integrated album" on the album. Houston's transition into an urban direction, according to Entertainment Weekly at the time, was "superficial."

I'm Your Baby Tonight featured several hits: "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "All the Man That I Need" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "I Belong to You" reached the top ten of the US R&B chart and received a Grammy nomination; "I'm Your Baby Tonight" reached number one on the R&B charts, earning Houston a Grammy nomination; and "We Didn't Know" reached number one on the R&B "Higher Love," the album's Japanese version's bonus track, was reimagined by Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo and unleashed posthumously in 2019. It debuted on the US Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, becoming Houston's highest-charting single since 1999. I'm Your Baby Tonight reached number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to be named platinum in the United States, grossing 10 million dollars worldwide.

Houston performed "The Star-Spangled Banner," the US national anthem, during the Persian Gulf War, on January 27, 1991, at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium. The vocals of Houston were pre-recorded, sparking outrage. "This is not a Milli Vanilli thing," Dan Klores, a Houston spokesman, said. She performed live, but the microphone was off. It was partly based on the noise factor, which had a part, which was a scientific decision. "This is normal practice at these events." Despite this, a commercial single and video of the performance made it to the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, giving Houston the biggest chart to go with for a national anthem performance (José Feliciano's version reached No. 1). In November 1968, the United States was 50.

Houston donated her share of the funds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund and was appointed to the Red Cross Board of Governors. Her performance was critically acclaimed and is considered the gold standard for singers, and VH1 named her appearance as one of the finest moments on television. Following the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, the single was rereleased, with all proceeds going to the firefighters and victims of the attacks. It topped at No. 2 on the charts. He had been rated platinum in the Hot 100 and was named platinum.

Houston hosted a Welcome Home Heroes tribute on HBO in 1991 for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. In front of 3,500 servicemen and women, the free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The concert was cancelled by HBO so that it was free for everyone to watch. HBO's most popular show ever gained the highest ratings.

Jermaine Jackson, American football star Randall Cunningham, and actor Eddie Murphy were all romantically linked to Houston in the 1980s.

She then met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. The two were married on July 18, 1992, after a three-year courtship. Brown is expected to have multiple run-ins with the new drunken driving, heroin use, and battery, as well as some jail time. Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was born on March 4, 1993 (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015), the couple's first child. In a 1993 interview with Barbara Walters, Houston admitted to having a miscarriage during the filming of The Bodyguard.

Houston accepted over a slew of opportunities to film with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones, and Spike Lee, but Houston never felt the time was right. She appeared in The Bodyguard, her first film role, which was released in 1992. Houston recruited a bodyguard (played by Kevin Costner) to shield her from a stalker. The public was able to see beyond the interracial context of her character's ties with Costner's character. However, controversy erupted when some believed that Houston's face had been deliberately left out of the film's marketing to mask the film's interracial relationship. "People know who Whitney Houston is – I'm black," Houston said in a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone. You can't deny it."

Worst Actress recipient of the Razzie Award in Houston. The Washington Post reported that Houston was "doing nothing more than playing [herself]," but that she was "largely unscathed" in such a cockamamie venture. According to the New York Times, she and Costner did not have chemistry. Despite the film's mixed reviews, it was extremely profitable at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the United States and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films in film history at the time of release, but it fell out of the top 100 due to increasing ticket prices since the film was released.

The film's soundtrack was also a hit. The Bodyguard: The Original Soundtrack Album was released by a Houston co-executive, who performed six songs on the album. "Nothing more than welcome, flavorful, and urbane," Rolling Stone described it as "nothing more than pleasant, flavorful, and urbane." "I Will Always Love You," Dolly Parton's scripted and originally recorded song on the soundtrack. Critics had lauded Houston's version as her "signature song" or "iconic performance." Rolling Stone and USA Today called her performance a tour-de-force. The single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, ranked one on the R&B chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, with a then-record-breaking 14 weeks. The single was named Diamond by the Royal Academy of America, making Houston's first Diamond single, the third female artist to have a Diamond album, and the first female artist to have a Diamond single in the United States, and it's now the best-selling single by a woman in the United States. The album was a worldwide hit, debuting in virtually every continent. It became the most best-selling single ever sold by a female solo artist, with 20 million copies being sold. In 1994, Houston received the Grammy Award for Best Record of the Year for "I Will Always Love You."

The soundtrack dominated the Billboard 200 chart and remained there for 20 non-consecutive weeks, the longest tenure by any Arista album in the Nielsen SoundScan period (tied for tenth overall by any brand) and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. The soundtrack sold over a million copies in less than a week, making it the first album to do so under the Nielsen SoundScan system. Houston became the first woman to have three singles in the Top 11 simultaneously, with the sequel "I'm Every Woman," a Chaka Khan tribute, and "I Have Nothing" all reaching the top five. The album was rated 18 million copies in the United States alone, with worldwide exports of 45 million copies.

The album became the most best-selling soundtrack of all time. Houston received the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the soundtrack, becoming the second African American woman to win in that category after Natalie Cole's Unforgivetable... with Love album. In addition,, she received eight American Music Awards in that year, including the Award of Merit, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 3 Soul Train Music Awards, and a BRIT honor for her work in 1993-94, including Sammy Davis, Jr. Award as Entertainer of the Year, a new 5 World Music Awards, and a BRIT award.

Following the success of The Bodyguard, Houston embarked on another worldwide tour (The Bodyguard World Tour) in 1993-1994. According to Forbes, her concerts, film, and recording earnings made her the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993-94, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand. Houston ranked in the top five of Entertainment Weekly's annual "Entertainer of the Year" list, and was named as one of the country's most influential individuals.

In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House to honor newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela. Following Mandela's winning vote in South Africa, Houston held three concerts to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people; this made her the first major singer to visit the newly united and apartheid free nation. Whitney's Portions: The Concert for a New South Africa was broadcast live on HBO, with proceeds of the concerts going to various charities in South Africa. The festival was dubbed the country's "largest media function since Nelson Mandela's inauguration."

Houston appeared in her second film, Waiting to Exhale, a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with marriage in 1995. Savannah Jackson, the lead role in the film Savannah Jackson, was a television producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because it portrays black women both as professionals and as caring mothers. It's been a great success at the box office and $81 million worldwide, but it's been demonstrated that a black film mainly aimed at a black audience would succeed, as well as other all-black films like How Stella Got Her Groove Back and the Tyler Perry movies that debuted in the 2000s. The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle-class citizens rather than as stereotypes. The ensemble cast's ratings were mostly favorable. "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hum that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant," the New York Times wrote. Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture," but Bassett lost to her co-star Bassett.

Waiting to Exhale: The film's accompanying soundtrack was produced and produced by Babyface. Despite the fact that she had intended for Houston to record the whole album, she turned down. Rather, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal excellence" and therefore gathered a number of African-American female artists for the soundtrack to go along with the film's message about strong women. Consequently, the album featured a variety of contemporary R&B female recording artists, as well as Houston, including Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle. After Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" and Mariah Carey's "Fantasy," Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third straight year in music history.

It will also spend a record eleven weeks at No. 1, the United States' No. 103. After "I Will Always Love You" at No. 2 on the R&B charts, her second most popular single on the charts since being on top of the charts for two weeks. "Count On Me," a duet with CeCe Winans, made the top ten in the United States; and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad," Houston's third installment, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad," made the top 30. In the United States, the album was rated Platinum, denoting seven million copies. The soundtrack received rave reviews; as Entertainment Weekly noted: "the album goes down fast, just as you'd expect from a box framed by Whitney Houston tracks... the album goes down quickly, just as you'd expect from it" and has since been rated as one of the top Movie Soundtracks. Later this year, Houston's children's charity group received a VH1 Award for all the charitable efforts.

Houston appeared in the holiday film The Preacher's Wife, starring Denzel Washington in 1996. She plays the gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). It was largely a modernization of Loretta Young's Wife's 1948 film The Bishop's Wife, which starred Loretta Young, David Niven, and Cary Grant. Houston made $10 million for the role, making her one of Hollywood's highest-earning African-American actresses and the highest-earning African-American actress in Hollywood at the time. The film, with its all African-American cast, was a modest success, grossing about $50 million at the US box offices. Houston received some of the best reviews so far. The San Francisco Chronicle said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine gift for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and she "exudes a delicate yet ferocious warmth, particularly when praising the Lord in her stunning singing voice." This year, Houston was nominated for an Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture by the NAACP Image Award, which was also named for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.

Houston produced and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. Six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta, which was included on the Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album. Shirley Caesar, a gospel legend, was also duetted in Houston. With "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step," the album's best-selling gospel album of all time, it has sold six million copies around the world and earned hit singles. The album received mainly favorable feedback. At the 1997 American Music Awards for The Preacher's Wife album, she was named Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

A Houston spokesperson revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage in December 1996.

Debra Martin Chase joined Houston's production company in 1997 and was hired by BrownHouse Productions. They wanted to show aspects of African-Americans' lives that had never been shown before, while improving how African-Americans are depicted in film and television. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella was a made-for-television remake. Houston appeared in the film as the Fairy Godmother, as well as Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bernadette Peters. In 1993, Houston was first offered Cinderella, but other programs intervened. The film is known for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message. According to ABC's most popular TV ratings in 16 years, an estimated 60 million viewers tuned in. The film received seven Emmy awards, including Outstanding Variety, Musical, or Comedy, as well as Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Special.

Dorothy Dandridge's story was later licensed to Houston and Chase. Houston would meet Dandridge, the first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Houston needed the tale to be told with compassion and reverence. Nevertheless, Halle Berry had the right to the scheme and had her version go first. Houston paid tribute to her heroes, such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick, by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert Classic in Washington, D.C. Later this year, the three-night HBO Concert Classic Whitney tribute to her heroes. The Children's Defense Fund's special auction raised over $300,000 for the Children's Defense Fund. At the 12th Soul Train Music Awards, Houston was recognized for outstanding career accomplishments in the field of entertainment.

After spending a significant portion of the early and mid-1990s on motion pictures and their soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love was released in November 1998. Despite the fact that the album was supposed to be a best hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. It featured Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean, and Missy Elliott's appearance in just six weeks. The album debuted at number thirteen, its highest position on the Billboard 200 chart, at number thirteen. It had a more funkier and edgier sound than previous releases, and Houston saw urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B, reggae, torch songs, and ballads all with a keen sense of dexterity.

Several hit singles emerged from late 1998 to early 2000, including "When You Believe" (US No. 1). No. 15, the United Kingdom, No. 105. 4) a duet with Mariah Carey of 1998's The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, which also debuted in many countries and was nominated for Best Original Song and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song; "Heartbreak Hotel"; no. No. 2 in the United Kingdom The number two offenders is not recognised by the United Kingdom. Faith Evans and Kelly Price received a 1999 MTV VMA Award for Best R&B Video, and number one on the US R&B chart for seven weeks; "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" (US No. 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price; No. 4 in the United Kingdom. 3) Received her sixth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in Houston; "My Love Is Your Love" (US No. 1) No. 4 in the United Kingdom No. 4 is a writer. 2) with 3 million copies sold around the world; and "I Learned from the Best" (US No. 2). No. 27 in the United Kingdom, No. 27. 1939 (Japan): These singles, as well as all the singles, have become international hits, except for "When You Believe" has reached its highest single position on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. The album's four million copies in the United States, making it certified 4 platinum and a total of eleven million copies worldwide.

Houston received some of the best reviews ever on the album. Houston was performing "with a bite in her voice," according to Rolling Stone, it was "Whitney's most exciting and most satisfying so far." Houston appeared on VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, and Cher in 1999. Houston made the road in the same year as she began My Love Is Your Love World Tour in 2007. Though the European leg of the tour was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year, Houston canceled "a number of dates [during the] summer, citing throat disorders and a 'bronchitis situation"." Houston was named the top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 1999, with certified US sales of 51 million copies at the time, and The Bodyguard Soundtrack was dubbed the top-selling Soundtrack Album of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 1999. She also received the Artist of the Decade, Female award for outstanding artistic achievement during the 1990s at the 14th Soul Train Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B.

Whitney: The Greatest Hits of May 2000 was announced worldwide by Whitney. The double disc set debuted at number five in the United States, debuting at number one in the United Kingdom. In addition, the album debuted in many other nations. Although ballad songs were unveiled, the album features house/club remixes of several of Houston's up-tempo hits. "Do I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast), and "Fine" (a duet with George Michael) and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful") were among the four songs on the CD: "One Moment in Time," "One Moment in Time," "The Star Spangled Banner") and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful" (a duet with Jermaine Jackson from his 1986 Prec" (a) (a) and "I" (a) and "This I" (asias) and "S" (a) and "S" (a "B" ("A duet with Deborah Coch "I" (a" (a) and "A Duet with "Fix) and "St with "We" (a" (a) and "W, Alive and "You's" and "It "You's" and "A Duet with His Eyes On The Scene as a) and "As a "Same a Duet with Jermaine) and "My Eyes Are Beautiful" (as on the Album) and "A Duet With "You's "It "You This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have "A Duet On The Artist and "A Duet On The Sun) and "A Duet On the a "This I Have This I Have This I Have This I Have a "It On The Star Spangled Banner On Theme "It On The a..." An accompanying VHS and DVD version of Houston's greatest hits was also included on the album, as well as several hard-to-find live performances, including her 1983 debut on The Merv Griffin Show and interviews. With worldwide sales of ten million, the best hits album was certified platinum in the United States.

Although Houston was regarded as a "good girl" with a flawless image in the 1980s and early 1990s, her behavior has since changed by 1999 to 2000. She was often late for interviews, film shoots, and rehearsals, she had cancelled concerts and talk-show appearances, and there had been warnings of erratic conduct. Houston's husband Joseph was accused of using opioids as a result of his late performances and weight loss. When traveling with Brown, airport security guards discovered half an ounce of marijuana in Houston's handbag, but she departed before authorities could arrive. Charges against her were later dismissed, but reports of drug use by Houston and Brown are expected to persist. Clive Davis had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two months after; Houston had been invited to perform at the festival but there was no one there.

Houston was supposed to appear at the Academy Awards shortly after, but Burt Bacharach, a musical director and longtime friend, had been barred from the performance. The cancellation was attributed to throat infections, according to her publicist. Author Steve Pond said "Houston's voice was shaky, distracted, and jittery, and his demeanor was casual, almost defiant" and that although Houston was supposed to perform "Over the Rainbow," she would begin performing a new song during rehearsals. Later, Houston revealed that it had been fired.

Robyn Crawford, Houston's long-serving executive assistant and mentor, resigned from the Houston management firm in May 2000; in 2019, Crawford resigned after Houston refused to offer her assistance for her drug use. Rolling Stone revealed a report in July that indicated that Cissy Houston and others had organised an attempt to convince Whitney to obtain opioid therapy.

Houston made one of the biggest music deals in history in August 2001, with Arista/BMG. She went from $100 million to six new albums, for which she would also be rewarded with royalties. She later appeared on Michael Jackson: The 30th Anniversary Special, where her slew of thin skin caused rumors of opioid use. "Whitney has been put under strain due to family issues, and when she is under strain, she doesn't eat," her publicist said. (In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston admitted that drug use had been the cause of her weight loss.) The following night, she had been scheduled for a second performance but she had to cancel it. After the September 11 attacks, Houston's version of "The Star Spangled Banner" will be re-released within weeks, with the funds refunded to the New York Firefighters' 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. The album debuted at No. 1 on the charts. This year, the US Hot 100 is up 6 places, taking first place on the previous record.

Houston became embroiled in a court dispute with John Houston Enterprise in 2002. Despite the fact that her father was hired to handle her career, company president Kevin Skinner was in fact run by company president Kevin Skinner. Skinner also filed a breach of contract lawsuit and was sued for $100 million (but lost), arguing that Houston owes the company no money for assisting in negotiating her $100 million with Arista Records and sorting out legal issues. Houston said that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the litigation. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court. In February 2003, Houston's father died. Skinner was disqualified on April 5, 2004, and the case was dismissed; Skinner was not awarded anything.

Houston also did an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2002 to promote her then-upcoming album. She addressed her heroin use and marriage, among other topics on the primetime show. "First of all, let's get one thing straight," she said of the surfacing drug debates. Cracks are cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get this straight.

Okay?

We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is a wacky thing. The "crack is wack" line was derived from a mural painted by Keith Haring in 1986 on the handball court in Manhattan's 128th Street and Second Avenues. Houston did, however, confess to using alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and pills; she also stated that her mother had advised her to seek advice regarding her drug use. She also denied she had an eating disorder and that her slim appearance was due to opioid use. Bobby Brown had never attacked her, she continued, but she confessed to having struck him.

Just Whitney, Houston's fifth studio album, debuted in December 2002. The album featured recordings from then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as Missy Elliott and Babyface, and it was the first time Houston did not produce with Clive Davis after BMG's top management announced him. Just Whitney received mixed feedback when it was announced. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 9 in the first week, with the album's first week seeing the highest first week sales of any album ever released. The four singles from the album were not well-received on the Billboard Hot 100, but they did become dance chart hits. Just Whitney was named platinum in the United States and has shipped over two million worldwide, with over two million sold.

Houston's first Christmas album, One Wish: The Holiday Album, was released in late 2003, with a collection of classic holiday songs. Mervyn Warren and Gordon Chambers contributed to the album. The album was certified gold in the United States, with a single titled "One Wish (for Christmas)" achieving the top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Following an altercation in which he threatened to beat Houston and then assaulted her, Brown was charged with battery in December 2003. Houston had visible bruises to her face, according to police.

Houston spent the majority of 2004 touring and performing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Russia, having always been a touring artist. In September 2004, she gave a surprise appearance at the World Music Awards in honor of long-time friend Clive Davis. Davis and Houston also announced plans to go into the studio to work on her new album after the show.

Brown appeared on Bravo's Being Bobby Brown in early 2004. The exhibition provided a glimpse of the Brown household's domestic life. Houston was a well-known character on the program, with Brown getting as much screen time as Brown. In 2005, the series premiered in Houston and featured Houston in unflattering moments. Houston had "the last traces of her dignity" years after, according to The Guardian, who opined that, thanks to her presence in the show. The show was "unquestionably the most disgusting and execrable series to ooze its way onto television," according to the Hollywood Reporter. Despite the show's apparent train wrecking, Bravo earned the highest ratings in its time slot and extended Houston's lucrative forays into film and television, which despite the show's apparent train-wreck nature. After Houston announced that she would not return to it, Brown and Bravo were unable to come to a decision for a second season.

In September 2009, Houston spoke for the first time in seven years, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere. The interview was described as "the most awaited music interview of the decade" in the program. Whitney confessed to using opioids with Brown during their marriage; Brown had "laced marijuana with rock cocaine," she said. She told Oprah that before The Bodyguard that her drug use was light, that heroin use had increased after the film's success and birth of her daughter, and that "[doing drugs] was an everyday thing... By that time, I wasn't up for it. I was losing myself."

Houston told Oprah that she had completed a 30-day rehabilitation program. Houston also admitted to Oprah that her heroin use had increased following recovery, and that, at one point, her mother obtained a court order and the support of law enforcement to press her into further opioid therapy. Cissy Houston's book 'Remembering Whitney: My Life, Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped, she recalled a scene she encountered at Whitney Houston's house in 2005 as follows: "Somebody had spray-painted the walls and door with big glaring eyes and strange faces.' Evil eyes, staring out as a threat... A large framed photo of [Whitney] existed in another room, but someone had taken [her] head out. "Seeing my daughter's face cut out like this was beyond frightening." Cissy's visit enabled her to return with law enforcement and perform an intervention. (British Int. Brown had been emotionally abused during their marriage, and even spat on her on occasion. When Winfrey asked Houston if she was drug-free, Houston answered, "Yes ma'am." "I mean, don't say I haven't got cravings for it."

In August 2009, Houston released her latest album, I Look at You. The album's first two singles were "I Look to You" and "Million Dollar Bill." At No. 2, the album debuted at No. 201 on the Billboard 200. 1, with Houston's best opening week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first top-one album since The Bodyguard and Houston's first studio album since 1987's Whitney. Houston has also appeared on European television shows to promote the album. "I Look to You" on the German television show Wetten, dass she performed the song "I Look to You." In the United Kingdom, Houston served as a guest mentor on The X Factor. On the following day's results, she performed "Million Dollar Bill," concluding the song even as a strap in the back of her dress burst open two seconds during the performance. "She [herself] out of [her] clothes," she later described. The results were poorly received by the British media, and the British media characterized them as "weird" and "ungracious."

Despite this reception, the "Million Dollar Bill" soared to its highest level from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 in over a decade). I Look to You went gold three weeks after its debut three weeks. Houston appeared on the Italian version of The X Factor, where she delivered "Million Dollar Bill" to rave reviews. At the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" on November. On the Dancing with the Stars season 9 finale, Houston performed "Million Dollar Bill" and "I Wanta Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) two days later.

The Nothing but Love World Tour in Houston began a world tour later this year. It was her first world tour in over ten years, and it had been described as a triumphant comeback. Nonetheless, poor reviews and rescheduled concerts attracted negative media attention. Fans of her voice and appearance were dissatisfied with her work and results, and Houston canceled several concerts due to sickness. According to reports, some fans walked out of her concerts.

Two NAACP Image Awards were given to Houston in January 2010, one for Best Female Artist and the other for Best Music Video. For her single "I Look to You," she received the award for Best Music Video. She was named in The BET Honors Award for Entertainer on January 16, recognizing her 25 years in the industry. On the 2011 BET Celebration of Gospel, Houston also performed the song "I Look to You," with gospel-jazz guitarist Kim Burrell, which was performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show premiered on January 30, 2011.

Houston residents enrolled in a rehabilitation facility again in May 2011, citing heroin and alcohol abuse as reasons for the change. The outpatient therapy was part of Houston's "long-term recovery process," according to a Houston representative. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Houston will produce and star alongside Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps in the relaunch of 1976 film Sparkle. Sparks' "not-so encouraging" mother is depicted in the film. Houston has also been described as the film's executive producer. When Houston first earned sparkle production rights, Debra Martin Chase, a Sparkle designer, claimed that Houston deserved the honor because she had been there from the start in 2001. Aaliyah, a R&B singer who was originally designed to appear as Sparkle, died in a 2001 plane crash. Her death stopped production, which had been scheduled to begin in 2002.

Sparkle's reimagining of Sparkle was shot in late 2011 over two months and released by TriStar Pictures. "Celebrate," the last song Houston recorded with sparks, premiered at RyanSeacrest.com on May 21, 2012. On June 5, it was released on iTunes as a digital download. The song was released on the Sparkle: Music from the Motion Picture soundtrack as the first official single. In the United States, the film was released on August 17, 2012.

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