Whitney Houston
Houston in 1991
Born	Whitney Elizabeth Houston (1963-08-09)August 9, 1963 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	February 11, 2012(2012-02-11) (aged 48) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Burial place	Fairview Cemetery, Westfield, New Jersey
Occupations	Singer actress film producer model record producer songwriter philanthropist
Years active	1977–2012
Works	Albums singles music videos filmography performances songs recorded
Spouse	Bobby Brown (m. 1992; div. 2007)
Children	Bobbi Kristina Brown
Mother	Cissy Houston
Relatives	Leontyne Price (first cousin once removed) Gary Garland (half-brother) Dionne Warwick (cousin) Dee Dee Warwick (cousin)
Awards	Accolades records
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop soul gospel dance-pop new jack swing funk
Labels	Arista RCA
Musical artist
Website	whitneyhouston.com
Signature

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "the Voice",^[1]^[2] she is one of the most awarded performers of all time.^[3] As a cultural icon,^[4] her chart achievements and music videos influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers.^[5]^[6]^[7] Known for her vocal delivery and live performances, Houston was ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers of all time in 2023.

Houston signed to Arista Records at the age of 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), topped the Billboard 200 for 14 and 11 weeks, respectively. The former remains the best selling debut album by a solo artist in history, while the latter made her the first woman to debut atop the US and UK charts. Houston took a more urban turn with her third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), and performed an acclaimed rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. The soundtrack of her film debut The Bodyguard (1992) won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, topped the Billboard 200 for 20 weeks, and remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became the best-selling single by a woman in history. Houston continued her work in the film industry, including starring roles in Waiting to Exhale (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Cinderella (1997) and producing series such as The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls. Soundtrack of The Preacher's Wife became the best-selling gospel album of all time.

Houston's first studio album in eight years, My Love Is Your Love (1998), found critical and commercial success, and she renewed her contract with Arista Records for $100 million in 2001, one of the largest recording deals of all time.^[8] However, her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown tarnished her "America's Sweetheart" image, overshadowing her next album, Just Whitney (2002). After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 with her final album, I Look to You (2009). On February 11, 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards and was covered internationally along with her memorial service.

Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of more than 220 million records worldwide.^[9]^[10] Her first two albums, along with The Bodyguard soundtrack, rank among the best-selling albums of all time and made her the only black artist to score three RIAA diamond-certified albums. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "I Will Always Love You" are among the best-selling singles ever, with the latter being certified diamond by RIAA. Houston scored 11 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and remains the only artist to have seven consecutive singles top the chart. She has been inducted into multiple halls and walks of fame. Guinness World Records named Houston the highest-earning posthumous female celebrity.^[11] Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career.^[12]

Early life and family

[edit]

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, at Presbyterian Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, to Emily "Cissy" (née Drinkard) and John Russell Houston Jr.^[13] 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.^[14]^[15] John was a former Army serviceman who later became an administrator under Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson. According to her mother, Houston was named after actress Whitney Blake.^[16] Houston was given the nickname "Nippy" by her father.^[17]

Whitney's parents were both African-American. Cissy Houston stated that she has partial Dutch and Native American ancestry.^[18] Houston was a cousin of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick as well as a distant cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price. Aretha Franklin became an "honorary aunt" while Darlene Love was Houston's godmother.^[19]^[20]^[21] Houston's paternal great-great-grandfather Jeremiah Burke Sanderson was an American abolitionist and advocate for the civil and educational rights of black Americans during the mid-19th century.^[22]^[23] Houston had three older brothers: paternal half-brother John III;^[24] maternal half-brother Gary, a basketball player and singer;^[25] and full brother Michael.^[26]

At three, Houston witnessed the Newark race riots of 1967.^[27]^[28] Three years later, in 1970, the Houston family relocated to a suburban area of East Orange, New Jersey. Houston's parents married in the spring of 1964, just months before Houston's first birthday.^[29] Initially a happy union, the marriage dissolved by Houston's teen years after Houston's father suffered a near-fatal heart attack. By 17, Houston's parents separated; divorcing over a decade later.^[30]

Houston was raised in the Baptist faith. She joined the church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark at the age of five, and she also learned to play piano at New Hope.^[27]^[28] She later recalled being exposed to the Pentecostal church nearby as well. Houston made her solo performance debut at New Hope singing the hymn "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah" at the age of 12.^[31] When Houston became a teenager, she told her mother that she wanted to pursue a career in music. Throughout her teenage years, she was trained how to sing by Cissy.^[32] Along with her mother, her cousins and Franklin, Houston was influenced by singers such as Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack.^[33]

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.^[31] She graduated from Mount Saint Dominic in 1981.^[34]

Career

[edit]

1977–1984: Career beginnings

[edit]

Houston's professional career began when she joined her mother's band as a background singer at fourteen while Cissy performed at Manhattan cabaret clubs. Houston gave her first solo during Cissy's performance at Manhattan's Town Hall in February 1978, performing "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical, Annie, where she received her first standing ovation.^[35]^[36] Houston began a career as a session vocalist backing up artists like her mother, Michael Zager, Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls.^[37]^[38] Houston was the featured vocalist in Zager's disco song "Life's a Party" (1978). Houston became a fashion model in 1980 after being spotted at Carnegie Hall and signed first with Click Models before moving onto the Wilhelmina Models agency, where she landed the cover of Seventeen.^[39] Houston's girl next door charm helped her to land in fashion spreads for Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Young Miss.^[38] Houston continued her music career during this period, recording demos of gospel recordings.^[40] Houston's vocal talent made her sought after for recording deals, but were turned down by her mother, who insisted that Houston finish high school.^[37]^[41]

Signing with Tara Productions in September 1981, Houston hired Gene Harvey as her manager, with Daniel Gittleman and Seymour Flics also playing part in managing her.^[42]^[43]^[44] During 1982, Houston auditioned for both Elektra Records and CBS Records.^[45] Houston's feature on the song "Memories" from Material's album One Down, led to critical raves, with then-Village Voice critic Robert Christgau calling it "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".^[46] Producer Paul Jabara later featured her on the ballad, "Eternal Love", issued off his album, Paul Jabara & Friends.^[47] After being spotted performing at the Seventh Avenue South nightclub in Manhattan, Gerry Griffith, then the A&R representative for Arista Records convinced label head Clive Davis to make time to see her perform at the Sweetwaters nightclub the following evening. Upon viewing the performance, an impressed Davis offered Houston a recording contract, to which Houston signed on April 10, 1983.^[48]^[49] Houston was introduced to a national audience in June 1983, performing the song "Home" from the Broadway musical The Wiz on The Merv Griffin Show.^[50]^[49]^[51]^[52] During this period, Houston almost landed a role on The Cosby Show before pulling out on the show due to her emerging career.^[53] Houston landed a cameo role on Gimme a Break!, was featured in a Canada Dry commercial and also sang commercial jingles, including one for the restaurant brand, Steak & Ale.^[54]

Houston did not begin work on an album immediately.^[55] The label wanted to make sure no other company signed her away and Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for her debut album. Some producers passed on the project because of prior commitments.^[44] After seeing her perform in New York, Michael Masser paired Houston with Teddy Pendergrass, on the duet, "Hold Me", which appeared on his album, Love Language.^[56] Released in May 1984, the song gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a top-ten hit on the US R&B and adult contemporary charts.^[57] Houston also received notice in 1984 after being paired up with Jermaine Jackson, with whom the duet, "Take Good Care of My Heart", was featured on Jackson's Dynamite album, while also appearing with Jackson performing the song and another duet, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", on an episode of As the World Turns. All three songs eventually appeared on her debut album.

1985–1986: Whitney Houston and rise to international prominence

[edit]

Whitney Houston was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985.^[58] The album received mixed to positive reviews in its initial run, with most of the positive remarks aimed at Houston's vocal ability. Rolling Stone called Houston "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while The New York Times called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent".^[59]^[60] Debuting at number 166 on the Billboard 200 on March 30, 1985, the album reached the top ten 23 weeks later.^[61] It reached number one in March 1986, starting a 14-week run, which is the longest run for a female debut album in history.^[62]^[63]

It launched four top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with the first, "You Give Good Love" reaching number three on July 27, 1985.^[64] The song attracted some notoriety after advice columnist Ann Landers included it in her list of rock songs deemed "trashy music" on her Ask Ann Landers column, to which Houston quickly addressed in an interview with The Chicago Tribune.^[65]^[66] The song was followed by Houston's rendition of "Saving All My Love for You", which became her first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 26, two days before Houston opened at Carnegie Hall.^[67]^[68] The album's follow-up singles, "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All", also topped the charts, with the former peaking on February 15, 1986 for two weeks and the latter peaking on May 17, 1986 for three weeks. In accomplishing this, Houston became the first female artist to land three number one singles off the same album on the Billboard Hot 100, also becoming the first female solo artist to produce three consecutive number one singles. In addition, the ballad "All at Once" became an international hit in Europe and Japan.^[69] In addition to its successful run on the Billboard 200, the album became a global success, reaching the top ten in nineteen other countries, including the UK, and topping in six other countries, including Canada and Australia. The album has since been certified Diamond in the United States for sales of 14 million copies,^[70] with over 25 million units sold worldwide, becoming the best-selling solo debut album in music history and the best-selling debut album by a female artist.^[71] The album is also listed in the Guinness World Records as the best-selling R&B studio album by a female artist in history.^[72]^[73]^[74]^[75]

In a May 25, 1986 article on The New York Times, journalist Stephen Holden declared Houston "the new queen of pop".^[75] The album's success was attributed to performances on late-night talk shows, a format not often accessible to emerging black talent at the time and exposure on music video stations, including MTV, which at the time was receiving harsh criticism for not playing enough videos from artists of color while favoring predominantly white acts.^[62]^[76] Houston stated the channel rejected the clip to "You Give Good Love" for "being a very R&B kind of song", only for them to play the clip for "Saving All My Love for You" due to the song "hit(ting) so hard and explod(ing) so heavy" that they "had no choice but to play it".^[77] In December, the video to "How Will I Know" was submitted and accepted by MTV brass and sent the video to heavy rotation almost immediately after it debuted that month and later led to Houston's music regularly being played on the channel, the first occurrence for a black female artist.^[78]^[79] The success of the "How Will I Know" video resulted in Houston winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in September. In July 1986, her first major world tour, The Greatest Love World Tour, was launched and Houston performed at four continents for 53 shows until that December.

Houston was ranked the top new pop artist of 1985 by Billboard; the following year, her debut was the best-selling album of the year.^[62] Houston was denied a nomination for the Best New Artist Grammy due to her recordings in the previous year, prompting an angry letter from Clive Davis.^[80] The album was nominated for five Grammys, including Album of the Year.^[81]^[82] She won her first Grammy for "Saving All My Love for You" in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category. Later, a performance of the song at the ceremony won Houston an Emmy for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.^[83] She won her first seven American Music Awards from the album, out of 13 nominations.^[84]^[85] Houston's debut album is listed as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list.^[86]^[87] Houston's grand entrance into the music industry was considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today in 2007.^[88]

1987–1989: Whitney

[edit]

In June 1987, Houston's second album, Whitney, was released. Mostly produced by Narada Michael Walden, critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. Rolling Stone said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating".^[89] Regardless of mixed reviews, the album enjoyed commercial success. On June 27, Houston became the first woman in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 with the album.^[90] Houston was also the first artist ever to enter number one in the US and UK simultaneously, while also reaching number one in every country it charted.^[91]^[92] The album stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for its first eleven weeks and is one of five albums to spend their first ten weeks or more at number one on the chart.^[93] The album's first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", was a massive hit worldwide, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in 17 countries, including Australia, West Germany and the UK.^[94] Three more singles from the album — "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" — reached number one on the Hot 100 within a six-month stretch. Following the latter's peak on April 23, 1988, Houston became the first artist to produce seven consecutive number one hits on the Hot 100, breaking a record of six, held by The Beatles and the Bee Gees.^[91] Houston remains the only artist to ever accomplish this feat as of 2025.^[92] Houston also broke an all-time record for most number ones recorded by a solo female artist at the time and broke her own record by producing four number one singles off the same album. When the fifth single, "Love Will Save the Day", peaked at number nine on the chart, Houston joined a small list of artists to have more than five top ten singles off an album.^[95] Whitney has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide,^[96] with ten million sold in the United States alone, where it has been certified Diamond.^[70]^[97]

The album earned Houston a second Grammy nomination for Album of the Year while "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won her a second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.^[98]^[99] Houston went on to win four American Music Awards, six Billboard awards and her first Soul Train Music Award for the album.^[100]^[101]^[102] Houston launched her second world tour, the Moment of Truth World Tour, in July 1987. The North American leg of the tour grossed more than $20 million, becoming of the top ten tours in the continent, as well as the top female tour.^[103]^[104] An expansive tour, the singer toured 155 dates in four continents, including nine sold-out dates at London's Wembley Arena. During that period, Houston recorded one of the main theme songs for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, "One Moment in Time", which later became a top five US hit and hit number one in the UK, Germany and Europe and won Houston a Sports Emmy Award.^[105]^[106]^[107]^[108] Also in that era, Houston participated in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at London's Wembley Stadium in support of the then-imprisoned civil rights activist and the anti-apartheid movement. Houston had refused work in South Africa due to the country's then strict apartheid laws.^[109]^[110] The concert aired on June 11 of the year, was watched by half a billion viewers and raised $1 million in charities, raising awareness to apartheid.^[111] That August, Houston held a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to raise money to fund HBCUs, raising a quarter of a million dollars.^[112] Houston's philanthropy continued in 1989 when she founded the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, a nonprofit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS and other issues of self-empowerment.^[113]^[114]

Houston's unprecedented success during this era landed her notices on Forbes magazine. In 1987, she ranked 8th place among the highest-paid entertainers in show business, earning $43 million, only trailing Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy.^[115] She ranked 17th place in 1988.^[116]^[117]

1990–1991: I'm Your Baby Tonight and "The Star-Spangled Banner"

[edit]

With the success of her first two albums, Houston became an international crossover superstar, appealing to all demographics. However, some black critics believed she was "selling out".^[118] They felt her singing on record lacked the soul that was present during her live concerts.^[119] At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, when Houston's name was called out for a nomination, a few in the audience jeered.^[120]^[121] Houston defended herself against the criticism, stating, "If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it."^[119] Houston took a more urban direction with her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, released in November 1990. The first album in which she served as executive producer and exerted creative control for the first time in her career, Houston recruited the production team of Antonio "L.A." Reid and Babyface, as well as Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder for the album, while retaining previous producer Walden. Reviews were mixed to positive. Rolling Stone felt it was her "best and most integrated album",^[122] while Entertainment Weekly, at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial".^[123]

Commercially, the album was a success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200, staying inside the top ten for 22 weeks, becoming the tenth best-selling album of 1991, while topping the Top R&B Albums chart, staying there for eight consecutive weeks. As a result, Houston earned four Billboard Music Awards, including the top-selling R&B album of 1991.^[124] Houston returned to the top of the Hot 100 with the title track and "All the Man That I Need", helping Houston to set another chart record by being the first female soloist to have multiple number one pop songs on three albums at least.^[125]^[a] The title track, in particular, gave Babyface and Reid their first number one pop single, while "All the Man That I Need" became Houston's third single to top the pop, R&B and AC charts. The ballad "Miracle" and the more hip-hop driven "My Name Is Not Susan" followed those singles inside the top 20, with "Miracle" reaching the top ten. The remix of "My Name Is Not Susan" included rapper Monie Love.^[126] The album would go on to sell ten million units worldwide, including going platinum four times in the US.^[70]^[127] In addition to winning the four Billboard Music Awards, Houston was nominated for several Grammys and American Music Awards for the album. A bonus track from the album's Japanese edition, "Higher Love", was remixed by Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo and released posthumously in 2019 to commercial success. It topped the US Dance Club Songs chart and reached number two in the UK, becoming Houston's highest-charting single in the country since 1999.^[128]

During the Persian Gulf War, on January 27, 1991, Houston performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", the US national anthem, at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium.^[129] Houston's vocals were pre-recorded, prompting criticism.^[130]^[131]^[132]^[133] Dan Klores, a spokesman for Houston, said: "This is not a Milli Vanilli thing. She sang live, but the microphone was turned off. It was a technical decision, partially based on the noise factor. This is standard procedure at these events."^[134] Nevertheless, a commercial single and video of the performance reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, giving Houston the biggest chart hit for a performance of the national anthem.^[b]^[135]^[136]

Houston donated her share of the proceeds to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund and was named to the Red Cross Board of Governors.^[129]^[137]^[138] Her rendition was critically acclaimed and is considered the benchmark for singers;^[133]^[139] VH1 listed the performance as one of the greatest moments that rocked TV.^[140] Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the single was rereleased, with all profits going towards the firefighters and victims of the attacks. It reached number 6 in the Hot 100 and was certified platinum.^[141] The song's re-charting made Houston the first woman to chart the same song inside the top 20 of the Hot 100.^[142] Later in 1991, Houston put together her Welcome Home Heroes concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch.^[143] The show gave HBO its highest ratings ever at the time.^[144] Houston then embarked on her third world tour, the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour, in which Houston performed 97 shows, including a ten-date sold-out residency at Wembley Arena in London. The concert tour produced mixed to positive reviews. While The Sun Sentinel argued that Houston should've opted for smaller venues and theaters that were "far more suitable to her sophistication and talent",^[145] USA Today praised Houston for "shak[ing] the confinements of her recordings' calculated productions and gets downright gutsy and soulful".^[146]

1992–1994: The Bodyguard

[edit]

With the success of her music, Houston received offers of film work, including work with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones and Spike Lee, but she did not feel the time was right.^[121] Her first film role was in The Bodyguard, released in 1992. Houston played a star who is being stalked by a crazed fan and hires a bodyguard (played by Kevin Costner) to protect her. Houston's mainstream appeal allowed audiences to look past the interracial nature of her character's relationship with Costner's character.^[147] However, controversy arose as some felt Houston's face had been intentionally left out of the advertising to hide the film's interracial relationship. In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, Houston said that "people know who Whitney Houston is – I'm black. You can't hide that fact."^[33]

The film received mixed reviews. While Houston was accused of merely “playing herself” but came out “largely unscathed”,^[148] and “lacked chemistry” with her co-star,^[149] another review wrote that she “photographs wonderfully, and has a warm smile, and yet is able to suggest selfish and egotistical dimensions in the character.”^[150] Houston was nominated for Outstanding Actress at the NAACP Image Awards, the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance and the People's Choice Award nod for Favorite Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture.^[151]^[152] Upon its release, The Bodyguard grossed more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 highest-grossing films in history at its time of release.^[153] It remains in the top 50 of most successful R-rated films in box-office history.^[154]

The film's soundtrack also enjoyed success. As executive producer of the soundtrack, Houston recorded six tracks, two of which she produced.^[155]^[156] Rolling Stone described it as "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane".^[157] The soundtrack opened at number two on the Billboard 200 and took the number-one spot the following week, accumulating 20 weeks atop the chart, the first album by a woman to do so. One of the fastest-selling albums ever,^[158] it became the first album in music history to sell more than a million copies in a single week under the Nielsen Soundscan tracking system.^[159]^[160] The Bodyguard became the first album in history by a female artist to be certified diamond by the RIAA after it passed the ten-million mark in early November 1993.^[70] It has since gone on to sell more than 18 million copies alone in the US, with total sales reaching 45 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album by a female artist and the best-selling soundtrack album in history,^[161] earning Houston several Guinness World Records.^[162] At the 1994 Grammy Awards, Houston won the Grammy for Album of the Year for the soundtrack and was the first black woman to win as producer as well as artist.^[163] In addition to the Grammy, Houston also won a record-setting eight American Music Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, five NAACP Image Awards and earned the Soul Train Music Award for the Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year honor.^[164]^[165]^[166]^[167]^[168] Houston also earned international honors for the soundtrack, including a Juno Award, five World Music Awards, six Japan Gold Disc Awards and a Brit Award.^[169]^[170]

The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton. Houston's version was highly acclaimed by critics, regarding it as her "signature song" or "iconic performance". Rolling Stone and USA Today called her rendition a tour-de-force.^[171]^[172] The song went on to become the longest-running number one single in Billboard Hot 100 history at the time for a record setting 14 weeks. The song also became Houston's fourth record-setting "triple-crown" number one Billboard hit after it topped the R&B and AC charts.^[173]^[c] It has gone on to sell more than ten million units in the United States and was certified diamond in January 2021, making Houston just one of four female artists to earn a diamond-certified single and album.^[174]^[175] It remains the best-selling US single by a female artist.^[176]^[177]^[178]^[179] The song topped the charts in 34 countries and went on to sell 24 million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling single ever by a female solo artist.^[180]^[181] Houston earned the Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Female Vocal Performance.^[182] The soundtrack's follow-up singles, "I'm Every Woman" and "I Have Nothing", both reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Houston set a new Billboard Hot 100 chart record on March 13, 1993 when the two singles joined "I Will Always Love You" in simultaneously charting inside the top 20 in the same week, the first for an artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era.^[183]^[184]^[185]^[186]^[187] The fourth single, "Run to You", achieved modest success in the US and UK, while "Queen of the Night" reached the top 40 in several global charts and a remixed version topped the US dance chart. The success of The Bodyguard led to Houston becoming a cover story for Rolling Stone in its June 10, 1993 issue.^[188]

Houston then embarked on what was her most expansive global tour to date with The Bodyguard World Tour, where she toured for nearly two years to mostly sold-out audiences across five continents. Houston eventually ranked as the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993-94, according to Forbes, named as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood by Premiere and placed in the top five of Entertainment Weekly's annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking.^[189]^[190]

In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela.^[191]^[192] At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to more than 200,000 people; this made her the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election.^[193] Portions of Whitney: The Concert for a New South Africa were broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela".^[194] In May 1995, Houston hosted the 8th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.^[195] A month later, in June 1995, Houston's Whitney Houston Foundation for Children was awarded a VH1 Honor for all of their charitable work.^[196]

1995–1997: Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher's Wife and Cinderella

[edit]

In 1995, Houston starred in Waiting to Exhale as Savannah Jackson, a TV producer. Houston called the film "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers".^[197] It reached number one in the US box office and entered the highest-grossing film lists of both 1995 and 1996, eventually grossing over $67 million in the US, while grossing $81 million altogether worldwide.^[198] At the time of release, the film received mixed reviews from critics. According to Susan King from the Los Angeles Times, the film "showed the power of black actresses and led to other successful movies with ethnic casts."^[199] The film's success led to similar films such as How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Best Man and Diary of a Mad Black Woman.^[199]^[200]^[201]^[202] The film was also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens rather than as stereotypes.^[203] Houston received positive reviews for her role, with The New York Times reporting: "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant."^[204] Houston was nominated a second time for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress.^[205] Houston contributed three songs to the soundtrack and advised producer Babyface to make it an "album of women with vocal distinction".^[197] As a result, several other contemporary female R&B singers such as Brandy, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton contributed to the soundtrack. Houston's single, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, only the third single to do so.^[206]^[d] Two other Houston singles from the soundtrack, "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", also reached the US top 40, with "Count On Me" reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack reached number one on the Billboard 200 in January 1996 and was certified seven-times platinum in the US.^[206] The album received eleven Grammy nominations and the American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack.^[206] The soundtrack received strong reviews; as Entertainment Weekly stated: "the album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks ... the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense"^[207] and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks.^[208]

Houston's next film, the Christmas comedy The Preacher's Wife (1996) was largely an update of The Bishop's Wife (1948) and starred Houston alongside Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance. Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her the highest-earning African-American actress in Hollywood at the time.^[209] The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning about $50 million in the US.^[210] The film gave Houston the strongest reviews of her acting career. The San Francisco Chronicle said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice".^[211] Houston won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for the film.^[212] The accompanying soundtrack was Houston's first full-length foray into gospel music, which she produced with Mervyn Warren. Six of the more traditional gospel tracks were recorded with the Georgia Mass Choir at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Upon its release, the soundtrack entered number three on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Gospel Albums chart, the first by a female artist.^[213] Three singles were released, including "I Believe in You and Me", which reached the US top-ten, and "Step by Step", which became a hit in Europe. The soundtrack sold six million units worldwide, becoming the best-selling gospel album of all time.^[214] Despite its success, Houston complained of not receiving a gospel nomination at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998 and responded by boycotting the ceremony.^[215]^[e] Houston's work was acknowledged by the Dove Awards and the NAACP Image Awards, where Houston received the award for Outstanding Gospel Artist.

In 1996, Houston formed her film production company, BrownHouse Productions, in which Debra Martin Chase became her partner. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television.^[216] Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the film as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened.^[217] The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and non-stereotypical message.^[218] An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years.^[219] The movie received seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special. Among other projects Houston and Brown were working on, included a biopic on actress Dorothy Dandridge.^[216] Halle Berry, who also had rights to Dandridge's story, beat Houston and Chase to release her version several years later.^[220] In October, a third HBO concert special, Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C. aired with proceeds of the special going to Marian Wright Edelman's Children's Defense Fund, eventually reaching $300,000.^[221] In early 1998, Houston received the Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.^[222]^[223]

1998–2000: My Love Is Your Love and Whitney: The Greatest Hits

[edit]

In 1998, Houston released My Love Is Your Love, her first studio album in eight years. Released during the so-called "Super Tuesday" week on November 17 of the year where multiple albums by other recording artists were also issued, the album debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.^[224]^[225]^[226]^[227] The album featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott and resulted in Houston receiving some of her strongest reviews ever, with Rolling Stone writing that Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice"^[228] while The Village Voice called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far".^[229] Billboard magazine noted the album had a "funkier and edgier sound than past releases" and saw Houston "handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B, reggae, torch songs and ballads all with great dexterity".^[230] The album produced five top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the most for a Houston album since 1987's Whitney.

The leading single was the Mariah Carey-featured duet, "When You Believe", off The Prince of Egypt, which peaked at number 15 in the US and reached number two on the Eurochart Hot 100, and later won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.^[231] The second single, "Heartbreak Hotel", peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, while the following two singles, "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and the title track, produced by Jean, each peaked at number four. The final single, "I Learned From the Best", also reached the US top 40. The album remained on the Billboard 200 for almost two years and sold four million units alone in the US, where it was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA.^[70] Besides "Believe", the latter four singles reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Houston's North American leg of her world tour to promote the album was successful but plagued by cancellations with Houston's publicist citing "throat problems and a 'bronchitis situation'".^[232] However, the European portion was hugely successful, ending the year as the highest-grossing arena tour of the year in Europe.^[233] The success of the tour led to My Love Is Your Love reaching number one on the European Top 100 Albums chart in August 1999, staying there for six weeks.^[234] All of Houston's singles from the album were successful internationally, with the title track reaching number one on the Eurochart Hot 100 and selling more than three million units worldwide while the last release, "I Learned From the Best" topped the charts in Poland and Romania.^[235] Eventually, global sales of the album reached 15 million units worldwide.^[236]

The album's European success helped Houston win the MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B, while the music video for "Heartbreak Hotel" led to Houston receiving her first MTV Video Music Award nomination in over a decade.^[237]^[238]^[239]^[240] Nominated for four Grammys at the 2000 ceremony, Houston nabbed her sixth and final competitive Grammy in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance category for "It's Not Right but It's Okay".^[241] Near the end of the year, the Recording Industry Association of America hosted its Century Awards and named Houston the top-selling R&B female artist of the century with certified US sales of 51 million records at the time while the soundtrack to The Bodyguard received the award for top-selling soundtrack album of the century.^[242] In March 2000, Houston earned a special honor at the 14th Soul Train Music Awards as the female artist of the decade for her extraordinary artistic contributions during the 1990s.^[243]^[244]

The next year, in May 2000, Houston's first compilation album, Whitney: The Greatest Hits, was released. The album reached number five in the US and number one in the UK and also reached the top ten in multiple countries.^[245]^[246] A double-disc collection, the album's first disc, "Cool Down", featured all of Houston's hit ballads, while the second disc, "Throw Down", featured house and club remixes of the singer's uptempo hits, in response to the well-received dance remixes from the previous album.^[247]^[248] It also included four new tracks, three of them duets from the likes of Deborah Cox, Enrique Iglesias and George Michael. The singles with the latter two artists, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" and "If I Told You That", both became hits in Europe. The set was later certified five times platinum in the US for sales of five million copies, while worldwide sales reached 10 million.^[70]^[249]

2000–2008: Just Whitney, Princess Diaries, and Cheetah Girls

[edit]

Houston's reputation as "America's Sweetheart", which she was nicknamed for the duration of her career, came under scrutiny at the beginning of the 2000s. Reports of erratic behavior, showing up hours late to interviews, photo shoots, rehearsals and canceling several concerts, had been following her since the late 1990s.^[250]^[251]

Houston failed to show up to induct Clive Davis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2000.^[252] Weeks later, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards but was fired from the event by musical director and longtime friend Burt Bacharach. At the time, her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation. In his book, The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards, author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery, and her attitude was casual, almost defiant"; though she was supposed to perform "Over the Rainbow", she sung a different song during rehearsals.^[253] Houston later admitted she had been fired.^[254] Houston, however, did show up for a scheduled performance to celebrate Arista's 25th anniversary with Clive Davis, her performance received good reviews.^[255]

In May 2000, Houston's longtime executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company.^[252]

Despite increasing negative press, Houston continued to find success. She produced the film The Princess Diaries (2001) alongside fellow BrownHouse partner Debra Martin Chase. Starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, the film became an unexpected success in the box office, grossing more than $165 million worldwide. Houston and Chase became the first black people in box office history to produce a film that surpassed $100 million in the box office.^[256] In August 2001, Houston signed one of the biggest record deals in music history, with Arista/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to release six new albums, for which she would also earn royalties.^[257]^[258]^[259]

A performance at Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special in September 2001 led to increasing rumors of drug use and possible health issues due to Houston's extremely thin frame.^[260] She canceled a second performance scheduled for the following night.^[261] Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was re-released after the September 11 attacks, with the proceeds donated to the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. The single reached No. 6 on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position.^[262]^[263]

Houston released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney, in December 2002. The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum, though it received mixed reviews.^[264]^[265]^[254] In August 2003, Houston's second television film as a producer, The Cheetah Girls, premiered on the Disney Channel. A soundtrack of the film, executive produced by Houston, became successful, reaching double platinum status in the US. Later that November, Houston released her first Christmas album, One Wish: The Holiday Album, which featured traditional holiday songs and was certified gold in the US.^[266]

In April 2004, Houston's second film as producer, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, was equally successful in the box office like its predecessor, earning $134 million in the box office. For most of the year, Houston toured internationally.^[267]^[268] Houston's success behind the scenes continued in 2006 with the airing of The Cheetah Girls 2, which Houston served as executive producer. The film remains one of the highest-rated Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM) in history with more than 8.1 million viewers tuning in for the premiere.^[269]

2009–2012: I Look to You

[edit]

Houston released I Look to You in August 2009. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 305,000 copies sold, marking a strong return.^[270] The album's success was followed by her performance on various European television shows and her appearance as a guest mentor on The X Factor in the UK. Despite a wardrobe malfunction during her performance of "Million Dollar Bill", the single still achieved commercial success, later going platinum in the United Kingdom.^[271] The title track was also a hit and was later certified platinum in the United States. Following the album's release, Houston embarked on the Nothing but Love World Tour, her first world tour in more than 10 years. Despite some negative reviews and rescheduled concerts, Houston continued to perform.^[272]

In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards and won Best Music Video for "I Look to You".^[273] On January 16, she received the Entertainers Award at the BET Honors, acknowledging her lifetime achievements spanning more than 25 years. In January 2011, Houston made a surprise appearance at the BET Celebration of Gospel where she joined friend, gospel singer Kim Burrell onstage, to perform a duet version of "I Look to You"; their performance was received well. It would be Houston's final television performance prior to her death.^[274]

Later in 2010, Houston was cast in the remake of the 1976 film Sparkle, where she served as both a star and executive producer. The film marked her final acting role before her untimely death.^[275] The movie was released on August 17, 2012. The soundtrack featured "Celebrate", the last song Houston recorded, which was released in May 2012.^[276]

Personal life

[edit]

Religion

[edit]

Houston was a Christian, and she made it a point to sing gospel songs when on tour.^[277]^[278] During her childhood, she regularly attended New Hope Baptist Church where she joined the children's choir and later performed solos on a regular basis there. Houston was also influenced by Pentecostalism after she began attending a Pentecostal church not too far from New Hope. Houston's mother Cissy wrote that while at New Hope, Houston "got saved" and she later told her that she "accepted the Savior into her life" at around 12 years old.^[279] Houston's recording of "Do You Hear What I Hear", from the Christmas compilation album, A Very Special Christmas (1987), has constantly appeared on the Billboard gospel charts since 2011. In 1997, Houston was given a special honor from the Dove Awards for helping to bring gospel music to the attention of the mainstream. Two of Houston's final recordings — "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and "Celebrate", from the 2012 film, Sparkle — posthumously made the Billboard gospel charts. Her last public performance prior to her death was an impromptu duet of "Jesus Loves Me" with friend and former collaborator Kelly Price at the Tru nightclub in Hollywood.^[280]

Relationships, marriage, and family

[edit]

Houston first met Robyn Crawford when Crawford was 19 and Houston was 16; the two were summer camp counselors. According to Crawford, the two were romantically involved for a few years until Houston began seeking a recording contract.^[281]^[282]^[283] Crawford and Houston continued their professional relationship and platonic friendship until Crawford left Houston's employ in 2000.^[252]

In the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to musician Jermaine Jackson,^[284] American football star Randall Cunningham, and actor Eddie Murphy.^[121]

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.^[285] The two singers occasionally collaborated on songs, including the hit record, "Something in Common".^[267] The following year, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown (March 4, 1993 – July 26, 2015),^[286] the couple's only child.

During their marriage, Brown had several run-ins with the law for drunken driving, drug possession and battery, including some jail time.^[287]^[288] In December 2003, Brown was charged with battery following an altercation during which he threatened to beat Houston and then assaulted her. Police reported that Houston had visible injuries to her face.^[267]

Starting in April of the following year, the reality show Being Bobby Brown was taped and later premiered on Bravo, in June 2005. The show drew criticism for what critics perceived to be unflattering moments from the couple,^[289] but still achieved high ratings. However, the show was not renewed for a second season after Houston declined further participation.^[290]^[291] In September 2006, a year after Being Bobby Brown aired, Houston filed for legal separation from Brown, later filing for divorce the following month, citing irreconcilable differences.^[292]^[293] The divorce was granted on April 24, 2007.^[294]

Legal issues

[edit]

On April 19, 1991, at the start of her I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour, Houston and her brother Michael got involved in an altercation against three men at a hotel in Lexington, Kentucky after the men reportedly sought her for an autograph while they were trying to watch a heavyweight boxing championship match.^[295] After seeing the men attack her brother, Houston reportedly jumped on one of the men, Ransom Brotherton, and punched him off her brother before Houston and her entourage fled from the hotel. Brotherton reported the incident, which led to him having to go to the hospital to receive "12 stitches over his left eye".^[295] Houston was charged with fourth degree assault for attacking Brotherton and "threatening to kill him", while her brother was charged with assaulting another man involved in the melee, Kevin Owens.^[295]

Charges were dropped against the Houstons in May due to "contradictory evidence" and due to the prosecution struggling to "prove them guilty".^[296]^[297] It was later revealed that the altercation began after the three men yelled racial slurs at Houston.^[298]

On January 11, 2000, while Houston was traveling with her husband Bobby Brown, airport security guards discovered half an ounce of marijuana in her handbag at Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii. She departed before authorities could arrive.^[299]^[300] Houston was initially charged with a misdemeanor drug charge that carried a 30-day sentence and a $1,000 fine.^[301] The charges, however, were dropped in March 2001 after prosecutors received a substance abuse assessment from a counselor in New Jersey that stated the singer didn't need treatment for substance abuse.^[302]^[303]

In 2002, Houston became embroiled in a legal dispute with John Houston Enterprise, a company started by her father. The company, run by Kevin Skinner, sued her for $100 million, claiming unpaid compensation. Houston's father died in February 2003, and the lawsuit was dismissed in April 2004, with no compensation awarded.^[304]^[305]^[306]

Health

[edit]

During her marriage, Houston suffered several miscarriages, including one during the filming of The Bodyguard,^[307] another in July 1994,^[308] and another in December 1996.^[309]

Rolling Stone published a story in June 2000 stating that Cissy Houston and others had held a July 1999 intervention in which they unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Whitney to obtain drug treatment.^[252]

In her 2019 memoirs, A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, Houston's longtime executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, said she departed from Houston's management company after Houston declined to seek help for her drug dependency; however, Houston claimed in an interview that the two friends parted ways over Houston's husband, Bobby Brown.^[281]^[310]^[254]

In September 2001, Houston's extremely thin appearance led to rumors about her health. Her publicist stated, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters and when she is under stress she doesn't eat."^[260] In 2009, Houston acknowledged that drug use had been the reason for her weight loss in 2001.^[311]

In 2002, Houston gave an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her upcoming album. During the interview, she addressed rumors of drug use, famously saying, "crack is wack". She admitted to using various substances but denied having an eating disorder.^[254]

In September 2009, Houston was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, she admitted to using drugs with Brown during their marriage and described her struggles with addiction.^[312] She told Winfrey that before The Bodyguard her drug use was light, that she used drugs more heavily after the film's success and the birth of her daughter and that by 1996 "[doing drugs] was an everyday thing ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."^[313] Houston told Oprah that she had attended a 30-day rehabilitation program.^[314] Houston also acknowledged to Oprah that her drug use had continued after rehabilitation, and that at one point, her mother obtained a court order and the assistance of law enforcement to press her into receiving further drug treatment.^[315] Houston's mother recalled the incident in her 2013 book, Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped, in which she came to visit her daughter's Alpharetta residence in 2005 discussing seeing the walls were "spray-painted" with "big glaring eyes and strange faces. Evil eyes, staring out like a threat", as well as noticing most of her daughter's head cut out of a big framed photo of the singer; Houston herself explained it in her Oprah interview.^[316]^[317] When Winfrey asked Houston if she was drug-free, Houston responded, "'Yes, ma’am. I mean, you know, don’t think I don’t have desires for it.'"^[318]

In May 2011, Houston enrolled in rehabilitation again due to drug and alcohol problems, which she stated was part of her "longstanding recovery process".^[319]

Death

[edit]

On February 11, 2012, Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton, submerged in the bathtub.^[320]^[321] Houston reportedly appeared "disheveled" and "erratic" in the days before her death.^[322] Beverly Hills paramedics arrived about 3:30 pm, found Houston unresponsive, and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm PST.^[323]^[324] The cause of death was not immediately known;^[325]^[323] local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".^[326] 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".^[327]^[328] The manner of death was listed as "accident".^[329]

Houston's death coincided with the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which took place the day following her death and included a tribute to Houston; it was later credited for the Grammys' second-highest ratings in history.^[330] The February 11, 2012, Clive Davis pre-Grammy party that Houston had been expected to attend, which featured many of the biggest names in music and film, went on as scheduled – although it was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston.^[331] Numerous other public figures also expressed their grief, including Mariah Carey, Quincy Jones, Darlene Love, Aretha Franklin and Oprah Winfrey.^[332]^[333] Houston's death was covered internationally in the media, along with her memorial service, which was held for Houston at her home church, New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, New Jersey, on February 18, 2012.^[334]

Houston's music surged in popularity following her death. According to representatives from Houston's record label, Houston sold 8 million records worldwide in the first 10 months of the year she died.^[335] The single "I Will Always Love You" returned to the Billboard Hot 100 after almost 20 years, peaking at number three and becoming a posthumous top-10 single for Houston, the first one since 2001. Houston set a Guinness World Record for a female artist by placing 10 albums inside the Billboard 200 simultaneously.^[336] In October 2023, Houston made the list of the top 10 highest-earning posthumous celebrities on Forbes, earning $30 million, later winning a posthumous Guinness World Records entry as the highest-earning posthumous female celebrity, her 31st record.^[337]^[338]

Artistry

[edit]

Houston had a four-octave vocal range.^[339] She was referred to as "the Voice" because of her vocal talent.^[340]

Jon Pareles of The New York Times stated Houston "always had a great big voice, a technical marvel from its velvety depths to its ballistic middle register to its ringing and airy heights".^[341] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Houston second on their list of the greatest singers of all time, stating, "The standard-bearer for R&B vocals, Whitney Houston possessed a soprano that was as powerful as it was tender. Take her cover of Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You', which became one of the defining singles of the 1990s; it opens with her gently brooding, her unaccompanied voice sounding like it's turning over the idea of leaving her lover behind with the lightest touch. By the end, it's transformed into a showcase for her limber, muscular upper register; she sings the title phrase with equal parts bone-deep feeling and technical perfection, turning the conflicted emotions at the song's heart into a jumping-off point for her life's next step."^[342]

Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone also acknowledged Houston's vocal prowess, enumerating 10 performances, including "How Will I Know" at the 1986 MTV VMAs and "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl. "Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision", he stated. "She was a brilliant performer and her live shows often eclipsed her studio recordings."^[343]

Elysa Gardner of the Los Angeles Times in her review for The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack highly praised Houston's vocal ability, commenting, "She is first and foremost a pop diva – at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star – not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand – quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama."^[344] Singer and entertainer Michael Jackson named Houston as one of his musical inspirations, calling her a "wonderful singer, real stylist. You hear one line, and you know who it is."^[345]

R&B singer Faith Evans stated: "Whitney was not just a singer with a beautiful voice. She was a true musician. Her voice was an instrument and she knew how to use it. With the same complexity as someone who has mastered the violin or the piano, Whitney mastered the use of her voice. From every run to every crescendo—she was in tune with what she could do with her voice and it's not something simple for a singer—even a very talented one—to achieve. Whitney is 'the Voice' because she worked for it. This is someone who was singing backup for her mom when she was 14 years old at nightclubs across the country. This is someone who sang backup for Chaka Khan when she was only 17. She had years and years of honing her craft on stage and in the studio before she ever got signed to a record label. Coming from a family of singers and surrounded by music; she pretty much had a formal education in music, just like someone who might attend a performing arts high school or major in voice in college."^[346]

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented, "Her voice was clean and strong, with barely any grit, well suited to the songs of love and aspiration. [ ... ] Hers was a voice of triumph and achievement and it made for any number of stunning, time-stopping vocal performances."^[347] Mariah Carey stated, "She [Whitney] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have".^[348] In her review of I Look to You, music critic Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators". Powers added, "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano".^[349]

Lauren Everitt from BBC News commented on the melisma used in Houston's recording. "An early 'I' in Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' takes nearly six seconds to sing. In those seconds the former gospel singer-turned-pop star packs a series of different notes into the single syllable", stated Everitt. "The technique is repeated throughout the song, most pronouncedly on every 'I' and 'you'. The vocal technique is called melisma and it has inspired a host of imitators. Other artists may have used it before Houston, but it was her rendition of Dolly Parton's love song that pushed the technique into the mainstream in the 90s. [ ... ] But perhaps what Houston nailed best was moderation." Everitt said that "[i]n a climate of reality shows ripe with 'oversinging,' it's easy to appreciate Houston's ability to save melisma for just the right moment."^[350]

Houston's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. Stephen Holden from The New York Times, in his review of Houston's Radio City Music Hall concert on July 20, 1993, praised her attitude as a singer, writing, "Whitney Houston is one of the few contemporary pop stars of whom it might be said: the voice suffices. While almost every performer whose albums sell in the millions calls upon an entertainer's bag of tricks, from telling jokes to dancing to circus pyrotechnics, Ms. Houston would rather just stand there and sing." With regard to her singing style, he added: "Her [Houston's] stylistic trademarks – shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration – infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning."^[351]

Houston struggled with vocal problems in her later years. Gary Catona, a voice coach who began working with Houston in 2005, stated: "'When I first started working with her in 2005, she had lost 99.9 percent of her voice ... She could barely speak, let alone sing. Her lifestyle choices had made her almost completely hoarse'".^[352] After Houston's death, Catona asserted that Houston's voice reached "'about 75 to 80 percent'" of its former capacity after he had worked with her.^[353] However, during the world tour that followed the release of I Look to You, "YouTube videos surfaced, showing [Houston's] voice cracking, seemingly unable to hold the notes she was known for".^[353]

Houston's vocal performances incorporated a wide variety of genres, including R&B, pop, rock,^[354] soul, gospel, funk,^[355] dance, Latin pop,^[356] disco,^[357] house,^[358] hip hop soul,^[359] new jack swing,^[360] opera,^[361] reggae,^[362] and Christmas.^[363] The lyrical themes of her songs are mainly love, religion, and feminism.^[364] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated: "Her sound expanded through collaborations with a wide array of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Bobby Brown, and Mariah Carey."^[354] AllMusic commented that, "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity".^[365] During the early stages of Houston's career, some Black critics and audiences accused her voice and music of not sounding "Black enough".^[366] Steve Rose of The Guardian attributed this perception to her "syrupy ballads and perky dance-pop," along with music videos that featured a mix of both Black and white dancers.^[367] At the time, Houston had established herself as a mainstream pop star, with a musical style that differed from the soul and R&B genres often associated with Black artists.^[368]

Legacy and cultural impact

[edit]

Houston has been regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a cultural icon.^[4]^[369]^[370] She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history.^[371]^[372] During the 1980s, MTV was coming into its own and received criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With Michael Jackson breaking down the color barrier for black men, Houston did the same for black women. She became the first black woman to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "How Will I Know" video.^[5]^[373] Stephen Holden of The New York Times said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing".^[374] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times referred to Houston as a "national treasure".^[349]

The Independent's music critic Andy Gill also wrote about Houston's influence on modern R&B and singing competitions, comparing it to Michael Jackson's, stating that "Jackson was a hugely talented icon, certainly, but he will be as well remembered (probably more so) for his presentational skills, his dazzling dance moves, as for his musical innovations. Whitney, on the other hand, just sang and the ripples from her voice continue to dominate the pop landscape." Gill said that there "are few, if any, Jackson imitators on today's TV talent shows, but every other contestant is a Whitney wannabe, desperately attempting to emulate that wondrous combination of vocal effects – the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning".^[375]

According to Linda Lister in Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars, she has been called the "Queen of Pop" for her influence during the 1990s, commercially rivaling Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.^[376] Rolling Stone stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna".^[377] In 2013, ABC named Houston the greatest woman in music.^[378] Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics.^[88] Many major publications including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Fox News, NBC News and The Independent dubbed Houston the “greatest singer of her generation”.^[379]^[380]^[381]^[382]

Despite his opposition to music, Osama Bin Laden was reportedly fond of Whitney Houston. According to poet and activist Kola Boof, bin Laden wanted to make her one of his wives.^[383]

Awards and achievements

[edit]

Houston won numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Emmy Awards, eight Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), 14 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards (36 Billboard awards in all) and 22 American Music Awards. Houston currently holds the record for most American Music Awards in a single night with eight, a record for a woman and tied in general with fellow musician Michael Jackson.^[384] Houston was the first artist to win more than 11 Billboard awards in one night at its fourth annual ceremony in 1993, which set a Guinness World Record at the time.^[385] Houston continues to hold the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five trophies at the sixth World Music Awards in 1994.^[386] Houston is also the black female artist with the most Guinness World Records in history with 31.

A premier black female entertainer, Houston was inducted into the BET Walk of Fame and the Soul Train Hall of Fame. In 2001, Houston became the first artist to receive the BET Lifetime Achievement Award.^[387]^[388] In 2010, she was honored at The BET Honors with the Entertainers Award. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine.^[389]^[390] In November 2010, Billboard released its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three who not only went on to earn eight number-one singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five number ones on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.^[391]

Houston is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with more than 220 million records sold worldwide.^[9]^[392] She was ranked the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century by the RIAA in 1999.^[393] Houston sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history.^[394] As of 2025, she is ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the United States by the RIAA with 61 million certified albums.^[395] Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum or platinum.^[396]

Houston became the first female artist to go diamond with an album after her soundtrack to The Bodyguard went ten-times platinum in November 1993. In January 1994, her debut album Whitney Houston was the first studio album by a woman to be certified ten-times platinum, making her the first solo artist to receive two diamond-certified albums. When her sophomore album, Whitney (1987), was certified diamond in October 2020, Houston became the first black recording artist in history to have three diamond-certified albums.^[70] Those three albums are also among the best-selling albums of all time. Houston is the only black female artist with six or more albums to sell more than ten million units worldwide. The Bodyguard remains the best-selling soundtrack and best-selling female album of all time, with global units of over 45 million, while "I Will Always Love You" remains the best-selling single by a female artist at 24 million units worldwide. In addition, her soundtrack for The Preacher's Wife is the best-selling gospel release ever.^[397]

She held an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana.^[398] Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013.^[399] She was inducted into the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class in 2014.^[400] In 2020, Houston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after her first nomination.^[401]^[402] In October 2020, the music video for "I Will Always Love You" surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, making Houston the first solo 20th-century artist to have a video reach that milestone.^[403] In May 2023, Houston was one of the first of 13 artists to be given the Brits Billion Award by the BPI for reaching 1 billion career streams in the United Kingdom.^[404] Houston is one of only a handful of artists from the 20th century to have multiple songs streamed a billion times on Spotify with her 1987 hit, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", and her posthumous 2019 hit, "Higher Love", reaching the feat in 2023 and 2024.^[405]^[406]^[407]

Commemoration

[edit]

In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey, which Houston attended as a child, was renamed to the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative & Performing Arts.^[408]
Four posthumous albums have been released, including two compilation albums and two live albums. A posthumous concert tour, An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour, featuring a projected image of Houston, ran from 2020 to 2023.^[409]
Madame Tussauds unveiled four wax figures of Houston in 2013, inspired by her looks from the music video of I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), film The Bodyguard, album cover of I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston and The Star-Spangled Banner performance at the 1991 Super Bowl.^[410]
In 2015, Lifetime premiered the biographical film Whitney. Houston was portrayed by model Yaya DaCosta.
A television documentary film entitled Whitney: Can I Be Me aired on Showtime on August 25, 2017.^[411] The film was directed by Nick Broomfield.^[412]
Whitney, a documentary film based on Houston's life and death, premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was released internationally in theaters on July 6, 2018.^[413]
In 2019, Houston and Kygo's version of "Higher Love" was released as a single.^[414] It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart^[128] and reached the top 10 in several countries.^[415]^[416]^[417]
Lifetime released the documentary Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All in 2021.
A mural of Houston, made of hand cut glass by artist Maude Lemaire, was installed at 45 Williams Street, Newark, New Jersey, in 2021.^[418]
On the tenth anniversary of her death, ESPN ran a 30-minute documentary of Houston's acclaimed performance of The Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 titled Whitney's Anthem.^[419]
I Wanna Dance with Somebody, opened on December 23, 2022, with Houston being portrayed by Naomi Ackie. It grossed around $60 million.^[420]^[421]
In December 2023, the New Jersey Hall of Fame unveiled the Whitney Houston Service Area, formerly known as the Vauxhal Service Area at the Garden State Parkway.^[422] The New Jersey Hall of Fame explained that the renaming was part of their "ongoing program to honor its inductees by renaming Garden State Parkway service areas after them, and building displays about them".^[422]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Houston was a long-time supporter of charities around the world. In 1989, she established the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children. It offered medical assistance to sick and homeless children, fought to prevent child abuse, taught children to read, created inner-city parks and playgrounds and granted college scholarships, including one to the Juilliard School.^[423] At a 1988 Madison Square Garden concert, Houston earned more than $250,000 for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).^[424]

Houston donated all of the earnings from her 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sales to Gulf War servicemen and their families.^[425] The record label followed suit and she was voted to the American Red Cross Board of Directors as a result.^[426] Following the terrorist attacks in 2001, Houston re-released "The Star-Spangled Banner" to support the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. She waived her royalty rights to the song, which reached number one on charts in October 2001 and generated more than $1 million.^[427] Houston declined to perform in apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s.^[428] Her participation at the 1988 Freedomfest performance in London (for a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela) grabbed the attention of other musicians and the media.^[429]

In addition, Houston became an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS during the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. In 1986, the LGBT magazine publication The Advocate reported that one of Houston's concerts at the Boston Common in Boston raised $30,000 for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts and the Gay and Lesbian Counseling Service. The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, in particular, focused on helping children who suffered from HIV/AIDS, among other issues. In 1990, Whitney took part in Arista Records' 15th anniversary gala, which was an AIDS benefit, where she sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Greatest Love of All" and, with cousin Dionne Warwick, "That's What Friends Are For". A year later, Whitney participated in the Reach Out & Touch Someone AIDS vigil at London in September 1991 while she was finishing her historic ten-date residency at London's Wembley Arena; there, she stressed the importance of AIDS research and addressing HIV stigma.^[430]^[431]

In June 1999, Whitney gave a surprise performance at the 13th Annual New York City Lesbian & Gay Pride Dance^[432] at one of the city's West Side piers.^[433] According to Instinct magazine, Houston's unannounced performance at the Piers "ushered in a new era that would eventually make high-profile artists performing at LGBTQ events virtually commonplace".^[432] Before hitting the stage, Houston was asked by MTV veejay John Norris why she decided to attend the event. Houston replied, "We're all God's children, honey".^[432]

Discography

[edit]

Filmography

[edit]

Films starred

The Bodyguard (1992)
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Cinderella (1997)
Sparkle (2012)

Films produced

Cinderella (1997)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
The Cheetah Girls (2003)
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006)
Sparkle (2012)

Documentaries and others

Nora's Hair Salon (2004)
Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
Whitney (2018)
The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) (2024)

Tours

[edit]

Headlining tours

[edit]

US Summer Tour (1985)
The Greatest Love World Tour (1986)
Moment of Truth World Tour (1987–1988)
Feels So Right Tour (1990)
I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour (1991)
The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994)
Pacific Rim Tour (1997)
The European Tour (1998)
My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999)
Nothing but Love World Tour (2009–2010)
An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour (2020–2023)

Co-headlining tours

[edit]

Soul Divas Tour (2004)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

^ Along with Houston, the other acts who have done this include the Supremes, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and The Weeknd.^[125]
^ José Feliciano's version reached number 50 in November 1968.
^ Houston shares the feat with singer Lionel Richie.^[173]
^ It also became the first song from a soundtrack to debut at number one and is only one of four soundtrack songs to do so, the others being Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", both released in 1998 and Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling!" in 2016.
^ Houston told Entertainment Tonight, "basically it was my gospel album, and it was excluded from the gospel category altogether. I'm not going this year... I'm sick of work being done and people not recognizing it."^[215]

References

[edit]

^ "The Voice at 60: On Whitney Houston's immortal instrument". EW. August 9, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
^ Brown, Yvette (February 11, 2015). "Remembering Whitney Houston: 6 Nippy Performances That Still Give Us Chills". Vibe. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
^ "Portrait of the late Whitney Houston, without frills". Politico. February 12, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Botelho, Greg (February 15, 2012). "Whitney Houston's death hits her native New Jersey hard". CNN. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Johnston, Maura; Gage, Jeff (February 22, 2023). "Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists — Here's the Story of 'How Will I Know'". Yahoo Life. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
^ "Remembering Whitney Houston 3 years after her untimely death". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
^ Lordi, Emily (February 8, 2023). "Whitney Houston's Enduring Legacy: Lifting Up Other Black Women". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
^ Schrodt, Paul (May 25, 2016). "The 10 biggest record deals of all time, ranked". Insider. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Coates, Hannah (August 9, 2023). "11 of Whitney Houston's Most Dazzling Beauty Looks". Vogue. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston story, song by song". Marie Claire. May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
^ "Highest-earning dead celebrity (female, current)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ Halperin, Ian (June 19, 2015). "Whitney Houston's Fortune In Limbo Amid Bobbi Kristina Tragedy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
^ Houston, Cissy (2013). Remembering Whitney. p. 10. My water broke. So it was right back out the door as John put me in the car and hurried to Presbyterian Hospital.
^ "Emily 'Cissy' Houston 2019 Inductee - Performing Arts". New Jersey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024.
^ Smith, Jessie Carney (1996). Notable Black American women. VNR AG. pp. 304–305. ISBN 978-0-8103-9177-2.
^ "Whitney Houston at 22: From the Star archives". The Toronto Star. August 21, 1986. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
^ Crawford, Robyn (2019). A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston. p. 16.
^ Houston, Cissy (September 2, 2009). "Visionary Project Video – Cissy Houston: My Family". Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
^ "Whitney's godmother: 'She was a light'". Nancy Grace spoke with Whitney Houston's and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Darlene Love. February 13, 2012. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
^ Whitall, Susan. "Aretha Franklin recalls meeting a young Whitney Houston". The Queen of Soul corrected one thing about her relationship to Houston. She says she wasn't Houston's Godmother, but a sort of honorary aunt. The Detroit News. Retrieved February 18, 2012.^{[dead link]}
^ "Whitney Houston Sings Her Way To Stardom With Hit Album, Road Tour". Jet. August 26, 1985. p. 59. ISSN 0021-5996.
^ "Jeremiah Burke Sanderson – New Bedford Historical Society". Retrieved November 7, 2020.
^ Lapp, Rudolph M. (1968). "Jeremiah B. Sanderson: Early California Negro Leader". The Journal of Negro History. 53 (4): 321–333. doi:10.2307/2716356. ISSN 0022-2992. JSTOR 2716356. S2CID 150279633.
^ "John Russell Houston III". The Star-Ledger. January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Legacy.com.
^ "Top 10 Things You May Not Know About Whitney Houston" Archived November 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. ABC. February 16, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
^ "Michael Houston 'Devastated' At Death Of Sister". Entertainment Wise. February 12, 2012. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Gardner, Elysa (January 28, 2013). "Cissy Houston remembers Whitney, with love and candor". USA Today. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Kenner, Rob (September 2005). "Whitney & Bobby – Addicted to Love". Vibe. p. 204. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022.
^ Houston, Cissy (2013). Remembering Whitney. p. 45. In the spring of 1964, almost a year after Nippy's birth, John's divorce was at last finalized, and he and I were able to get married.
^ Gardner, Elysa (January 28, 2013). "Cissy Houston remembers Whitney, with love and candor". USA Today. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Bowman, Jeffrey (1994). Diva: the totally unauthorized biography of Whitney Houston. Harper. p. XII-XIII. ISBN 9780061008535. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
^ Corliss, Richard (July 13, 1987). "The Prom Queen of Soul". Time.
^ ^a ^b DeCurtis, Anthony (June 10, 1993). "Whitney Houston: Down and Dirty". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Waldman, Tyler (February 13, 2012). "Mount Saint Dominic Classmate Remembers Whitney Houston". Patch.com. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
^ Bowman, Jeffrey (1994). Diva: the totally unauthorized biography of Whitney Houston. Harper. p. 58. ISBN 9780061008535. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
^ "The Voice of Whitney". TheTownHall.org. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Bronson, Fred (October 1, 2003). The Billboard book of number 1 hits. Random House Digital. p. 629. ISBN 978-0-8230-7677-2.
^ ^a ^b "Singer Whitney Houston A Model Of Success". Jet. July 16, 1990. p. 32. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Wilson, Julee (February 13, 2012). "Whitney Houston Graces Cover Of Seventeen Magazine, November 1981 (PHOTO)". HuffPost.
^ Fekadu, Mesfin (March 22, 2023). "Whitney Houston Gospel Songs from 'I Go to the Rock' Explained - The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ Norment, Lynn (June 1990). "Forever Daddy's Girl". Ebony. p. 136. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Scoppa, Bud (December 1986). "Whitney Houston: The Long Road to Overnight Stardom". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ Grein, Paul (June 8, 1986). "HOUSTON HITS: MASTER PLAN, BLIND LUCK". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Holtzman, Michael (February 14, 2012). "Fall River music businessman was instrumental in launching Whitney Houston's early career". Wicked Local. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ Brianne Tracy (January 9, 2022). "Young Whitney Houston: Never-Before Seen Photos of the 'One in a Million' Superstar Before Fame". Yahoo News. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
^ Christgau, Robert. "Material she was a great song writer". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
^ Ripol, Vince. "Paul Jabara & Friends Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Hoskyns, Barney (February 12, 2012). "The Rock's Backpages Flashback: The Making - and Stellar Ascent - of Whitney Houston". Retrieved January 2, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Bernstein, Jacob (September 30, 2017). "Production of a Lifetime: Whitney Houston and Clive Davis". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
^ "Whitney Houston: For Talented Young Star, Singing Is A Family Tradition". Ebony. December 1985. p. 155. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ ""The Merv Griffin Show" Episode dated 23 June 1983 (TV Episode 1983)". IMDb. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston: Watch her earliest TV appearances". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Mya Abraham (December 21, 2022). "Whitney Houston Was Almost Cast As Denise Huxtable On 'The Cosby Show'". Vibe. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
^ Lovejoy, Hannah (October 25, 2021). "Listen to a young Whitney Houston's stunning vocal in unearthed TV 'Steak & Ale' Advert". Bennigans. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
^ Finkelman, Paul (2009). Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present: from the age of segregation to the twenty-first century. Oxford University Press. pp. 459–460. ISBN 978-0-19-516779-5.
^ Wynn, Ron. "Love Language Album Review". AllMusic.
^ "Arista Aims New Houston Album at 'Core Urban' Fans". Billboard. December 14, 2002. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Sullivan, Caroline (February 11, 2012). "Whitney Houston obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Shewey, Don (June 6, 1985). "Music Review: Whitney Houston". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Holden, Stephen (May 12, 1985). "Critic's Choice; Pop Music". The New York Times. p. A2.
^ "Billboard 200 (week of August 31, 1985)". Billboard. August 31, 1985. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Charts '86". Billboard. December 27, 1986. p. 52. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ "Whitney Houston - Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ Grein, Paul (June 8, 1986). "Houston Hits: Master Plan, Blind Luck". Los Angeles Times.
^ Landers, Ann (July 7, 1985). "Hope your children outgrow trashy music". The Telegraph-Herald. Woodward Communications, Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
^ Lynn Van Matre (September 29, 1985). "With Dionne, Cissy And Aretha In The Family, How Can Whitney Houston Fail?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
^ "SINGER WHITNEY HOUSTON HITS A HIGH NOTE EARLY IN HER CAREER". Orlando Sentinel. August 4, 1985. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
^ Holden, Stephen (October 29, 1985). "POP: WHITNEY HOUSTON IN CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT". New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston's Success Is Global". Billboard. June 8, 1985. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "American album certifications – Whitney Houston". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ "Music Industry Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston". Voice of America. February 11, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
^ "Inside Whitney's world". NBC News. September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
^ Booker, Bobbi (February 14, 2012). "Philly reflects on Houston's legacy". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
^ Kynaston, Nic (2000). Guinness world records 2000. Guinness World Records Limited. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-892051-00-4. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Stephen Holden (May 25, 1986). "WHITNEY HOUSTON - POP'S NEW QUEEN". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
^ "Whitney Houston". Headliners And Legends. August 11, 2000. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009.
^ Whitney Houston Reminisces About '80s Music on MTV (2001 interview). MTV. 2001. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
^ "Whitney Houston's 1985 MTV Debut Broke Barriers for Black Artists". February 12, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ Traister, Rebecca (April 13, 2006). "Didn't She Almost Have It All". Salon. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Harrington, Richard (January 10, 1986). "Dire Straits Tops List for Grammy's; We are the World Wins 6 Nominations". The Washington Post.
^ "Tina, Whitney Top Picks For Annual Grammy Awards". Jet. January 27, 1986. p. 57. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "'We Are The World' Big Winner At 28th Grammys". Jet. March 17, 1986. p. 14. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "'Cosby Show' Snubbed At Emmy Awards Ceremony; Receives Only One Honor". Jet. October 13, 1986. p. 16. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Whitney, Aretha, Stevie Snare Honors At Recent American Music Awards". Jet. February 17, 1986. p. 56. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Collier, Aldore (February 16, 1987). "Whitney Houston: Why Success Won't Go to Her Head". Jet. p. 58. ISSN 0021-5996.
^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. November 18, 2003. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ "The Definitive 200". The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 2007. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
^ ^a ^b Gundersen, Edna (June 18, 2007). "25 years of memorable musical moments". USA Today. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
^ Aletti, Vince (August 13, 1987). "Review: Whitney". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
^ "First solo female to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart". Guinness World Records. June 27, 1987. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Whitney Breaks Record For Consecutive No. 1 Tunes". Jet. May 2, 1988. p. 54. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Billboard. May 13, 2000. p. 104. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ McIntyre, Hugh (June 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift Matches One of Whitney Houston's Impressive Feats". Forbes. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
^ "PERFECT PLANNING MAKES WHITNEY NO. 1 AGAIN". Chicago Tribune. August 6, 1987. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
^ Anderson, Trevor (December 19, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' & More: Albums With the Most Top 10 Hits". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
^ "Whitney Houston's Second Studio Album Turned 29 Yesterday". WhitneyHouston.com. June 3, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
^ "This Day in Black History: June 27, 1987". BET.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
^ "Battle and Jackson Top Grammy Award Nominees". Jet. February 1, 1988. p. 56. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Blacks Turn Grammys Into A Show Biz Extravaganza". Jet. March 21, 1988. p. 52. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Anita Baker, Whitney Houston Top Black Winners At Recent American Music Awards Show". Jet. February 15, 1988. p. 60. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Houston, D. J. Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, Jackson Top American Music Awards". Jet. February 20, 1989. p. 55. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Showtime: Jackson is top winner at Soul Train Awards". The Washington Afro American. African-American News & Information Consortium. April 5, 1988. p. 6C. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
^ MacDonald, Patrick. "U2, Bon Jovi were top concert acts of 1987". The Seattle Times. January 15, 1988. Page 5. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
^ Hilburn, Robert (January 23, 1988). "U2's $35-Million Gross Is Highest for '87 Tour". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
^ "Whitney, Aretha On Summer Olympics Album". Jet. September 12, 1988. p. 59. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "1988 UK Number Ones". number-ones.co.uk. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
^ "October 24, 1988 Single Top 100". charts.de. October 24, 1988. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
^ Tufayel, Ahmed (August 5, 2016). "Whitney Houston's 'One Moment in Time': The Anatomy of an Olympic Anthem". Newsweek. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston Uses Fame To Help Good Causes". Jet. June 20, 1988. p. 59. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Gilchrist, Jim (August 23, 2009). "Diva Will Always Love Limelight". The Scotsman. Edinburgh, UK. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
^ Watrous, Peter (June 13, 1988). "Pop Music's Homage to Mandela". The New York Times.
^ "Whitney Houston's Concert Raises $250,000 For UNCF". Jet. September 19, 1988. p. 54. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Abou". Retrieved May 18, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston Foundation for Children". Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
^ "Cosby's $84 Million Makes Him Richest Entertainer". Jet. September 28, 1987. pp. 52–53. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Forbes Names Jackson as the Best-Paid Star 5 Women, 3 Boxers on List of 40 Celebrities". Los Angeles Times. September 19, 1988. Page 2.
^ "Michael Jackson Earns $97 Million To Become Highest Paid Entertainer". Jet. October 3, 1988. p. 12. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ A History of Soul Music. October 18, 2007. VH1.
^ ^a ^b Duckett Cain, Joy (December 2003). "The Soul of Whitney". Essence.
^ "Ebony". Ebony. May 1991. p. 112. ISSN 0012-9011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Norment, Lynn (May 1991). "Whitney Houston Talks About The Men In Her Life – And The Rumors, Lies And Insults That Are The High Price Of Fame". Ebony. Vol. 46, no. 7. pp. 111–118. ISSN 0012-9011.
^ Hunter, James (January 10, 1991). "Review: I'm Your Baby Tonight". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
^ Browne, David (November 23, 1990). "Music Review: I'm Your Baby Tonight". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
^ "Whitney Houston: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Trust, Gary (March 10, 2023). "The Weeknd Matches Michael Jackson for Hot 100 history". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
^ "Monie Love Talks About Her First New Solo Project in 30 Years". BET. April 6, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ Runtagh, Jordan (September 15, 2017). "Music's 30 Fiercest Feuds and Beefs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Copsey, Rob (February 28, 2020). "Higher Love is now Whitney Houston's longest-running single ever on the Top 100 Official UK Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Pareles, Jon (February 24, 1991). "Pop View; Caution: Now Entering The War Zone". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
^ "Whitney Houston Did Not Lip-Sync National Anthem". Jet. March 18, 1991. p. 60 – via Google Books.
^ "Spokane Chronicle - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
^ "The Daily Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
^ ^a ^b Fisher, Luchina; Marikar, Sheila (February 3, 2009). "Hudson's Super Bowl Lip-Sync No Surprise to Insiders". ABC News. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
^ "Was Whitney live, or was she Memorex?". The Daily Gazette Co. Associated Press. March 5, 1991. p. A6. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
^ "Whitney Houston's Star Spangled Banner To Be Released On Cassette". Jet. February 18, 1991. p. 31. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Otfinoski, Steven (April 1, 2010). African Americans in the performing arts. Infobase Publishing. pp. 116–. ISBN 978-0-8160-7838-7. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ "Houston Raises $500,000 For Red Cross; Named To Its Board Of Governors". Jet. June 17, 1991. p. 37. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Blair, Tom. "The village verbiage collector". The San Diego Union. May 23, 1991. Page B1.
^ "Jennifer Hudson delivers on Super Bowl stage". The Washington Times. News World Media Development. February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
^ "100 Greatest Moments That Rocked TV (20–1)". VH1. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
^ "Gold & Platinum – Search Results for "The Star Spangled Banner" single and its video single". Recording Industry Association of America. October 3, 2001. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ "Top 20 Songs Charted Twice by Same Artist". Top40Weekly.com. July 24, 2024.
^ Smith, Patricia. "Mom, apple pie and Whitney Houston in concert for troops" Archived July 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. The Boston Globe April 1, 1991.
^ Hodges, Anne. "Hope opens his home to U.S. troops". Houston Chronicle April 6, 1991.
^ Wilker, Deborah. "Whitney Houston: Bigger – but better?" Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. June 13, 1991. Page 3E.
^ Jones, James T. "Whitney is so emotional, soulful in concert". USA Today. April 19, 1991. Page 01D.
^ Berkman, Meredith (February 5, 1993). "Up close with Whitney Houston". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
^ Kempley, Rita (November 25, 1992). "The Bodyguard". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
^ Maslin, Janet (November 25, 1992). "Review/Film: The Bodyguard; Tragic Flaw Meets Pampered Pop Star Over Multiple Risks". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ Roger Ebert (November 25, 1992). "The Bodyguard (1992)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
^ "People's Choice noms out". Variety. February 3, 1993. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
^ "A look back at 1993 and the second annual MTV Movie Awards". Uproxx. April 14, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
^ "All Time Box Office Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
^ "The Bodyguard - Box Office Mojo". Retrieved December 6, 2022.
^ Garwood, Bianca (October 13, 2017). "Whitney Houston Estate to Reissue 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack for 25th Anniversary". EBONY.
^ Crisafulli, Chuck (November 17, 2016). "Deep 10: Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Jazz, popular, etc". CD review digest. Vol. 7, no. 4. Peri Press. 1994. p. 174.
^ Billboard. May 13, 2000. p. 110. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ MacMinn, Aleene (December 31, 1992). "Morning Report: Pop/Rock". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
^ "Whitney Houston gets a boost from Bodyguard". The Globe and Mail. January 1, 1993. Page C6.
^ Johnson Jr, Billy (November 8, 2017). "'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack: 25 Years After Whitney Houston's Masterpiece". Grammy Awards. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^
The Bodyguard Soundtrack worldwide sales:
- Kimberly, Nordyke (October 30, 2017). "American Music Awards: Christina Aguilera to Honor Whitney Houston With 'Bodyguard' Tribute". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Patrick, Ryan (November 9, 2017). "Exclusive: Whitney Houston's 'Bodyguard' turns 25 with never-before-seen performance". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Chuck, Crisafulli (May 15, 2017). "Deep 10: Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard – Original Soundtrack Album". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Zach, Johnson (October 30, 2017). "Christina Aguilera Will Honor Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard's 25th Anniversary at the 2017 AMAs". E! News. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- Bianca, Garwood (October 13, 2017). "Whitney Houston Estate to Reissue 'The Bodyguard' Soundtrack for 25th Anniversary". Ebony. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ Dominguez, Alessa (November 21, 2017). "This Is How The Biggest Movie Soundtrack Of All Time Got Made". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ "Whitney Houston Eight American Music Awards Make Her Top Female Winner". Jet. February 28, 1994. p. 56. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Reynolds, J.R. (March 26, 1994). "The Rhythm and the Blues: 8th Soul Train Awards Are Aglow With Stellar Performances, Star Appearances". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 13. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
^ Crittendon, Denise (February–March 1994). "Stars Shine At The NAACP Image Awards". The Crisis. Vol. 101, no. 2. p. 34. ISSN 0011-1422.
^ Reynolds, J.R. (January 15, 1994). "The Rhythm and the Blues: Tupac's Loss May Preserve Awards' Image; New Indies Form Out West And Down South". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 3. p. 15. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
^ Leonardi, Marisa (January 7, 1994). "Michael Jackson Shares Whitney Houston's Spotlight, Honors: Houston wins five NAACP Image Awards, but Jackson gets cheers in a show marked by controversy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
^ Dezzani, Mark (May 21, 1994). "World Music Awards Gaining Stature". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 21. p. 41. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
^ "The BRITs 1994 Winners & Nominees". British Phonographic Industry. February 14, 1994. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
^ "100 Greatest Singers of All Time (2008)". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Jones IV, James T. (November 17, 1992). "Houston heroic on 'Bodyguard' album". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
^ ^a ^b DeKnock, Jan (January 15, 1993). "Whitney Houston Hits 4th 'Triple'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ "Whitney Houston Joins Taylor Swift And Mariah Carey In An Extremely Rare Musical Feat". Forbes. January 12, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
^ "Katy Perry Becomes The Fourth Female Artist To Have A Diamond Single and Diamond Album In The United States". The Grape Juice. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
^ Billboard. April 11, 1998. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Trust, Gary (August 28, 2009). "Battle of the Divas, Round 3". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
^ "Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Is Certified Diamond by RIAA". Billboard. January 13, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
^ "Best-selling single by a female artist (US)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
^ "FIVE FAST FACTS ABOUT WHITNEY HOUSTON". Houston Symphony. May 26, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
^ "5 Things About Whitney Houston". February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
^ "Rock On The Net: Grammy Awards: Record of the Year". rockonthenet.com.
^ "Billboard Hot 100 (the week of March 13, 1993)". Billboard. March 13, 1993. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ DeKnock, Jan (March 19, 1993). "Houston Still Plugged In As Contender". Chicago Tribune. p. O. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ Billboard. December 8, 2001. p. 85. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Billboard. March 13, 1993. pp. 134–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
^ Leslie Richin (November 25, 2014). "'The Bodyguard' Anniversary: Revisiting the Soundtrack". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
^ Anthony DeCurtis (June 10, 1993). "Whitney Houston Opens Up About Her Marriage, Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
^ "Steven Spielberg Is Mr. Entertainer". San Francisco Chronicle. December 24, 1994. p. D11.
^ Keogh, Jim (April 15, 1993). "Few women producers make the top 100 list". Telegram & Gazette. p. C2.
^ Kelly, Katy (October 5, 1994). "Greeting Mandela with elegance and esteem". USA Today. p. D02.
^ Lelyveld, Nita (October 5, 1994). "White House Lionizes Mandela". The Free Lance–Star. p. A8. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
^ Paeth, Greg (November 9, 1994). "HBO worth seeing". Cincinnati Post. p. 7B.
^ "Whitney In South Africa". Ebony. Vol. 50, no. 4. February 1995. pp. 116–124. ISSN 0012-9011.
^ "KCA Fun Facts - Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 Press Kit". Nickelodeon. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
^ Billboard. July 15, 1995. pp. 38–. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Farley, Christopher John (December 4, 1995). "No More Prissy". Time. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
^ "Waiting to Exhale (1995)". Box Office Mojo. March 2, 1996. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Susan King (December 22, 2015). "The impact of 'Waiting to Exhale'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
^ African American Filmmakers, African American Films: A Bibliography of Materials in the UC Berkeley Library. Berkeley, CA: UC Berkeley Library. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
^ Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (August 14, 1998). "Back in the Groove?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
^ LaPorte, Nicole (March 6, 2005). "Diary of a Mad Niche Hit". Variety. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
^ White, Jack E. (January 15, 1996). "Heavy Breathing". Time. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
^ Holden, Stephen (December 22, 1995). "Waiting to Exhale (1995) Film Review;4 Divas Have Lots Of Fun Telling Off Mr. Wrong". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
^ "The 27th NAACP Image Awards Official Ballot". The Crisis. Vol. 103, no. 2. February 3, 1996. pp. 20–22. ISSN 0011-1422. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cane, Clay (December 21, 2010). "'Waiting To Exhale' Celebrates 15 Years Today". BET.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Entertainment Weekly. December 1, 1995. p. 73.
^ Willman, Chris (October 12, 2001). "100 Best Movie Soundtracks". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 9, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
^ Laurence, Charles (December 14, 1996). "The Arts: The gospel according to Whitney". The Daily Telegraph.
^ "Box office / Business for "The Preacher's Wife"". IMDb. December 13, 1996. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
^ Stack, Peter (December 13, 1996). "Human Comedy's Divine in 'Preacher's Wife'". San Francisco Chronicle.
^ "Ebony's 50th Anniversary Show, Denzel Washington Among NAACP Image Award Winners". Jet. Vol. 95, no. 15. March 3, 1997. pp. 60–61. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
^ "Whitney Houston Chart History: Top Gospel Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Susman, Gary (February 13, 2012). "Whitney Houston 1996 Interview Sheds Light on Movie Career, Personal Demons". Moviefone. AOL. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Whitney May Pass on Grammys Over Gospel Snub". MTV. February 18, 1998. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Whitney Scores As Producer and Star". Ebony. November 1997. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Purdum, Todd S. (November 2, 1997). "Television; The Slipper Still Fits, Though the Style Is New". The New York Times.
^ "Whitney & Brandy in Cinderella". Ebony. November 1997. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Carter, Bill (November 5, 1997). "TV Notes; Happy Ending For 'Cinderella'". The New York Times. p. 7.
^ "Whitney Houston To Take On "Christie Love". MTV News. April 9, 1997. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013.
^ "Streetwise Houston tries new approach Singer's tour hits town Monday". The Washington Times. July 3, 1999. Archived from the original (Article ID: R00018180056) on March 26, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ Samuels, Anita M. (March 14, 1998). "Badu Heads Soul Train; Singer Picks Up 4 Awards". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 11. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ "Soul Train Music Awards Library: 1998 The 12th Soul Train Music Awards". Don Cornelius Productions, Inc. February 27, 1998. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ Rob Brunner (November 27, 1998). "A big day in music". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
^ Christopher John Farley; David E. Thigpen (November 23, 1998). "Music: Super Tuesday". Time. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
^ Phil Gallo (November 29, 1998). "Super CD week". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
^ "The Billboard 200 chart listing for the week of December 5, 1998". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 49. December 5, 1998. p. 126. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Vibe". Vibe Vixen. April 1999. p. 60. ISSN 1070-4701.
^ Aletti, Vince (December 8, 1998). "Look Who's Ticking". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Newman, Melinda (October 31, 1998). "Houston Finds a New Groove with Arista Set". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 44. pp. 1, 86. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "The 71st Academy Awards (1999) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 21, 1999. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "US city makes $100,000 Whitney claim". BBC News. August 26, 1999. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
^ "Whitney Houston World Tour '99 Becomes Europe's Highest Grossing Arena Tour of the Year". AllBusiness.com. October 19, 1999. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles / European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 34. August 21, 1999. pp. 11–12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ ""My Love Is Your Love" single; triple platinum worldwide". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 47. November 20, 1999. p. 137. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
^ "Whitney Houston Released Two Albums This Week In 1992 & 1998". whitneyhouston.com. November 18, 2016.
^ "Entertainment: Dublin gears up for MTV show". BBC News. November 11, 1999. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
^ "Spears Tops 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards". Billboard. November 12, 1999. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
^ Ives, Brian (November 12, 1999). "Bono Honored As Britney Spears Dominates MTV Europe Awards". MTV Network. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
^ "1999 MTV Video Music Awards". MTV Network. September 9, 1999. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
^ "Whitney Houston - Grammy History". Grammy Awards. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ "The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century". Recording Industry Association of America. November 10, 1999. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
^ Basham, David (February 11, 2000). "TLC Nominated For Three Soul Train Music Awards". MTV. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ Mitchell, Gail (March 18, 2000). "TLC Rides Soul Train". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 12. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
^ "The Billboard 200 chart listing for the week of June 3, 2000". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 23. June 3, 2000. p. 116. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 25. June 17, 2000. pp. 72–73. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Reviews & Previews: Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 21. May 20, 2000. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ Huey, Steve. "Whitney: The Greatest Hits review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Florida Orchestra Sues Arista Over Anthem". Billboard. December 17, 2001. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Whitney Houston biography". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on December 9, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ McShane, Larry (April 6, 2000). "Whitney Houston Gets Bad Press". The Washington Post.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dansby, Andrew (June 7, 2000). "Whitney Insider Tells of Drug Use, Failed Intervention". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 27, 2009.
^ Movie & TV News @ IMDb, "Houston's Oscar Confusion" Archived March 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, December 23, 2004. Houston was replaced at that Oscar telecast by singer Faith Hill.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Transcript: Whitney Houston: 'I'm a Person Who Has Life'". ABC News. February 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
^ "Whitney Shines at Arista Anniversary", USA Today, April 12, 2000.
^ Fernández, Alexia (May 11, 2020). "See Whitney Houston With a Young Anne Hathaway on the Set of 2001's The Princess Diaries". People. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
^ Lafranco, Robert; Binelli, Mark; Goodman, Fred (July 4, 2002). "The Rolling Stone Money Report". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
^ "Whitney Houston Signs $100 Million Contract with Arista Records". Jet. August 20, 2001. p. 18.
^ Mitchell, Gail (December 14, 2002). "Arista Aims New Houston Album At 'Core Urban' Fans". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 50. p. 1, 64. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Knolle, Sharon (September 13, 2001). "Reports of Whitney Houston's Death Denied". ABC News. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Holloway, Lynette (November 11, 2002). "In Switch, Whitney Houston Has to Sell an Album". The New York Times. p. C0009. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
^ Reid, Shaheem (September 17, 2001). "Whitney Houston's 'Star-Spangled Banner' To Wave Again". MTV Networks. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ "Whitney Houston Billboard chart history". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
^ "Just Whitney" by Whitney Houston". Metacritic. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ "Vibe". Vibe Vixen. September 2003. p. 186. ISSN 1070-4701.
^ Nero, Mark Edward (May 24, 2019). "10 Great R&B Christmas Songs". Live About. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bobby Brown charged with battery". CNN. December 10, 2003. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ Cashmere, Paul (September 17, 2004). "Whitney Back With Clive Davis". Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
^ Umstead, R. Thomas (January 22, 2007). "Disney Movie Skips to Another Record". Archived from the original on February 9, 2007.
^ "Whitney Houston Album Due Out Sept. 1; 'American Idol' Auditions Kick Off". VOA News. Voice of America. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Singh, Anita (October 20, 2009). "Whitney Houston's weird performance on The X-Factor gives her top five hit". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
^ "This just in: Whitney Houston disappoints in Australia, Charlie Sheen enters rehab, Placido Domingo to undergo surgery". The Washington Post. February 24, 2010. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
^ "High: A Lifetime of Achievements (2010) from Whitney Houston's Highs & Lows". E!.
^ Thomas Edward (August 9, 2023). "When Whitney Houston brought crowd to their feet with surprise duet in final TV performance". Smooth Radio. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
^ Kit, Borys (September 12, 2011). "Whitney Houston in Talks to Star in Music-Themed Drama 'Sparkle' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Ballhorn, Kelly (May 21, 2012). "WORLD PREMIERE: Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks Duet 'Celebrate' From 'Sparkle' [AUDIO]". ryanseacrest.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
^ "Whitney Houston's Private, Faith-Focused Funeral". ABC News. February 14, 2012.
^ Ryan, Patrick (March 27, 2023). "Whitney Houston's gospel album is a testament to her faith: 'She served her purpose here in life'". USA TODAY.
^ Houston, Cissy (2013). Remembering Whitney. p. 75. But it was at New Hope that Nippy got saved. I wasn't with her at the time but she told me later that she'd cried and accepted the Savior into her life and heart. And she never let go of that faith, even through all the turmoil and hard times to come.
^ "Inside Whitney Houston's last ever performance and troubled final days". Smooth Radio. July 15, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
^ ^a ^b Caramanica, Jon (November 7, 2019). "Whitney Houston's Confidante Robyn Crawford Breaks Her Silence". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019.
^ McNeil, Liz (November 6, 2019). "Whitney Houston's Best Friend Robyn Crawford Breaks Her Silence on Their Love Affair in New Memoir". People. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
^ Johnson, Joshua (December 26, 2019). "'She Had Me, I Had Her:' Robyn Crawford Opens Up". NPR. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
^ Connor, Tracy (March 5, 2012). "Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson had year-long love affair early in their careers: report". Daily News. New York.
^ "Whitney Houston Sets The Record Straight About Rumors Of Her Troubled Marriage To Bobby Brown". Jet. April 26, 1999. p. 60. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Speidel, Maria (March 22, 1993). "Passages". People. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
^ "Warrant issued for Bobby Brown". CNN. January 16, 2003.
^ Lee, Chris (February 12, 2012). "Inside Whitney Houston's Violent Marriage to Bobby Brown". Daily Beast.
^ Barry Garron, "'Being Bobby Brown' Is Disgusting", MSNBC, June 29, 2005.
^ Steve Rogers, "Report: Bravo's 'Being Bobby Brown' coming back for second season", RealityTV World, October 31, 2005.
^ "Brown Reality Show Cancelled" Archived September 24, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, SFGate, The Daily Dish, January 10, 2007.
^ "Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown separate". Today. September 13, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston files for divorce from Brown - The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. October 18, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston Wins Custody in Divorce from Bobby Brown". People. April 4, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Beth Kleid (April 25, 1991). "POP/ROCK - April 25, 1991". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
^ "Pop star sings to freedom; Houston's case dismissed". The Lantern. May 9, 1991. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
^ "WHITNEY HOUSTON WON'T FACE CHARGES". Deseret News. May 9, 1991. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
^ "Book Details Whitney Houston's Racial Fist Fight with Three Kentucky Males". BlackAmericaWeb. September 5, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
^ Vanhorn, Teri (January 17, 2000). "Whitney Houston reportedly Escapes Drug Arrest in Hawaii". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014.
^ "Whitney Houston Faces Charges". CBS News. September 29, 2000.
^ "Whitney Houston Charged with Pot Possession". ABC News. September 29, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
^ "Fears for Whitney Houston Grow". TCM Breaking News. September 11, 2001. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009.
^ "Whitney Houston Drug Charges Dropped". ABC News. March 8, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 8, 2002). "Whitney Houston Sued For $100 Million By Dad's Company". MTV. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ Friedman, Roger (February 10, 2003). "Whitney and Bobby No-Shows at Dad's Funeral". Fox News. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
^ "Judge throws out Houston lawsuit". BBC News. April 15, 2004. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
^ Bologna, Caroline (October 19, 2017). "50 Celebrities Who Opened Up About Their Miscarriages". HuffPost. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
^ "Whitney Houston Suffers Miscarriage". The Associated Press. July 13, 1994. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
^ Lewittes, Michael (December 21, 1996). "Whitney Miscarries Third Time". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
^ McNeil, Liz (November 7, 2019). "Whitney Houston First Tried Cocaine at 14 Years Old Says Best Friend Robyn Crawford in New Memoir". People. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Winfrey, Oprah (September 2009). "Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview" (video). Oprah Winfrey Network. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
^ "Whitney tells Oprah about cocaine, pot use". TODAY.com. September 14, 2009.
^ Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (February 11, 2012). "Whitney Houston, pop superstar, dies in Beverly Hills hotel". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012.
^ Winfrey, Oprah (September 2009). "Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview" (video). Oprah Winfrey Network. Retrieved December 25, 2017. I did my stint. You do your 30 days. I went to one where I could take my child with me. Everywhere I just had to have her with me. I wanted her to understand. I didn't lie to her. I couldn't.
^ Winfrey, Oprah (September 2009). "Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Winfrey Interview" (video). Oprah Winfrey Network. p. 40:02 minutes. Retrieved April 21, 2010. I see the love and the passion that my mother had for me and she walks in with these sheriffs and she says 'I have a court junction [sic] here. Either you do it my way or we're just not going to do this at all. We're going to go on TV and you're going to retire and say you're going to give this up. Because this is not worth it. It's not worth it. And if you move, Bobby [Brown], [these officers are] going to take you down. Don't you make one move. Let's go. Let's do this. I'm not losing you to the world. I'm not losing you to Satan. I want my daughter back. I'm not doing this. I want my daughter back. I want you back. I want to see that glow in your eyes, that light in your eyes. I want to see the child I raised. You weren't raised like this. And I'm not having it.'
^ Ginger Adams Otis (January 26, 2013). "Cissy Houston details daughter Whitney's decline in new book". Daily News. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
^ Houston, Cissy (2013). Remembering Whitney. p. 232. Somebody had spray-painted the walls and door with big glaring eyes and strange faces. Evil eyes, staring out like a threat ... In another room there was a big framed photo of [Whitney] — but someone had cut [her] head out. It was beyond disturbing, seeing my daughter's face cut out like that.
^ Parade (September 16, 2009). "Whitney Houston Staying Sober 'One Day at a Time'". Parade.
^ D'Zurilla, Christie (May 9, 2011). "Whitney Houston in outpatient rehab for alcohol, drugs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
^ Winton, Richard; Blankstein, Andrew (February 13, 2012). "Whitney Houston was found underwater in bathtub, police say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
^ Whitney: Tribute to a Music Legend. Boca Raton, Florida: American Media. 2012. (one-time newsstand collector's publication) Pg. 37: "434: The room number at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles in which she was found dead on Feb 11, 2012."
^ Fleeman, Mike (February 12, 2012). "Whitney Houston's Final Days Marked by Erratic Behavior". People. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Blankstein, Andrew; Lewis, Randy. "Whitney Houston's death: Medics performed CPR for about 20 minutes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ Marikar, Sheila (February 12, 2012). "Whitney Houston, Iconic Pop Star, Dies at 48". ABC News. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
^ Pareles, Jon; Nagourney, Adam (February 11, 2012). "Whitney Houston, Pop Superstar, Dies at 48". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ Yan, Holly; Quan, Denise (February 12, 2012). "Music exec: Whitney Houston looked 'healthy and beautiful' days earlier". CNN. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ Wynter, Kareen; Martinez, Michael (March 22, 2012). "Coroner: Drowning, heart disease, cocaine use killed Houston". CNN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
^ "Whitney Houston drowned after cocaine use, says coroner". BBC. March 22, 2012.
^ Blankstein, Andrew (April 4, 2012). "Whitney Houston: Final coroner's report". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
^ Kaufman, Gil (February 13, 2012). "Grammy Ratings Up Thanks To Adele, Whitney Houston Tribute". MTV. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
^ "Clive Davis: Whitney Houston would have wanted the music to go on". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ "Mariah Carey, Diddy, Others React to Whitney Houston's Death". Rolling Stone. February 12, 2012. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
^ Rice, Lynette (February 11, 2012). "Celebs react to Whitney Houston death: 'Please tell me it's not true'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
^ Newcomb, Alyssa (February 19, 2012). "Whitney Houston Funeral: Singer Laid to Rest". ABC News. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
^ O'Malley Greensburg, Zack (October 24, 2012). "Why Whitney Houston Didn't Make Forbes' List Of Top Earning Dead Celebs". Forbes. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
^ "Most simultaneous albums on the US Billboard 200 (female)". Guinness World Record. March 4, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ "The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities of 2023". Forbes. October 31, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ "Highest-earning dead celebrity (female, current)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
^ Ahmed, Tufayel (August 5, 2016). "Whitney Houston's 'One Moment In Time': The Anatomy of an Olympic Anthem". Newsweek. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
^ Robinson, Peter (October 16, 2019). "Whitney Houston: the life, death and rebirth of a pop princess". The Times. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Pareles, Jon (September 19, 1994). "POP REVIEWS: Part Divas, Part Goddesses: 2 Women of Glamour and Music; Whitney Houston At Radio City". The New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
^ Perpetua, Matthew (February 13, 2012). "Photos: Ten Incredible Whitney Houston Performances". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenne. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
^ Gardner, Elysa (November 24, 1996). "Oh, Whitney – for Heaven's Sake". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
^ "Interview: Michael Jackson Vibe Magazine 2002". Vibe. March 2002. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
^ "Why Whitney Houston Deserves To Be Called 'The Voice'". Vibe. January 7, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
^ Caramanica, Jon (February 12, 2012). "A Voice of Triumph, the Queen of Pain". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
^ "Higher and Higher". Vibe. Vol. 6, no. 9. November 1998. p. 95. ISSN 1070-4701. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Powers, Ann. "Album Review: Whitney Houston's 'I Look To You'". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2009
^ Everitt, Lauren (February 15, 2012). "Whitney Houston and the art of melisma". BBC. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
^ Holden, Stephen (July 22, 1993). "Review/Pop; For Whitney Houston, Showy Doesn't Count: The Show Is the Voice". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
^ Perry, Caroline (August 12, 2012). "Whitney's bitter pill". New York Post. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Connelly, Chris (February 17, 2012). "Whitney Houston Insider Reveals Singer's Anguished Fight to Win Back Her Voice". ABC News. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Whitney Houston". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^ "500 Greatest Albums: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2009. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Farber, Jim (May 16, 2000). "Whitney Goes Half-Wild: Latest album set is 1 part bad ballads and 1 part boogie bliss". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
^ Mezydlo, Jeff (June 22, 2021). "Dance with somebody: The ultimate Whitney Houston playlist". Yard Barker. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^ Clark, Randy (January 23, 1993). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
^ "Chartslot". Daily Record. July 16, 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
^ Agbai, Bailey (November 13, 2020). "The evolution of R&B: from the 90s to now". The Boar. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
^ Abdullah, Galilee (July 14, 2017). "You're Guaranteed to Get "So Emotional" Watching Whitney Houston Sing With Luciano Pavarotti". wfmt. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
^ Cocker, Dan. "BBC - Music - Review of Whitney Houston - My Love Is Your Love". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
^ "The Top 10 Best Christmas Songs Recorded By Whitney Houston - A Definitive List Of Her Holiday Recordings". December 4, 2021. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston's 25 Best Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. June 11, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^ Huey, Steve. "Whitney Houston Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
^ Greene, David (August 18, 2017). "< A Radiant, Isolated Star: A New Documentary Tells Whitney Houston's Story". NPR. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
^ Rose, Steve (July 7, 2018). "'Not black enough': the identity crisis that haunted Whitney Houston". The Guardian. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
^ Lang, Cady (December 23, 2022). "Fact-Checking the New Whitney Houston Biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Time. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
^ Mervis, Scott (February 14, 2012). "Remembering Whitney Houston's concerts in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 9, 2025. she was heralded as one of the finest singers who ever lived by some people who know talent
^ Simon-Aaron, Charles (February 21, 2012). "Whitney: Cultural icon of our era". The Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
^ "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time". Billboard. September 3, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
^ "50 Most Influential RnB Stars". Essence. June 21, 2011. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
^ "How Whitney Houston changed MTV - Macleans.ca". macleans.ca. February 12, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
^ Holden, Stephen. "Review/Pop; Diana Ross Flirts With a Willing Audience". The New York Times. June 16, 1989.
^ Gill, Any (February 17, 2012). "Whitney Houston, the greatest voice of her generation". The Independent. Independent Print. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
^ "If Ella Fitzgerald is the queen of jazz, Billie Holiday first lady of the blues and Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, then who is the queen of pop? In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Certainly all three have their devotees and detractors, but their presence has been inescapable." in Lister, Linda (2001). "Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars". Popular Music and Society. Vol. 25, no. 3/4. p. 1. ISSN 0300-7766.
^ Macnie, Jim (2001). "Whitney Houston Biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
^ Carter, Matt (January 1, 2014). "ABC names Whitney Houston 'Greatest Woman in Music' during 'New Year's Rockin' Eve'". CarterMatt. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
^ "Whitney Houston". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
^ "Questions remain a decade after Whitney Houston's untimely death: 'No one will ever know' | Fox News". www.foxnews.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
^ "Whitney Houston biopic shows why it was absurd to think she didn't make 'Black music.'". Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
^ "Whitney Houston, the greatest voice of her generation". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
^ Kenneally, Tim (February 14, 2012). "Whitney Houston and Osama Bin Laden: The Little-Known Connection". Reuters.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
^ Talarico, Brittany (November 11, 2009). "Whitney Houston to Take the Stage at the AMAs". OK!. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Willman, Chris (December 10, 1993). "Pop Music Review: Houston Tops Off Record Night With Show's Highlight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Dezzani, Mark (May 21, 1994). "World Music Awards Gaining Stature". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 21. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
^ Susman, Gary (June 22, 2001). "Black Power, Plus Phantom Menace DVD will compete with pirated edit, another movie ad scandal and more". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
^ "First recipient of the BET Lifetime Achievement Award". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
^ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists". Billboard. 2008. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ Holden, Stephen (February 16, 1985). "Cabaret: Whitney Houston". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
^ "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". Billboard. November 18, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
^ "Whitney Houston story, song by song". Marie Claire. May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
^ "The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century". Recording Industry Association of America. November 10, 1999. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
^ Flatow, Joel (February 13, 2012). "Whitney Soars in Our Hearts". Record Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
^ "Gold & Platinum". Record Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
^ "Search – Whitney Houston". Record Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
^ "Whitney Houston's Gospel Legacy Lives On with New Album and Documentary, 'I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston'". GlobeNewswire.com. March 24, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
^ "Daddy's Girl". Ebony. June 1990. pp. 138–. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
^ "2013 Inductees". New Jersey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
^ Yarborough, Chuck (August 19, 2014). "R&B Music Hall of Fame sets big weekend to induct sophomore class featuring Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Norm N. Nite and more". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
^ "Class of 2020 Nominees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
^ Coscarelli, Joe (January 15, 2020). "Whitney Houston and Nine Inch Nails Make the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
^ Curran, Sarah (October 27, 2020). "Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Hits 1 Billion Views On YouTube". ET Canada. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
^ Grein, Paul (May 4, 2023). "BRIT Billion Award, Marking 1 Billion Career UK Streams is Unveiled". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
^ @popbase (July 11, 2023). "Whitney Houston's classic hit 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' has surpassed 1 BILLION streams on Spotify. It is the first song by an female artist who debuted in the 80s to achieve this" (Tweet). Retrieved July 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
^ Denis, Kyle (October 19, 2023). "The Story of Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', the Billboard Staff's No. 1 Pop Song". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
^ Jason Heffler (November 6, 2024). "Kygo and Whitney Houston's Higher Love Joins Spotify's Billion-Stream Club". EDM.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
^ "Whitney Houston Attends Elementary School Naming Ceremony". MTV News. June 13, 1997. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
^ "An Evening with Whitney hologram tour is coming to the UK". Smooth Radio. Global. September 18, 2019. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
^ "Whitney Houston's Wax Figures Unveiled—See the Pic". E! Online. February 7, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
^ Heching, Dan (August 25, 2017). "6 Things We Learned From the Heartbreaking Whitney Houston Movie". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ Farber, Jim (April 26, 2017). "Nick Broomfield on his damning Whitney Houston film: 'She had very little control over her life'". The Guardian.
^ Kyriazis, Stefan (April 5, 2018). "Whitney Houston film trailer: Biopic reveals all in HEARTBREAKING new home videos". Daily Express. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
^ White, Jack (June 27, 2019). "Whitney Houston's first posthumous release in seven years announced as Kygo collaboration Higher Love". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kygo x Whitney Houston – Higher Love". VG-lista. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^ "GRAMMY Museum Experience, Prudential Center AND Prudential Financial, Inc. Announce Plans For Whitney Houston Mural In Newark's Central Ward". Whitney Houston. October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
^ "Whitney's Anthem: New ESPN E60 Traces Backstory of Singer's Epic Super Bowl National Anthem Performance". ESPN. February 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Lustig, Jay (December 18, 2023). "Whitney Houston exhibit unveiled at Garden State Parkway service area". NJArts.net. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
^ "Greenlight Announces Representation of Whitney Houston". Associated Press News. February 5, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^ "A Look at Whitney's Great Charity Work, She was a True Humanitarian!". BCG. August 9, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^ "Whitney Houston Gives $500,000". The Mount Airy News. Heartland Publications, LLC. May 23, 1991. p. 9A. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
^ "Houston Raises $500,000 for Red Cross; Named Its to Its Board of Governors". Jet. Vol. 80, no. 9. June 17, 1991. p. 37. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
^ Reid, Shaheem (September 17, 2001). "Whitney Houston's 'Star-Spangled Banner' To Wave Again". MTV. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
^ Rose, Steve (July 7, 2018). "'Not black enough': the identity crisis that haunted Whitney Houston". The Guardian. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
^ "From 'Kingston Town' to the Nelson Mandela Tribute in 1988: interview with UB40". The Shortlisted. April 14, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
^ "Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Epidemic: Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"". March 23, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
^ The Incredible Night Whitney Befriended Me And I Saw She Was Doomed by Peter Tatchell, Mail on Sunday, February 19, 2012
^ ^a ^b ^c "Whitney Houston's 1999 Epic NYC Pride Appearance Is Released". July 16, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
^ "Whitney Houston Surprises Crowd at Lesbian-Gay Pride Event". MTV. June 28, 1999. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2022.

Further reading

[edit]

Ammons, Kevin; Bacon, Nancy (1998). Good Girl, Bad Girl: An Insider's Biography of Whitney Houston. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Publ. Group. ISBN 978-0-8065-8012-8.
Bowman, Jeffery (1995). Diva: The Totally Unauthorized Biography of Whitney Houston. New York: Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-100853-5.
Halstead, Craig (2010). Whitney Houston: For the Record. Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK: Authors OnLine. ISBN 978-0-7552-1278-1. OCLC 751138536.
Houston, Whitney (March 1999). My Love Is Your Love: Piano, Vocal, Chords. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-7692-7734-9.
Kennedy, Gerrick (2022). Didn't We Almost Have it All: In Defense of Whitney Houston. New York: Abrams. ISBN 9781419749698. OCLC 1289268049.
Parish, James Robert (September 2003). Whitney Houston: The Unauthorized Biography. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-85410-921-7.
Parish, James Robert (April 2010). Whitney Houston: Return of the Diva. Chicago: John Blake. ISBN 978-1-84454-919-1.

External links

[edit]

Whitney Houston at AllMusic
Whitney Houston discography at Discogs
Whitney Houston at IMDb
Whitney Houston at the TCM Movie Database

v t e Whitney Houston
Albums Singles Filmography Videography Songs Live performances Awards and nominations Chart records and achievements Cultural impact Death
Studio albums	Whitney Houston Whitney I'm Your Baby Tonight My Love Is Your Love Just Whitney... One Wish: The Holiday Album I Look to You
Soundtrack albums	The Bodyguard The Preacher's Wife I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Live albums	Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban)
Compilation albums	Whitney: The Greatest Hits Love, Whitney The Ultimate Collection I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston
Other releases	Whitney: Dancin' Special I Wish You Love: More from The Bodyguard
Tours	US Summer Tour The Greatest Love World Tour Moment of Truth World Tour I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour The Bodyguard World Tour Pacific Rim Tour My Love Is Your Love World Tour Soul Divas Tour Nothing but Love World Tour An Evening with Whitney
Concerts and appearances	Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston The Concert for a New South Africa Whitney: Brunei The Royal Wedding Celebration Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C. VH1 Divas Live '99
Family	Cissy Houston Bobbi Kristina Brown Bobby Brown Gary Garland Jeremiah Burke Sanderson Dionne Warwick Dee Dee Warwick Leontyne Price
Related articles	"Dance with Somebody" The Bodyguard (musical) Being Bobby Brown The Houstons: On Our Own Whitney (2015 film) Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017 film) Whitney (2018 film) Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022 film)
Category

v t e Whitney Houston singles
Whitney Houston	"Hold Me" "Thinking About You" "You Give Good Love" "All at Once" "Saving All My Love for You" "How Will I Know" "Greatest Love of All"
Whitney	"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" "Didn't We Almost Have It All" "So Emotional" "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" "Love Will Save the Day" "I Know Him So Well"
I'm Your Baby Tonight	"I'm Your Baby Tonight" "All the Man That I Need" "Miracle" "My Name Is Not Susan" "I Belong to You" "We Didn't Know"
The Bodyguard	"I Will Always Love You" "I'm Every Woman" "I Have Nothing" "Run to You" "Queen of the Night"
Waiting to Exhale	"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" "Count On Me" "Why Does It Hurt So Bad"
The Preacher's Wife	"I Believe in You and Me" "Step by Step" "My Heart Is Calling"
My Love Is Your Love	"When You Believe" "Heartbreak Hotel" "It's Not Right but It's Okay" "My Love Is Your Love" "I Learned from the Best"
Whitney: The Greatest Hits	"Same Script, Different Cast" "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" "If I Told You That" "Fine"
Just Whitney...	"Whatchulookinat" "One of Those Days" "Try It on My Own" "Love That Man"
One Wish: The Holiday Album	"One Wish (for Christmas)"
I Look to You	"I Look to You" "Million Dollar Bill"
Sparkle	"Celebrate" "His Eye Is on the Sparrow"
I Will Always Love You	"I Look to You"
Featured / promotional singles	"Do You Hear What I Hear?" "One Moment in Time" "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" "Takin' a Chance" "The Star Spangled Banner" "Something in Common" "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" "Memories" "Higher Love"

Awards for Whitney Houston

American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist

Natalie Cole (1992)
Michael Bolton (1993)
Kenny G (1994)
Michael Bolton (1995)
Eagles (1996)
Whitney Houston (1997)
Elton John (1998)
Celine Dion (1999)
Phil Collins (2000)
Celine Dion (2001)
Sade (2002)
Celine Dion (2003)
Celine Dion (2003)
Sheryl Crow (2004)
Kelly Clarkson (2005)
Kelly Clarkson (2006)
Daughtry (2007)
Jordin Sparks (2008)
Taylor Swift (2009)
Michael Bublé (2010)
Adele (2011)
Adele (2012)
Maroon 5 (2013)
Katy Perry (2014)
Taylor Swift (2015)
Adele (2016)
Shawn Mendes (2017)
Shawn Mendes (2018)
Taylor Swift (2019)
Jonas Brothers (2020)

American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist

Helen Reddy (1974)
Olivia Newton-John (1975)
Olivia Newton-John (1976)
Olivia Newton-John (1977)
Linda Ronstadt (1978)
Linda Ronstadt (1979)
Donna Summer (1980)
Barbra Streisand (1981)
Pat Benatar (1982)
Olivia Newton-John (1983)
Pat Benatar (1984)
Cyndi Lauper (1985)
Tina Turner (1986)
Whitney Houston (1987)
Whitney Houston (1988)
Whitney Houston (1989)
Paula Abdul (1990)
Janet Jackson (1991)
Paula Abdul (1992)
Mariah Carey (1993)
Whitney Houston (1994)
Mariah Carey (1995)
Mariah Carey (1996)
Alanis Morissette (1997)
Celine Dion (1998)
Celine Dion (1999)
Shania Twain (2000)
Faith Hill (2001)
Janet Jackson (2002)
Sheryl Crow (2003)
Jennifer Lopez (2003)
Sheryl Crow (2004)
Gwen Stefani (2005)
Kelly Clarkson (2006)
Fergie (2007)
Rihanna (2008)
Taylor Swift (2009)
Lady Gaga (2010)
Adele (2011)
Katy Perry (2012)
Taylor Swift (2013)
Katy Perry (2014)
Ariana Grande (2015)
Selena Gomez (2016)
Lady Gaga (2017)
Taylor Swift (2018)
Taylor Swift (2019)
Taylor Swift (2020)
Taylor Swift (2021)
Taylor Swift (2022)

American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist

Roberta Flack (1974)
Diana Ross (1975)
Aretha Franklin (1976)
Aretha Franklin (1977)
Natalie Cole (1978)
Natalie Cole (1979)
Donna Summer (1980)
Diana Ross (1981)
Stephanie Mills (1982)
Diana Ross (1983)
Aretha Franklin (1984)
Tina Turner (1985)
Aretha Franklin (1986)
Whitney Houston (1987)
Anita Baker (1988)
Whitney Houston (1989)
Anita Baker (1990)
Janet Jackson (1991)
Mariah Carey (1992)
Patti LaBelle (1993)
Whitney Houston (1994)
Anita Baker (1995)
Mariah Carey (1996)
Toni Braxton (1997)
Mariah Carey (1998)
Janet Jackson (1999)
Lauryn Hill (2000)
Toni Braxton (2001)
Aaliyah (2002)
Mary J. Blige (2003)
Aaliyah (2003)
Alicia Keys (2004)
Mariah Carey (2005)
Mary J. Blige (2006)
Rihanna (2007)
Rihanna (2008)
Beyoncé (2009)
Rihanna (2010)
Beyoncé (2011)
Beyoncé (2012)
Rihanna (2013)
Beyoncé (2014)
Rihanna (2015)
Rihanna (2016)
Beyoncé (2017)
Rihanna (2018)
Beyoncé (2019)
Doja Cat (2020)
Doja Cat (2021)
Beyoncé (2022)

American Music Award of Merit

Bing Crosby (1974)
Berry Gordy (1975)
Irving Berlin (1976)
Johnny Cash (1977)
Ella Fitzgerald (1978)
Perry Como (1979)
Benny Goodman (1980)
Chuck Berry (1981)
Stevie Wonder (1982)
Kenny Rogers (1983)
Michael Jackson (1984)
Loretta Lynn (1985)
Paul McCartney (1986)
Elvis Presley (1987)
The Beach Boys (1988)
Willie Nelson (1989)
Neil Diamond (1990)
Merle Haggard (1991)
James Brown (1992)
Bill Graham (1993)
Whitney Houston (1994)
Prince (1995)
Tammy Wynette (1996)
Little Richard (1997)
Frank Sinatra (1998)
Billy Joel (1999)
Gloria Estefan (2000)
Janet Jackson (2001)
Garth Brooks (2002)
Alabama (2003)
Bon Jovi (2004)
Annie Lennox (2008)
Sting (2016)

v t e Best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom
1950s	1952: "Here in My Heart" – Al Martino 1953: "I Believe" – Frankie Laine 1954: "Secret Love" – Doris Day 1955: "Rose Marie" – Slim Whitman 1956: "I'll Be Home" – Pat Boone 1957: "Diana" – Paul Anka 1958: "Jailhouse Rock" – Elvis Presley 1959: "Living Doll" – Cliff Richard (UK)
1960s	1960: "It's Now or Never" – Elvis Presley 1961: "Wooden Heart" – Elvis Presley 1962: "I Remember You" – Frank Ifield (UK) 1963: "She Loves You" – The Beatles (UK) 1964: "Can't Buy Me Love" – The Beatles (UK) 1965: "Tears" – Ken Dodd (UK) 1966: "Green, Green Grass of Home" – Tom Jones (UK) 1967: "Release Me" – Engelbert Humperdinck (UK) 1968: "Hey Jude" – The Beatles (UK) 1969: "Sugar, Sugar" – The Archies
1970s	1970: "The Wonder of You" – Elvis Presley / "In the Summertime" – Mungo Jerry (UK) 1971: "My Sweet Lord" – George Harrison (UK) 1972: "Amazing Grace" – Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (UK) 1973: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Dawn featuring Tony Orlando 1974: "Tiger Feet" – Mud (UK) 1975: "Bye Bye Baby" – Bay City Rollers (UK) 1976: "Save Your Kisses for Me" – Brotherhood of Man (UK) 1977: "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" – Wings (UK) 1978: "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" – Boney M. 1979: "Bright Eyes" – Art Garfunkel
1980s	1980: "Don't Stand So Close to Me" – The Police (UK) 1981: "Tainted Love" – Soft Cell (UK) / "Don't You Want Me" – The Human League (UK) 1982: "Come On Eileen" – Dexys Midnight Runners (UK) 1983: "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club (UK) 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid (UK) 1985: "The Power of Love" – Jennifer Rush 1986: "Don't Leave Me This Way" – The Communards (UK) 1987: "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley (UK) 1988: "Mistletoe and Wine" – Cliff Richard (UK) 1989: "Ride on Time" – Black Box
1990s	1990: "Unchained Melody" – The Righteous Brothers 1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams 1992: "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston 1993: "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" – Meat Loaf 1994: "Love Is All Around" – Wet Wet Wet (UK) 1995: "Unchained Melody" – Robson & Jerome (UK) 1996: "Killing Me Softly" – Fugees 1997: "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John (UK) 1998: "Believe" – Cher 1999: "...Baby One More Time" – Britney Spears
2000s	2000: "Can We Fix It?" – Bob the Builder (UK) 2001: "It Wasn't Me" – Shaggy featuring Rikrok (UK) 2002: "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen" – Will Young (UK) 2003: "Where Is the Love?" – Black Eyed Peas 2004: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid 20 (UK) 2005: "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay (UK) 2006: "Crazy" – Gnarls Barkley 2007: "Bleeding Love" – Leona Lewis (UK) 2008: "Hallelujah" – Alexandra Burke (UK) 2009: "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
2010s	2010: "Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna 2011: "Someone like You" – Adele (UK) 2012: "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye featuring Kimbra 2013: "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 2014: "Happy" – Pharrell Williams 2015: "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson (UK) featuring Bruno Mars 2016: "One Dance" – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla (UK) 2017: "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran (UK) 2018: "One Kiss" – Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa (UK) 2019: "Someone You Loved" – Lewis Capaldi (UK)
2020s	2020: "Blinding Lights" – The Weeknd 2021: "Bad Habits" – Ed Sheeran (UK) 2022: "As It Was" – Harry Styles (UK) 2023: "Flowers" – Miley Cyrus 2024: "Stick Season" - Noah Kahan

v t e Billboard Year-End number one albums
1956–1975	1956: Calypso – Harry Belafonte 1957: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast 1958: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast 1959: The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini 1960: Music from The Sound of Music – Original Cast 1961: Music from Camelot – Original Cast 1962: West Side Story – Soundtrack 1963: West Side Story – Soundtrack 1964: Music from Hello, Dolly! – Original Cast 1965: Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack – Soundtrack 1966: Whipped Cream & Other Delights – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass 1967: More of the Monkees – The Monkees 1968: Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1969: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly 1970: Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel 1971: Jesus Christ Superstar – Soundtrack 1972: Harvest – Neil Young 1973: The World Is a Ghetto – War 1974: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John 1975: Greatest Hits – Elton John
1976–2000	1976: Frampton Comes Alive! – Peter Frampton 1977: Rumours – Fleetwood Mac 1978: Saturday Night Fever – Soundtrack 1979: 52nd Street – Billy Joel 1980: The Wall – Pink Floyd 1981: Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon 1982: Asia – Asia 1983: Thriller – Michael Jackson 1984: Thriller – Michael Jackson 1985: Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen 1986: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston 1987: Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi 1988: Faith – George Michael 1989: Don't Be Cruel – Bobby Brown 1990: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson 1991: Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey 1992: Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks 1993: The Bodyguard – Soundtrack 1994: The Sign – Ace of Base 1995: Cracked Rear View – Hootie & the Blowfish 1996: Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette 1997: Spice – Spice Girls 1998: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture – James Horner 1999: Millennium – Backstreet Boys 2000: No Strings Attached – NSYNC
2001–present	2001: 1 – The Beatles 2002: The Eminem Show – Eminem 2003: Get Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent 2004: Confessions – Usher 2005: The Massacre – 50 Cent 2006: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood 2007: Daughtry – Daughtry 2008: As I Am – Alicia Keys 2009: Fearless – Taylor Swift 2010: I Dreamed a Dream – Susan Boyle 2011: 21 – Adele 2012: 21 – Adele 2013: The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake 2014: Frozen – Soundtrack 2015: 1989 – Taylor Swift 2016: 25 – Adele 2017: Damn – Kendrick Lamar 2018: Reputation – Taylor Swift 2019: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish 2020: Hollywood's Bleeding – Post Malone 2021: Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen 2022: Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny 2023: One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen 2024: The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

Billboard Year-End number one singles

1946–1959

1946: "Prisoner of Love" – Perry Como
1947: "Near You" – Francis Craig
1948: "Twelfth Street Rag" – Pee Wee Hunt
1949: "Riders in the Sky" – Vaughn Monroe Orchestra
1950: "Goodnight, Irene" – Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers
1951: "Too Young" – Nat King Cole
1952: "Blue Tango" – Leroy Anderson
1953: "The Song from Moulin Rouge" – Percy Faith
1954: "Little Things Mean a Lot" – Kitty Kallen
1955: "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" – Pérez Prado
1956: "Heartbreak Hotel" – Elvis Presley
1957: "All Shook Up" – Elvis Presley
1958: "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)" – Domenico Modugno
1959: "The Battle of New Orleans" – Johnny Horton

1960–1979

1960: "Theme from A Summer Place" – Percy Faith
1961: "Tossin' and Turnin'" – Bobby Lewis
1962: "Stranger on the Shore" – Mr. Acker Bilk
1963: "Sugar Shack" – Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs / "Surfin' U.S.A." – The Beach Boys
1964: "I Want to Hold Your Hand" – The Beatles
1965: "Wooly Bully" – Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
1966: "The Ballad of the Green Berets" – SSgt Barry Sadler / "California Dreamin'" – The Mamas & the Papas
1967: "To Sir with Love" – Lulu
1968: "Hey Jude" – The Beatles
1969: "Sugar, Sugar" – The Archies
1970: "Bridge over Troubled Water" – Simon & Garfunkel
1971: "Joy to the World" – Three Dog Night
1972: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
1973: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974: "The Way We Were" – Barbra Streisand
1975: "Love Will Keep Us Together" – Captain & Tennille
1976: "Silly Love Songs" – Wings
1977: "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" – Rod Stewart
1978: "Shadow Dancing" – Andy Gibb
1979: "My Sharona" – The Knack

1980–1999

1980: "Call Me" – Blondie
1981: "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
1982: "Physical" – Olivia Newton-John
1983: "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
1984: "When Doves Cry" – Prince
1985: "Careless Whisper" – Wham! featuring George Michael
1986: "That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne & Friends
1987: "Walk Like an Egyptian" – The Bangles
1988: "Faith" – George Michael
1989: "Look Away" – Chicago
1990: "Hold On" – Wilson Phillips
1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams
1992: "End of the Road" – Boyz II Men
1993: "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston
1994: "The Sign" – Ace of Base
1995: "Gangsta's Paradise" – Coolio featuring L.V.
1996: "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" – Los del Río
1997: "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" – Elton John
1998: "Too Close" – Next
1999: "Believe" – Cher

2000–2019

2000: "Breathe" – Faith Hill
2001: "Hanging by a Moment" – Lifehouse
2002: "How You Remind Me" – Nickelback
2003: "In da Club" – 50 Cent
2004: "Yeah!" – Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris
2005: "We Belong Together" – Mariah Carey
2006: "Bad Day" – Daniel Powter
2007: "Irreplaceable" – Beyoncé
2008: "Low" – Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
2009: "Boom Boom Pow" – The Black Eyed Peas
2010: "Tik Tok" – Kesha
2011: "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele
2012: "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye featuring Kimbra
2013: "Thrift Shop" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
2014: "Happy" – Pharrell Williams
2015: "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
2016: "Love Yourself" – Justin Bieber
2017: "Shape of You" – Ed Sheeran
2018: "God's Plan" – Drake
2019: "Old Town Road" – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

2020–present

v t e Billboard Year-End Top Artist
1981–1999	1981: REO Speedwagon 1982: The Go-Go's 1983: Michael Jackson 1984: Lionel Richie 1985: Madonna 1986: Whitney Houston 1987: Bon Jovi 1988: George Michael 1989: New Kids on the Block 1990: New Kids on the Block 1991: Mariah Carey 1992: Garth Brooks 1993: Garth Brooks 1994: Ace of Base 1995: TLC 1996: Alanis Morissette 1997: LeAnn Rimes 1998: Usher 1999: Backstreet Boys
2000–2019	2000: Destiny's Child 2001: Destiny's Child 2002: Nelly 2003: 50 Cent 2004: Usher 2005: 50 Cent 2006: Chris Brown 2007: Akon 2008: Chris Brown 2009: Taylor Swift 2010: Lady Gaga 2011: Adele 2012: Adele 2013: Bruno Mars 2014: One Direction 2015: Taylor Swift 2016: Adele 2017: Ed Sheeran 2018: Drake 2019: Post Malone
2020-present	2020: Post Malone 2021: Drake 2022: Bad Bunny 2023: Taylor Swift 2024: Taylor Swift

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
1959–1975	Perry Como / Dinah Shore (1959) Harry Belafonte (1960) Fred Astaire (1961) Carol Burnett (1962) Carol Burnett (1963) Danny Kaye (1964) No Award (1965) No Award (1966) Art Carney (1967) Art Carney / Pat Paulsen (1968) Arte Johnson / Harvey Korman (1969) No Award (1970) Harvey Korman (1971) Harvey Korman (1972) Tim Conway (1973) Harvey Korman / Brenda Vaccaro (1974) Jack Albertson / Cloris Leachman (1975)
1976–1990	Chevy Chase / Vicki Lawrence (1976) Tim Conway / Rita Moreno (1977) Tim Conway / Gilda Radner (1978) No Award (1979) No Award (1980) Sarah Vaughan (1981) Nell Carter / André De Shields (1982) Leontyne Price (1983) Cloris Leachman (1984) George Hearn (1985) Whitney Houston (1986) Robin Williams (1987) Robin Williams (1988) Linda Ronstadt (1989) Tracey Ullman (1990)
1991–2008	Billy Crystal (1991) Bette Midler (1992) Dana Carvey (1993) Tracey Ullman (1994) Barbra Streisand (1995) Tony Bennett (1996) Bette Midler (1997) Billy Crystal (1998) John Leguizamo (1999) Eddie Izzard (2000) Barbra Streisand (2001) Sting (2002) Wayne Brady (2003) Elaine Stritch (2004) Hugh Jackman (2005) Barry Manilow (2006) Tony Bennett (2007) Don Rickles (2008)

v t e Grammy Award for Album of the Year
1950s	The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini (1958) Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1959)
1960s	The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Bob Newhart (1960) Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland (1961) The First Family – Vaughn Meader (1962) The Barbra Streisand Album – Barbra Streisand (1963) Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz & João Gilberto (1964) September of My Years – Frank Sinatra (1965) A Man and His Music – Frank Sinatra (1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1967) By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell (1968) Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969)
1970s	Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1970) Tapestry – Carole King (1971) The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison & Friends (1972) Innervisions – Stevie Wonder (1973) Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1974) Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1975) Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1976) Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1977) Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1978) 52nd Street – Billy Joel (1979)
1980s	Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross (1980) Double Fantasy – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1981) Toto IV – Toto (1982) Thriller – Michael Jackson (1983) Can't Slow Down – Lionel Richie (1984) No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1985) Graceland – Paul Simon (1986) The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987) Faith – George Michael (1988) Nick of Time – Bonnie Raitt (1989)
1990s	Back on the Block – Quincy Jones and Various Artists (1990) Unforgettable... with Love – Natalie Cole (1991) Unplugged – Eric Clapton (1992) The Bodyguard – Whitney Houston (1993) MTV Unplugged – Tony Bennett (1994) Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1995) Falling into You – Celine Dion (1996) Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan (1997) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998) Supernatural – Santana (1999)
2000s	Two Against Nature – Steely Dan (2000) O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various Artists (2001) Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2002) Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast (2003) Genius Loves Company – Ray Charles & Various Artists (2004) How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2 (2005) Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks (2006) River: The Joni Letters – Herbie Hancock (2007) Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2008) Fearless – Taylor Swift (2009)
2010s	The Suburbs – Arcade Fire (2010) 21 – Adele (2011) Babel – Mumford & Sons (2012) Random Access Memories – Daft Punk (2013) Morning Phase – Beck (2014) 1989 – Taylor Swift (2015) 25 – Adele (2016) 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2017) Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2018) When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish (2019)
2020s	Folklore – Taylor Swift (2020) We Are – Jon Batiste (2021) Harry's House – Harry Styles (2022) Midnights – Taylor Swift (2023) Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (2024)

v t e Grammy Award for Record of the Year
1950s	"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)" – Domenico Modugno (1958) "Mack the Knife" – Bobby Darin (1959)
1960s	"Theme from A Summer Place" – Percy Faith (1960) "Moon River" – Henry Mancini (1961) "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" – Tony Bennett (1962) "Days of Wine and Roses" – Henry Mancini (1963) "The Girl from Ipanema" – Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz (1964) "A Taste of Honey" – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1965) "Strangers in the Night" – Frank Sinatra (1966) "Up, Up and Away" – The 5th Dimension (1967) "Mrs. Robinson" – Simon & Garfunkel (1968) "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" – The 5th Dimension (1969)
1970s	"Bridge over Troubled Water" – Simon & Garfunkel (1970) "It's Too Late" – Carole King (1971) "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack (1972) "Killing Me Softly with His Song" – Roberta Flack (1973) "I Honestly Love You" – Olivia Newton-John (1974) "Love Will Keep Us Together" – Captain & Tennille (1975) "This Masquerade" – George Benson (1976) "Hotel California" – Eagles (1977) "Just the Way You Are" – Billy Joel (1978) "What a Fool Believes" – The Doobie Brothers (1979)
1980s	"Sailing" – Christopher Cross (1980) "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes (1981) "Rosanna" – Toto (1982) "Beat It" – Michael Jackson (1983) "What's Love Got to Do with It" – Tina Turner (1984) "We Are the World" – USA for Africa (1985) "Higher Love" – Steve Winwood (1986) "Graceland" – Paul Simon (1987) "Don't Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1988) "Wind Beneath My Wings" – Bette Midler (1989)
1990s	"Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins (1990) "Unforgettable" – Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole (1991) "Tears in Heaven" – Eric Clapton (1992) "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston (1993) "All I Wanna Do" – Sheryl Crow (1994) "Kiss from a Rose" – Seal (1995) "Change the World" – Eric Clapton (1996) "Sunny Came Home" – Shawn Colvin (1997) "My Heart Will Go On" – Celine Dion (1998) "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob Thomas (1999)
2000s	"Beautiful Day" – U2 (2000) "Walk On" – U2 (2001) "Don't Know Why" – Norah Jones (2002) "Clocks" – Coldplay (2003) "Here We Go Again" – Ray Charles & Norah Jones (2004) "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" – Green Day (2005) "Not Ready to Make Nice" – Dixie Chicks (2006) "Rehab" – Amy Winehouse (2007) "Please Read the Letter" – Alison Krauss & Robert Plant (2008) "Use Somebody" – Kings of Leon (2009)
2010s	"Need You Now" – Lady Antebellum (2010) "Rolling in the Deep" – Adele (2011) "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye featuring Kimbra (2012) "Get Lucky" – Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers (2013) "Stay with Me" (Darkchild version) – Sam Smith (2014) "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars (2015) "Hello" – Adele (2016) "24K Magic" – Bruno Mars (2017) "This Is America" – Childish Gambino (2018) "Bad Guy" – Billie Eilish (2019)
2020s	"Everything I Wanted" – Billie Eilish (2020) "Leave the Door Open" – Silk Sonic (2021) "About Damn Time" by Lizzo (2022) "Flowers" – Miley Cyrus (2023) "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar (2024)

v t e MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B
Blackstreet (1997) Whitney Houston (1999) Jennifer Lopez (2000) Craig David (2001) Alicia Keys (2002) Beyoncé (2003) Alicia Keys (2004-05) Rihanna (2006) Chlöe (2022) Chris Brown (2023) Tyla (2024)

v t e MTV Europe Music Award for Global Icon
Bon Jovi (2010) Queen (2011) Whitney Houston (2012) Eminem (2013) Ozzy Osbourne (2014) Duran Duran (2015) Green Day (2016) U2 (2017) Janet Jackson (2018) Liam Gallagher (2019) Busta Rhymes (2024)

v t e MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Musical Moment
Best Song from a Movie (1992–1999, 2009, 2012)	Bryan Adams (1992) Whitney Houston (1993) Michael Jackson (1994) Stone Temple Pilots (1995) Brandy (1996) Bush (1997) Will Smith (1998) Aerosmith (1999) Miley Cyrus (2009) LMFAO (2012)
Best Musical Sequence (2000–2002, 2005, 2014)	Terrence and Philip (2000) Piper Perabo (2001) Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (2002) Jon Heder (2005) Backstreet Boys, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen and Craig Robinson (2014)
Best Musical Moment (2013, 2017–present)	Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, and Hana Mae Lee (2013) Ensemble of Grease Live! (2017) Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown (2018) Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (2019) No Award (2020) Madison Reyes, Charlie Gillespie, Owen Joyner and Jeremy Shada (2021) Beabadoobee (2022) Sofia Carson (2023)

v t e MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
1980s	"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper (1984) "What's Love Got to Do with It" – Tina Turner (1985) "How Will I Know" – Whitney Houston (1986) "Papa Don't Preach" – Madonna (1987) "Luka" – Suzanne Vega (1988) "Straight Up" – Paula Abdul (1989)
1990s	"Nothing Compares 2 U" – Sinéad O'Connor (1990) "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" – Janet Jackson (1991) "Why" – Annie Lennox (1992) "Constant Craving" – k.d. lang (1993) "If" – Janet Jackson (1994) "Take a Bow" – Madonna (1995) "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette (1996) "You Were Meant for Me" – Jewel (1997) "Ray of Light" – Madonna (1998) "Doo Wop (That Thing)" – Lauryn Hill (1999)
2000s	"Try Again" – Aaliyah (2000) "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" – Eve featuring Gwen Stefani (2001) "Get the Party Started" – Pink (2002) "Crazy in Love" – Beyoncé (2003) "Naughty Girl" – Beyoncé (2004) "Since U Been Gone" – Kelly Clarkson (2005) "Because of You" – Kelly Clarkson (2006) "Piece of Me" – Britney Spears (2008) "You Belong with Me" – Taylor Swift (2009)
2010s	"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga (2010) "Born This Way" – Lady Gaga (2011) "Starships" – Nicki Minaj (2012) "I Knew You Were Trouble" – Taylor Swift (2013) "Dark Horse" – Katy Perry (2014) "Blank Space" – Taylor Swift (2015) "Hold Up" – Beyoncé (2016)

NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year

Dionne Warwick (1985)
Patti LaBelle (1986)
Dionne Warwick (1987)
Lionel Richie (1988)
Eddie Murphy (1989)
Oprah Winfrey (1990)
Patti LaBelle (1991)
Michael Jackson (1992)
Whitney Houston (1993)
Quincy Jones (1995)
Denzel Washington (1996)
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds (1997)
Will Smith (1998)
Halle Berry (1999)
Steve Harvey (2000)
Beyoncé (2003)
Jamie Foxx (2012)
Kevin Hart (2013)
Taraji P. Henson (2014)
Michael B. Jordan (2015)
Dwayne Johnson (2016)
Ava DuVernay (2017)
Beyoncé (2018)
Lizzo (2019)
D-Nice (2020)
Jennifer Hudson (2021)
Angela Bassett (2022)
Usher (2023)
Keke Palmer (2024)

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Estelle Evans (1969)
Barbara McNair (1970)
Jane Fonda (1971)
Diana Ross (1972)
No Award (1973)
Ester Anderson (1974)
Diahann Carroll (1975)
Denise Nicholas (1976)
Cicely Tyson (1977)
Cicely Tyson (1978)
Mavis Washington (1979)
Irene Cara (1980)
No Award (1981)
Jayne Kennedy (1982)
Jennifer Beals (1983)
Alfre Woodard (1984)
Tina Turner (1985)
Whoopi Goldberg (1986)
Traci Wolfe (1987)
Whoopi Goldberg (1988)
Ruby Dee (1989)
No Award (1990)
Whoopi Goldberg (1991)
Whoopi Goldberg (1992)
Angela Bassett (1993)
No Award (1994)
Angela Bassett (1995)
Whitney Houston (1996)
Vanessa Williams (1997)
Angela Bassett (1998)
Nia Long (1999)
Sanaa Lathan (2000)
Halle Berry (2001)
Angela Bassett (2002)
Queen Latifah (2003)
Kerry Washington (2004)
Kimberly Elise (2005)
Keke Palmer (2006)
Jurnee Smollett (2007)
Rosario Dawson (2008)
Gabourey Sidibe (2009)
Halle Berry (2010)
Viola Davis (2011)
Viola Davis (2012)
Angela Bassett (2013)
Taraji P. Henson (2014)
Sanaa Lathan (2015)
Taraji P. Henson (2016)
Octavia Spencer (2017)
Amandla Stenberg (2018)
Lupita Nyong'o (2019)
Viola Davis (2020)
Jennifer Hudson (2021)
Viola Davis (2022)
Fantasia Barrino (2023)
Kerry Washington (2024)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album
1980s	Bad – Michael Jackson (1987) Giving You the Best That I Got – Anita Baker (1988) Back on the Block – Quincy Jones (1989)
1990s	No Award (1990) Power of Love – Luther Vandross (1991) Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album – Various Artists (1992) The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album – Whitney Houston (1993) No Award (1994) Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album – Whitney Houston (1995) The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album – Whitney Houston (1996) Soul Food – Various Artists (1997) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998) The Best Man: Music from the Motion Picture – Various Artists (1999)
2000s	At the Close of a Century – Stevie Wonder (2000) Songs in A Minor – Alicia Keys (2001) The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin – Kirk Franklin (2002) Dance with My Father – Luther Vandross (2003) Musicology – Prince (2004) The Emancipation of Mimi – Mariah Carey (2005) Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture – Various Artists (2006) As I Am – Alicia Keys (2007) Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson (2008) Stronger with Each Tear – Mary J. Blige (2009)
2010s	Wake Up! – John Legend and The Roots (2010) I Remember Me – Jennifer Hudson (2011) I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston (2012) Love, Charlie – Charlie Wilson (2013) Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics – Aretha Franklin (2014) Woman – Jill Scott (2015) Lemonade – Beyoncé (2016) DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar (2017) Ella Mai – Ella Mai (2018) Homecoming: The Live Album – Beyoncé (2019)
2020s	Chilombo – Jhené Aiko (2020) Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan (2021) Renaissance – Beyoncé (2022) Jaguar II – Victoria Monét (2023) Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (2024)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
Duo or Group (1979–2007)	The Jacksons (1979) The Commodores (1980) Kool & the Gang (1981) Gladys Knight & the Pips (1982) No Award (1983–1985) Atlantic Starr (1986) Gladys Knight & the Pips (1987) LeVert (1988) After 7 (1989) No Award (1990) The O'Jays (1991) Boyz II Men (1992) En Vogue (1993) No Award (1994) Boyz II Men (1995) Kirk Franklin (1996) Boyz II Men (1997) Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey (1998) Destiny's Child (1999) Destiny's Child (2000) Destiny's Child (2001) India Arie and Stevie Wonder (2002) Outkast (2003) Destiny's Child (2004) Destiny's Child (2005) The Cheetah Girls (2006) Eddie Levert and Gerald Levert (2007)
Duo, Group or Collaboration (2008–2019)	Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia (2008) Black Eyed Peas (2009) John Legend and The Roots (2010) Mary J. Blige and Drake (2011) Mary Mary (2012) Robin Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell (2013) Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige (2014) Empire Cast featuring Estelle and Jussie Smollett (2015) Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016) Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna (2017) Kendrick Lamar and SZA (2018) Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, Beyoncé, and Wizkid (2019)
Contemporary (2020–present)	Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020) Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (2021) Chris Brown featuring Wizkid (2022) Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay (2023) Wizkid featuring Brent Faiyaz (2024)
Traditional (2020–present)	Chloe x Halle (2020) Silk Sonic (2021) Silk Sonic (2022) Ciara and Chris Brown (2023) Adam Blackstone and Fantasia (2024)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist
1970s	Dionne Warwick (1979)
1980s	Aretha Franklin (1982) Anita Baker (1985) Aretha Franklin (1986) Natalie Cole (1987) Stephanie Mills (1988) Anita Baker (1989)
1990s	Natalie Cole (1991) Vanessa Williams (1992) Whitney Houston (1993) Whitney Houston (1995) Toni Braxton (1996) Erykah Badu (1997) Lauryn Hill (1998) Whitney Houston (1999)
2000s	Yolanda Adams (2000) Aaliyah (2001) India Arie (2002) Alicia Keys (2003) Fantasia (2004) Alicia Keys (2005) Mary J. Blige (2006) Alicia Keys (2007) Beyoncé (2008) Mary J. Blige (2009)
2010s	Mary J. Blige (2010) Jill Scott (2011) Alicia Keys (2012) Beyoncé (2013) Beyoncé (2014) Jill Scott (2015) Beyoncé (2016) Mary J. Blige (2017) H.E.R. (2018) Beyoncé (2019)
2020s	Beyoncé (2020) Jazmine Sullivan (2021) Beyoncé (2022) H.E.R. (2023) Beyoncé (2024)

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist

Andraé Crouch (1980)
Shirley Caesar (1987)
BeBe and CeCe Winans (1989)
BeBe and CeCe Winans (1990)
BeBe and CeCe Winans (1992)
BeBe and CeCe Winans (1993)
The Winans (1994)
Kirk Franklin and the Family (1996)
Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir (1997)
God's Property (1998)
Kirk Franklin (1999)
Vickie Winans / Yolanda Adams (2000)
Aaron Neville / Yolanda Adams (2001)
Shirley Caesar / Yolanda Adams (2002)
Kirk Franklin (2003)
Donnie McClurkin (2004)
Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama (2005)
Yolanda Adams (2006)
Kirk Franklin (2007)
Kirk Franklin (2008)
Mary Mary (2009)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist
1980s	Whitney Houston (1984) Vanessa Williams (1988) After 7 (1989)
1990s	Boyz II Men (1991) Arrested Development (1992) Shai (1993) Brandy (1995) Kenny Lattimore (1996) Erykah Badu (1997) Lauryn Hill (1998) Eve (1999)
2000s	Carl Thomas (2000) Alicia Keys (2001) Ashanti (2002) Ruben Studdard (2003) Kanye West (2004) Chris Brown (2005) Corinne Bailey Rae (2006) Jordin Sparks (2007) Jennifer Hudson (2008) Keri Hilson (2009)
2010s	Willow Smith (2010) Diggy Simmons (2011) Elle Varner (2012) K. Michelle (2013) 3 Winans Brothers (2014) Jussie Smollett (2015) Chance the Rapper (2016) SZA (2017) Ella Mai (2018) Lil Nas X (2019)
2020s	Doja Cat (2020) Saweetie (2021) Coco Jones (2022) Victoria Monét (2023) Doechii (2024)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video
1990s	"Unforgettable" – Natalie Cole (1991) "Black or White" – Michael Jackson (1992) "I'm Every Woman" – Whitney Houston (1993) No Award (1994) "Waterfalls" – TLC (1995) "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly (1996) "Stomp" – God's Property (1997) "Just the Two of Us" – Will Smith (1998) "Wild Wild West" – Will Smith (1999)
2000s	"I Wish" – R. Kelly (2000) "You Rock My World" – Michael Jackson (2001) "Little Things" – India Arie (2002) "Dance with My Father" – Luther Vandross (2003) "If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004) "Unbreakable" – Alicia Keys (2005) "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige (2006) "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (2007) "Yes We Can" – will.i.am (2008) "I Look to You" – Whitney Houston (2009)
2010s	"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" – Alicia Keys (2010) "Where You At?" – Jennifer Hudson (2011) "Girl on Fire" – Alicia Keys (2012) "Q.U.E.E.N." – Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu (2013) "You & I (Nobody in the World)" – John Legend (2014) "Shame" – Tyrese Gibson (2015) "Formation" – Beyoncé (2016) "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (2017) "This Is America" – Childish Gambino (2018) "Juice" – Lizzo (2019)
2020s	"Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Saint Jhn, and Wizkid featuring Blue Ivy Carter (2020) "Essence" – Wizkid featuring Tems (2021) "Lift Me Up" – Rihanna (2022) "Sensational" – Chris Brown featuring Davido & Lojay (2023) "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar (2024)

v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song
Song (1971–2015)	"Theme from Shaft" – Isaac Hayes (1971) No Award (1972–1994) "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – Whitney Houston (1995) "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly (1996) "A Song for Mama" – Boyz II Men (1997) "Lean on Me" – Kirk Franklin (1998) "Spend My Life with You" – Eric Benét featuring Tamia (1999) "Open My Heart" – Yolanda Adams (2000) "A Woman's Worth" – Alicia Keys (2001) "Brighter Day" – Kirk Franklin (2002) "Dance with My Father" – Luther Vandross (2003) "If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004) "Unbreakable" – Alicia Keys (2005) "I Am Not My Hair" – India Arie (2006) "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (2007) "Yes We Can" – will.i.am (2008) "God in Me" – Mary Mary (2009) "Bittersweet" – Fantasia (2010) "I Smile" – Kirk Franklin (2011) "I Look to You" – Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (2012) "All of Me" – John Legend (2013) "We Are Here" – Alicia Keys (2014) "Back Together" – Jill Scott (2015)
Contemporary (2016–2019)	"Freedom" – Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016) "HUMBLE." – Kendrick Lamar (2017) "Boo'd Up" – Ella Mai (2018) "Before I Let Go" – Beyoncé (2019)
Traditional (2016–2019)	"I See Victory" – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams (2016) "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (2017) "Long as I Live" – Toni Braxton (2018) "Spirit" – Beyoncé (2019)
Soul/R&B (2020–present)	"Do It" – Chloe x Halle (2020) "Pick Up Your Feelings" – Jazmine Sullivan (2021) "Cuff It" – Beyoncé (2022) "ICU (Remix)" – Coco Jones featuring Justin Timberlake (2023) "Residuals" – Chris Brown (2024)
Hip Hop/Rap (2020–present)	"Savage (Remix)" – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020) "Fye Fye" – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (2021) "Hotel Lobby" – Quavo and Takeoff (2022) "Cobra" – Megan Thee Stallion (2023) "Not Like Us" – Kendrick Lamar (2024)
International (2020–present)	"Lockdown" – Original Koffee (2020) "Essence" – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber (2021) "No Woman, No Cry" – Tems (2022) "Me & U" – Tems (2023) "Hmmm" – Chris Brown featuring Davido (2024)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2020

Performers

Depeche Mode
- Vince Clarke, Andy Fletcher, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Alan Wilder
The Doobie Brothers
- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, John Hartman, Michael Hossack, Tom Johnston, Keith Knudsen, Michael McDonald, John McFee, Tiran Porter, Patrick Simmons
Whitney Houston
Nine Inch Nails
- Alessandro Cortini, Robin Finck, Danny Lohner, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Ilan Rubin, Chris Vrenna
The Notorious B.I.G.
T. Rex
- Marc Bolan, Steve Currie, Mickey Finn, Bill Legend

Non-performers
(Ahmet Ertegun Award)

Irving Azoff
Jon Landau

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	Germany United States France BnF data Japan Australia Czech Republic Spain Netherlands Norway Latvia Croatia Korea Poland Israel Finland
Academics	CiNii
Artists	MusicBrainz Grammy Awards Emmy Awards
People	Trove Deutsche Biographie Deutsche Synchronkartei DDB
Other	IdRef NARA SNAC