Biography:
Whitney Houston was born on the 9th of August, 1963, at Newark, New Jersey, USA. This pop and soul singer followed the traditions of her mother Cissy and cousin Dionne Warwick by beginning her vocal career in gospel. There was much diversity in her early performances, however. These included engagements as backing singer with established acts, such as Chaka Khan, as well as lead vocals on the Michael Zager Band's single 'Life's A Party'. She also appeared as a model in various magazines and as an actress in television shows such as Give Me A Break.

By 1983 she had entered a worldwide contract with Arista Records, and the following year had her first commercial success when 'Hold Me', a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, crept into the US Top 50. However, the rest of that year was taken up with the recording of a debut album. Clive Davis, the head of Arista, who had taken a strong personal interest in the vocalist, insisted on selecting the best songwriters and producers in search of the definitive debut album.

Whitney Houston was finally released in March 1984, from which time it would begin its slow stalking of the album charts, topping them early the next year. Its steady climb was encouraged by the success of the singles 'You Give Good Love' and 'Saving All My Love For You', which hit numbers 3 and 1, respectively. The latter single also saw her on top of the charts in the UK and much of the rest of the world. The disco-influenced 'How Will I Know' and the more soul-flavoured 'Greatest Love Of All', both topped the US charts in rapid succession. Her domination was acknowledged by a series of prestigious awards, notably a Grammy for 'Saving All My Love For You' and an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Program On US TV. 'I Want To Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)', released in 1987, topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic once more, paving the way for Whitney to become the first album by a female artist to debut at number 1 on the US album charts, a feat it also achieved in the UK. The album included a version of 'I Know Him So Well', sang as a duet with her mother Cissy, and the ballad 'Didn't We Almost Have It All' which became her fifth successive US number 1 shortly afterwards. However, even this was surpassed when 'So Emotional' and 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' continued the sequence, breaking a record previously shared by the Beatles and the Bee Gees. In 1988 she made a controversial appearance at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Party, where other acts accused her of behaving like a prima donna. By September 'Love Will Save The Day' had finally broken the winning sequence in the USA where it could only manage number 9.

Another series of awards followed, including Pop Female Vocal and Soul/R&B Female Vocal categories in the American Music Awards, while rumours abounded of film offers alongside Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. Her recording of the title track to the 1988 Olympics tribute, One Moment In Time, restored her to prominence, while 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' put her back on top of the singles chart. Despite the relatively modest success of the album of the same name (number 3 in the US charts), 'All The Man That I Need' compensated by becoming her ninth number 1. She became permanently enshrined in the hearts of the American public, however, when she took the microphone to perform 'The Star Spangled Banner' at Super Bowl XXV in Miami. The public response ensured that the version emerged as a single shortly afterwards. She also performed the song at Houston as she welcomed back US troops returning from the Gulf War. Such open displays of patriotism have not endeared her to all, but her remarkably rich voice looks set to continue as a fixture of the charts in the 90s, although critics claim that her masterful vocal technique is not equalled by her emotional commitment to her music.

In 1992, Houston married singer Bobby Brown (the relationship would prove tempestuous). The same year she made a credible acting debut in the film The Bodyguard. Two songs recorded by her were lifted from the phenomenally successful soundtrack album - cover versions of Dolly Parton 's powerful 'I Will Always Love You', which topped the US chart for 12 weeks and the UK charts for nine, and Chaka Khan's 'I'm Every Woman'.

In 1997 Whitney returned to acting with the moderately successful 'The Preacher's Wife', featuring singles 'Step by Step' and 'Waiting to Exhale'. In 1998 Whitney finally released a new album, 'My Love Is Your Love' which received huge success for her worldwide with another bout of hit singles.

Now, Whitney enters 2000 with the release of her Greatest Hits, a double disk and a video/DVD release. Rumours of drug abuse coupled with several missed performances and her husband in prison have made some question her future. However, Whitney denies allegations and fans feel sure something new will not be so far away.

  Taken from Yahoo! Music and brought up to date by Greg Smith