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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

105

Gender

Female

Birthday

1963-08-09

Day of Death

2012-02-11 (49 years old)

Place of Birth

Newark, New Jersey, USA

Also Known As

Whitney Elizabeth Houston

The Prom Queen of Soul

Nippy

Whitney Houston

Biography

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012) was an American R&B/pop singer, actress, and former fashion model. Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. Inspired by several prominent soul singers in her extended family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, as well as her godmother, Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing with New Jersey church's junior gospel choir at age 11. After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. As of 2011, Houston has released six studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have had diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold certification. Houston's 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. Her second studio album, Whitney (1987), became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know", enabled several African-American female artists to follow in her success. Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. The album makes her the only female act ranked in the list of the top-10 best-selling albums, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to soundtracks, including with the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). Three years after the release of her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records. She released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney, in 2002, and the Christmas-themed One Wish: The Holiday Album in 2003. Amid widespread media coverage of personal and professional turmoil, Houston ended her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown in 2006. In 2009, Houston released her seventh studio album, I Look To You. Description above from the Wikipedia article Whitney Houston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

The Bodyguard

1992

The Bodyguard

as

Rachel Marron

The Preacher's Wife

1996

The Preacher's Wife

as

Julia Biggs

Waiting to Exhale

1995

Waiting to Exhale

as

Savannah

Nora's Hair Salon

2004

Nora's Hair Salon

as

Herself

Cinderella

1997

Cinderella

as

Fairy Godmother

You're Watching Video Music Box

2021

You're Watching Video Music Box

as

Self (archive footage)

VH1: Divas Las Vegas

2002

VH1: Divas Las Vegas

as

Self - Performer

Sparkle

2012

Sparkle

as

Emma

Always Whitney Houston

2012

Always Whitney Houston

as

Self (archive footage)

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

2012

Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You

as

Self (archive footage)

Whitney, a Look Back

2022

Whitney, a Look Back

as

Self (archive footage)

George Michael: Freedom Uncut

2022

George Michael: Freedom Uncut

as

Self (archive footage)

Freedom : La Story de George Michael

2016

Freedom : La Story de George Michael

as

Self (archive footage)

Barbra Streisand: One Voice

1986

Barbra Streisand: One Voice

as

Self (Interviewee)

Heartbreak Hotel

1999

Heartbreak Hotel

as

Whitney Houston

Whitney: Can I Be Me

2017

Whitney: Can I Be Me

as

Self (archive footage)

Whitney

2018

Whitney

as

Self (archive footage)

90s Divas: Whitney, Mariah, Céline

2019

90s Divas: Whitney, Mariah, Céline

as

Self (archive footage)

A New Princess

2001

A New Princess

as

Self

Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over

2021

Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over

as

Self (archive footage)

Fame Kills: Whitney Houston

2021

Fame Kills: Whitney Houston

as

Self (archive footage)

Women in Rock

1986

Women in Rock

as

Self

Whitney Houston Born to Sing

2024

Whitney Houston Born to Sing

as

Self (archive footage)

Whitney: The Last Great Diva

2018

Whitney: The Last Great Diva

as

Self (archive footage)

The Prince of Egypt

1998

The Prince of Egypt

as

The Balladeer (voice) (uncredited)

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

2025

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

as

Self (archive footage)

Four Falls of Buffalo

2015

Four Falls of Buffalo

as

Self (archive footage)

This Is Pop

This Is Pop

as

Self (archive footage)

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

as

Self - Musical Guest

The True Story of...

The True Story of...

as

Self (archive footage)

Superstar

Superstar

as

Self (archive footage)

Wogan

Wogan

as

Self

Il était une fois Champs-Élysées

Il était une fois Champs-Élysées

as

Self (archive footage)

Kids' Choice Awards

Kids' Choice Awards

as

Herself - Host

Biography: Bobby Brown

Biography: Bobby Brown

as

Self (archive footage)

Production

Crew

Directing