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SPEAKER_08: Hi friends, I'm Alison Russell. I'm a Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, poet, and activist. All month, I'll be your guest host for Wamanaka as we explore the contributions of Black women in music. Today, we're talking about a musical sensation. She is one of the best selling artists of all time whose singles repeatedly topped the charts. She is a singer, singer, and singer. She is a vocal inspiration to every singer I know. Please welcome to the stage, Whitney Houston. Whitney Houston was born on August 9th, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, John Russell Houston Jr. was an ex-army serviceman and her mother, Sissy Houston, was a pop and gospel singer who sang backup for the likes of Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Her mom wasn't the only one with musical talent in the family. Whitney's cousin was the notable singer, Dionne Warwick. Whitney followed in the footsteps of her mother and cousin and grew up singing in her church's gospel choir. From a young age, it was clear she had the makings of a star. As a teenager, Whitney sang professionally as a backup singer for artists such as Chaka Khan and the Neville Brothers. Chaka Khan would become her mentor and lifelong friend. In the early 1980s, Whitney branched out from singing and pursued a modeling career. She became one of the first black women to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine. But she couldn't stay away from performing. She regularly took the stage in talent shows and local clubs across the country. One evening while she was performing in a New York City nightclub, legendary producer and recording executive, Clive Davis was in the audience. He spotted Whitney's talent and signed her to his record label, Arista Records in 1982. Three years later, when she was 22, Whitney released her debut self-titled pop album. She was an immediate star. The album showed off her polished voice and spectacular range. It sold 22 million copies and three of her singles reached number one, including How Will I Know? In 1986, she won her first Grammy award for best female pop vocal performance on Saving All My Love For You. With millions of music sales and a Grammy under her belt, she took the music scene by storm. When she released her second album just two years later, Whitney went on to become the first album by a woman to reach number one on the Billboard charts. This time, four singles from the album reached number one. Beyond music, Whitney also starred on screen. The most notable films included The Bodyguard, The Preacher's Wife and Cinderella. She also contributed to the soundtracks of her films, further adding to her collection of hit records. Whitney's cover of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You for The Bodyguard became Whitney's signature. It sat at number one on the charts for 14 consecutive weeks, setting a record at the time and quickly becoming one of the best ever selling singles by a female artist. For a time, it seemed everything Whitney touched turned to gold. Her logic-defying range allowed her to seamlessly weave between peppy pop hits to emotional juggernauts. Even her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner performed at the 1991 Super Bowl went platinum. In 1992, she married the singer Bobby Brown. A year later, she had a daughter named Bobby Christina. While her marriage began with love and passion, Whitney later shared that it became turbulent. In an interview with Oprah in 2009, Whitney shared how drug use, professional jealousy and abuse affected her marriage. As a pop icon, Whitney attracted a lot of attention and scrutiny from the press. In 2001, rumors circulated about her drug use. After a performance from Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary celebrations, comments on her weight and strained vocal performance filled tabloids. As Whitney struggled with drug use and abusive marriage and scrutiny from the media, her public image changed. Her live vocals also took a turn and in the 2000s, her singles started to drop from the top 10 lists. For the next few years, Whitney stayed out of the public eye. In 2009, she released her final studio album, I Looked To You. She also sat down for an extensive interview with Oprah that year, where she spoke about her substance abuse and time in rehab. Two years later, she again checked herself into a rehab program. The following year, in 2012, she was in Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards, staying in a Beverly Hills hotel to attend a pre-Grammy party posted by Clive Davis. On February 11th, 2012, she was found dead in her hotel room. The coroner's report stated that she had drowned in her bathtub and that heart disease and cocaine had contributed to her death. She was 48. Whitney Houston's legacy lives on today. In 2020, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She'll remain in history as one of the greatest singers of all time. All month long, we're highlighting black musicians. Wamanaka is a Wonder Media Network production. Special thanks to co-creators, Jenny and Liz Kaplan, who invited me to guest host this month. Talk to you tomorrow.
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