Whitney Houston was found dead in a hotel bathtub in 2012 at the age of 48. Chaka Khan, in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on February 13, 2012, shared that she felt the party should have been canceled, saying: "I thought that was complete insanity. [373][374][375] She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history. [314][315], According to representatives from Houston record label, Houston sold 3.7million albums and 4.3million singles worldwide in the first ten months of the year she died. An autopsy determined that she hadmarijuana,alcohol,cocaineand morphine in her body. [394] 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. A month after news of the lawsuit made headlines in October 2002, Houston told Diana Sawyer in an interview that she still loved her father despite their legal dispute. She became one of the first women of color to appear on the cover of a fashion magazine when she appeared on the cover of Seventeen. [280][281], The performances were interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by Clive Davis, Houston's record producer; Kevin Costner; Rickey Minor, her music director; her cousin, Dionne Warwick; and Ray Watson, her security guard for the past 11 years. Dee Dee Warwick, a Grammy-nominated artist who sang backup vocals for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, is the sister of Dionne Warwick. 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. 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. To me, he never seemed to be a help to her in the way she needed., Trailer: Tiffany Haddish Makes Her Return In Black Stripper Comedy Back On The Strip, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sex Crimes in Illinois, Da Brat Reveals Shes Pregnant at 48, Expecting Baby With Wife Jesseca Judy Dupart, Take Our Music Survey For A Chance To Win $250, Five Things You Should Know About Mary Mary, Tank Admits To Hooking Up With Love & Hip Hop Star, #ManCrushMonday: 15 Black Actors Who Are Sexy & Under 40, Miki Howard Finally Speaks Out About Her Son's Claim That Michael Jackson is His Father. After his death, Houstons business associate, John Skinner, pursued the lawsuit against the singer. According to USA Today, Houston's $20 million estate was left to her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, but after Whitney's only child died in 2015, the estate went to Cissy and Whitney's two . [212][213] Missed performances and weight loss led to rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband. She shares the responsibilities with Cissy Houston Whitney's mother and Whitney's brothers, Gary and Michael. For that project, she contributed the ballad "Memories", a cover of a song by Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine. "[363] While AllMusic commented that, "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity". [284][285] The office said the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. [ ] Hers was a voice of triumph and achievement and it made for any number of stunning, time-stopping vocal performances. So, how did Pat get involved with Whitney's flourishing career? Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. [157], In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela. [256] On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Diamond. Five years after the loss of Bobbi Kristina, Bobby's son, Bobby Jr. was found dead in his Los Angeles home on November 18, 2020. She won Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist at the 1997 American Music Awards for The Preacher's Wife soundtrack. Jeers as Bobby Brown accuses daughter's boyfriend of killing her, Whitney Houston. Traces of Xanax, Benadryl, and marijuana were found in her system. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2020. She was 22. He was hospitalized for approximately seven hours before he passed away. Bobbi Kristina Brown was born March 4, 1993. Skinner filed a breach of contract lawsuit and sued for $100million (but lost), stating that Houston owed the company previously unpaid compensation for helping to negotiate her $100million contract with Arista Records and for sorting out legal matters. [350] Jon Caramanica, another music critic of The New York Times, called Houston "R&B's great modernizer", adding "slowly but surely reconciling the ambition and praise of the church with the movements and needs of the body and the glow of the mainstream". CC. I wasn't happy by that point in time. 1, with Houston's best opening week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since The Bodyguard and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's Whitney. [47] In an interview with MTV years later, Houston explained the difficulties she and Arista faced on trying to bring "You Give Good Love" on the channel but was rebuffed because it was "too R&B" for their playlist. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two seconds into the performance. "[357] While in her review of I Look to You, music critic Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times writes, "[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", adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano. . [31], Houston became a fashion model after she was discovered by a photographer who filmed her and her mother during a performance for the United Negro College Fund at Carnegie Hall. News. [103][104], 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. But leading up to her accidental drowning, Whitney had battled addiction . With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, Houston signed to the label at age 19. [372] The New York Times stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions". As a film producer, she produced multicultural movies including Cinderella (1997) and series including The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls. AP/Courtesy of Allison Michael Orenstein . Whitney Houston: As I Am: Directed by Finlay Bald. Whitney Houston's daughter died as a result of immersion in water and drug intoxication, medical records show. [297][298] MTV and VH1 interrupted their regularly scheduled programming on Sunday, February 12, to air many of Houston's classic videos, with MTV often airing news segments in between and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities. Her voice was an instrument and she knew how to use it. Whitney also gained insight into the media world as her father, John Russell Houston, was an . My husband's brother for many years was business partner with Whitney Houston's half-brother John in Washington, DC. Interestingly, Gordon was an adoptive brother of sorts to Brown . Houston revealed in a 1993 interview with Barbara Walters that she had a miscarriage during the filming of The Bodyguard. After the success of her Moment of Truth world tour in 1987, she became the highest earning black woman of the year, and third highest overall behind Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy.. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. She was the owner of a yellow gold Rolex lady watch, which was designed with gold and diamond. Brown discussed his marriage to the late singer in his upcoming A&E documentary, "Biography: Bobby Brown," which is set to premiere on May 30. 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. In 1991, Bobby proposed marriage to Whitney and the couple married at Houston's estate on July 18, 1992. It was her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. I love my dad, and I knew he was sickly. Bobby Brown believes he knows the person responsible for the deaths of his ex-wife and daughter. In April, Bobby Brown and Pat Houston were legally appointed co-guardians of Bobbi Kristina by . "Spielberg Dethrones Oprah As Highest-Paid Entertainer", "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? The first full hour after the news of Houston's death broke saw 2,481,652 tweets and retweets on Twitter alone, equating to a rate of more than a thousand tweets every second. El DeBarge's mother, Etterlene "Mama D" DeBarge, told a very eery story about the time that our beloved Whitney Houston apparently reached out to El DeBarge asking him to help her just two days prior to her untimely passing in February 2012. At the time, MTV had received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by black, Latino and other racial minorities while favoring white acts. Published: Feb. 05, 2021, 9:00 a.m. Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown at a gala before the Grammys in 2011. [407] In October 2020, the music video for "I Will Always Love You" surpassed 1billion views on YouTube, making Houston the first solo 20th-century artist to have a video reach that milestone. By the end, its 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 songs heart into a jumping-off point for her lifes next step. 4, UK No. This chanteuse [Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. An image montage of Houston and important black figures who died in 2011 was followed by video footage from the 1994 ceremony, which depicted her accepting two Image Awards for outstanding female artist and entertainer of the year. My dad was being influenced by people that were lying. [395][396][397] She is the top-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century. [24] Throughout her childhood and early career, Houston was influenced by her mother, cousins Dionne and Dee Dee and singers such as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight and Roberta Flack. It was reported that the company also negotiated her contract renewal with Arista Records in 2001, which resulted in a $100 million deal for the singer. The curse extends to beyond the immediate family, as Bobbi Kristina's boyfriend Nick died of a heroin overdose on January 1, 2020. [388] Since she received the honor at just the age of 37 at the time, Houston was and remains the youngest artist to receive this. [73][74][75] Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the Moment of Truth World Tour, which was one of the ten highest-grossing concert tours of 1987 and the highest-grossing tour by a female artist, topping tours by both Madonna and Tina Turner. WTLC Featured Video. On February 11, 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on. [322] On March 7, 2012, Houston claimed two more additional feats on the US Billboard charts: she became the first and only female act to place nine albums within the top 100[323] (with Whitney: The Greatest Hits at number 2, The Bodyguard at number 5, Whitney Houston at number 10, I Look to You at number 13, Triple Feature at number 21, My Love Is Your Love at number 31, I'm Your Baby Tonight at number 32, Just Whitney at number 50 and The Preacher's Wife at number 80);[324][325] in addition, other Houston albums were also on the US Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at this time. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Five years earlier, in 1996, Houston became the second recipient of the BET Walk of Fame and was, at 32, the youngest to receive that honor. In the US, the soulful ballad "You Give Good Love" was chosen as the lead single from Houston's debut to establish her in the black marketplace. [283], 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". Houston's first posthumous greatest hits album, I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston, was released on November 13, 2012, by RCA Records. [67][68], The album's first single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", was also a massive hit worldwide, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the singles chart in 17 countries, including Australia, Germany and the UK. The album was certified 7 Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies. The manner of death was listed as an accident.. [376][377] Black female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music partly because Houston paved the way. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the film as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but was a no-show. Houston ended 1986 as the top artist of the year while her debut album topped the Billboard Year-End chart, making her the first woman to earn that distinction. Houston produced the latter's soundtrack, which became the bestselling gospel album of all time. Joined Jan 3, 2011 Messages 91 Reactions 156 1 Alleybux 192,468 Feb 6, 2021 #1 Didn't see this posted yet . The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [194][195] These singles became international hits as well and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. In February 2012, Houston, 48, was found dead in a bathtub in the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel. [160] 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. But Bobbi caused controversy when she announced her engagement to Nick Gordon - a man she previously considered her big brother. Singer Bobby Brown is opening up about the loss of his ex-wife Whitney Houston and children, . Superstar: Whitney Houston is a new ABC special from the producers behind 20/20, and arrives on the heels of what would have been the late singer's 58th birthday on August 9th. [83][84][85] With her world tour continuing overseas, Houston was still one of the top 20 highest-earning entertainers for 198788 according to Forbes. ", "Whitney Houston Becomes First Black Recording Artist in History to Achieve Three RIAA Diamond Albums", "It's not right but it's okay: New 'Whitney Houston tour' announced", "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", "Whitney Houston and Nine Inch Nails Make the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame", "National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist", "Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' Hits 1 Billion Views On YouTube", "A Look at Whitney's Great Charity Work, She was a True Humanitarian! Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey. She is also a prominent television personality. You will be missed.'" [170] 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"[171] and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks. Whitney was just 48 when she passed away in 2012. [48] By the time Houston's third US single, "How Will I Know", was released, the colorful video clip, directed by Brian Grant, was immediately added to MTV's playlist, instantly gaining heavy rotation on the channel after just a couple weeks and introducing Houston to the MTV audience. She also began performing on late-night television talk shows, which were not usually accessible to non-established black acts. Now, reports are saying that Cissy is battling dementia, according to sources close to the Grammy winner. [188] It 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. She's the kind of woman that would've said 'Stop everything! [162] Consequently, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. [258], In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a rehabilitation center again, citing drug and alcohol problems. [306] New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21, to honor Houston. Then, Gary opens up about how their mother, Cissy Houston, is doing after the death of her only daughter. [39] Houston first recorded a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, "Hold Me", which appeared on his gold album, Love Language. 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