Whitney Houston: Through the Years

Whitney Houston: Through the Years

After three years in the studio, Whitney Houston will release her sixth studio album, 'I Look to You,' on Aug. 31. Already being streamed online, the album is creating award buzz and could be the makings of a strong comeback for the six-time Grammy-winner. So could a much-anticipated appearance on the upcoming season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show, when Houston will give her first interview in nearly seven years. The show will air on Monday, Sept. 14.

Since releasing her 1985 self-titled debut, the chart-topping diva's life in the spotlight has created plenty of sensational tabloid fodder. However, Black Voices decided this is the perfect time to remind fans of how she got to this point on the road of success. What follows are our favorite facts and trivia about the woman born Whitney Elizabeth Houston.

IN THE BEGINNING

-- Her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, was a successful background vocalist for both Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.

-- As a teenager, Houston spent her free time as a model and became one of the first African American women to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine.

-- A duet with Teddy Pendergrass on his R&B hit 'Hold Me' prevented Houston from being eligible to win a best new artist at the 1984 Grammy Awards.

-- The Newark, N.J., native became the first female recording artist to enter the Billboard 200 album chart at number one with her sophomore release, 'Whitney,' in 1987.

-- Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive number-one Billboard Hot 100 hits and seven consecutive multiplatinum albums. BRANCHING OUT IN THE 1990s

-- Her rendition of 'The Star Spangled Banner' at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 remains the only version of the national anthem to become a Top 20 pop hit. Houston graciously donated her share of the proceeds from the single to the Red Cross.

-- She dated one of Hollywood's top actors, Eddie Murphy, before tying the knot with New Edition singer Bobby Brown in 1992.

-- She has appeared on three motion picture soundtracks in the 1990s ('The Bodyguard,' 'Waiting to Exhale' and 'The Preacher's Wife) and also starred in all three films.

-- Her cover of Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' in from 'The Bodyguard' soundtrack 1992 became the biggest-selling commercial single in history and took home Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

-- She sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single 'I'm Ever Woman' when she was only 15 years old and later remade the song for 'The Bodyguard' soundtrack. In the music video for the track, in which Khan made a cameo, Houston was pregnant with daughter Bobbi Kristina.

-- In 1993 and 1994, 'The Bodyguard' star made the Forbes list of highest-earning female entertainers, behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Streisand.

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD

-- Sure, Halle Berry earned a Golden Globe for her portrayal as Dorothy Dandridge in the made-for-television movie 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,' but at one time, Houston was rumored to have obtained the rights to Dandridge's story. After Berry's version was released, Houston scrapped her movie making plans.

-- Houston was scheduled to perform 'Over the Rainbow' at the 2000 Academy Awards, but the show's musical director, and her longtime friend, Burt Bacharach fired her. Her voice was said to have been shaky, and rumors surfaced that she was jittery and distracted at rehearsals.

THE NEW MILLENNIUM

-- The 2002 'Just Whitney' album remains the first and only studio album in which Houston's mentor, Clive Davis, did not serve as a producer. Instead, Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, helped produce some of the new material.

-- Houston has been romantically linked to actor-singer Ray J. He is nearly 20 years her junior.

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