Early Life
Houston grew up in a musical family — her mother was the gospel singer Cissy Houston and her cousin was Dionne Warwick — and began singing in the church choir in Newark before working as a backup singer and model.
Career
Her 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, yielded hits including “Saving All My Love for You” and “How Will I Know”. She set a record with seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, then starred in The Bodyguard (1992), whose soundtrack included her recording of “I Will Always Love You”, a song written by Dolly Parton that became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Legacy
Houston's rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 is still widely remembered. She died in 2012 at the age of 48 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24