If Whitney Houston was alive today, she’d only be 60! One of the most beloved, talented and greatest singers to ever live, her strong voice and personality made her a magnet to everyone who knew her and listened to her music. It’s still hard to believe she’s not here with us.
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On what would have been her 60th birthday, we take a look at the evolution of Whitney Houston.
Newark
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born August 9, 1963, in Newark, N.J. to Cissy Houston and John Russel Houston Jr. Raised in music, Whitney’s mother was a gospel singer and her father was an entertainment executive.
Early career
Early in her entertainment career, Whitney was a backup singer for the Michael Zager Band on the song “Life’s a Party” at 14 years old. A year later, she sang background vocals for Chaka Khan on the song “I’m Every Woman.”
Modeling
Before she became a pop star, Whitney was an accomplished model. She appeared in various issues and on covers of Seventeen magazine years before she became a beloved singer.
Arista Records
In 1983, Whitney was discovered by Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative from Arista Records, while performing at a New York nightclub with her mother. Shortly after, she was offered a record contract by label head Clive Davis.
Whitney Houston
Whitney’s self-titled debut album was released on Feb. 14, 1985, and was met with worldwide acclaim. It included hit singles “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You” and “How Will I Know.” She won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 1986 for “Saving All My Love for You.”
Whitney
Whitney’s sophomore album officially solidified her as a pop star. Released in June 1987, the album included the hit singles “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”
Bobby Brown
At the 1989 Soul Train Awards, Whitney met popular R&B singer Bobby Brown. Three years later the two would get married and start off a rollercoaster relationship.
Super Bowl XXV
Whitney performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV and it immediately became one of the most popular renditions of the song ever. It remains the standard for how the national anthem should be sung.
The Bodyguard
This rendition is what sent Whitney into the stratosphere. In 1992, she made her movie debut in The Bodyguard. While the movie performed well, it was the soundtrack that became a massive success, mostly thanks to Whitney’s Dolly Parton-penned hit single “I Will Always Love You.”
Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown
In 1993, while on a worldwide tour, Whitney gave birth to her only child, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown. Bobbi experienced her own trials and tribulations, ultimately dying in 2015 in a bathtub. It was eerily the same fate her mother realized in 2012.
2002 ABC Interview
In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, Whitney reveals that she has done drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and other prescribed substances. She claimed that she was done abusing drugs and made the now infamous statement, “Crack is whack.”
Rehabilitation
In 2004, Whitney entered a rehabilitation program to deal with her drug abuse problem. But she only lasted five days. A year later, she reentered rehab. Six years later in 2011, Whitney voluntarily checked herself into an outpatient program.
Divorce
After 14 years of marriage, Whitney and Bobby filed for divorce in October 2006. Whitney was granted full legal and physical custody of Bobbi Kristina.
Death
In Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards, Whitney was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 11, 2012. The cause of death was accidental drowning; cocaine and heart disease were contributing factors. She was 48.
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