The two became fast friends and Houston later described Crawford as the "sister [she] never had". Houston's first two albums, as well as her 1992 release The Bodyguard's soundtrack, are among the best-selling albums of all time. [88], With the success of her first two albums, Houston became an international crossover superstar, appealing to all demographics. The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. [398] Houston had also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history. [420] That film, entitled Whitney, premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was released internationally in theaters on July 6, 2018. In the film, Houston portrays Sparks's "not-so encouraging" mother. [246] (In her 2013 book, Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped, Cissy Houston described the scene she encountered at Whitney Houston's house in 2005 as follows: "Somebody had spray-painted the walls and door with big glaring eyes and strange faces. After his death, Houstons business associate, John Skinner, pursued the lawsuit against the singer. Now, reports are saying that Cissy is battling dementia, according to sources close to the Grammy winner. During her modeling days, she refused to work with agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa. It offered medical assistance to sick and homeless children, fought to prevent child abuse, taught children to read, created inner-city parks and playgrounds and granted college scholarships, including one to the Juilliard School. Monie is currently Curator In Chief of SHEmovement.com the worldwide portal for all things Women in Hip Hop related covering all elements of Hip Hop culture from a woman's perspective. Throughout her career and posthumously, she has received numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records. 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. [119] However, controversy arose as some felt Houston's face had been intentionally left out of the film's advertising to hide the film's interracial relationship. 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. Joined Jan 3, 2011 Messages 91 Reactions 156 1 Alleybux 192,468 Feb 6, 2021 #1 Didn't see this posted yet . Though the two were exceptionally close in the beginning, their relationship became strained after the late businessman sued his superstar daughter in 2002. Davis spoke about Houston's death at the evening's start: By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. If you do that, you havent got a lawsuit., He continued, At my age, I havent got that long. In April 2020, it was announced that a biopic based on Houston's life, said to be "no holds barred", titled I Wanna Dance with Somebody, would be produced, with Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten writing the script and director Kasi Lemmons at the helm. [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. Its painful I feel responsible for what I let go so far., The iconic singerdied in February 2012, and while theofficial cause of death was ruled to be accidental drowning, the Coroners office confirmed thatWhitney used cocaine immediately before her death, leading to a cardiac event.. [16][17] Devastated by the events of the 1967 Newark riots, Whitney's family eventually relocated to a middle-class area in East Orange, New Jersey. Her death wasan eerie repeat of her mothers death. [383] The magazine placed her 34th on their "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list. [256] On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. [284][285] The office said the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. That was my own. [347] The soundtrack includes reimagined remixes of some of Houston's classics and several newly discovered songs such as Houston's cover of CeCe Winans' "Don't Cry" (labeled as "Don't Cry for Me" on Houston's soundtrack) at the Commitment to Life AIDS benefit concert in Los Angeles in January 1994, remixed by house producer Sam Feldt. As of February 2023, Houston's net worth when she died in 2012 was $20 million. From every run to every crescendoshe was in tune with what she could do with her voice and it's not something simple for a singereven a very talented oneto achieve. 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. 15, UK No. 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. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into the studio to work on her new album. Michael Houston told Winfrey that he was the first person Whitney ever did drugs with, not the singer's ex-husband Bobby Brown. Whitney also gained insight into the media world as her father, John Russell Houston, was an . [381] Richard Corliss of Time magazine commented on her initial success breaking various barriers: Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. Bobbi Kristina Brownwas just 14 when her parents divorced, with Whitney gaining custody of her. It was beyond disturbing, seeing my daughter's face cut out like that." I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. She further stated that Bobby Brown had never hit her, but acknowledged that she had hit him. Still not ready to stop striving towards higher heights, Monie moved her family to Miami, joined the classic artist lineup that grace the Tom Joyner family events and cruises, and partnered up with the prominent Miami socialites to create events in South Beach catering to music lovers young and old new and classic. [63] In 2015, she was placed at number nine (second as a female) by Billboard on the list "35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time". "The village verbiage collector". Whitney Houston mother Cissy Houston TV Interview on The View 1 year after Whitney's death. When Houston died, her estate, worth an estimated $20 million, was left to her only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown, whom she . [111], Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to musician Jermaine Jackson,[112] American football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy. When discussing the eerie ways in which Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina . Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade). Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. He did not cancel a scheduled performance, and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi watched as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney. In a new interview with Oprah Winfrey,Whitney Houstons older brother admits he was responsible for introducing the late singer to drugs, including crack cocaine,back in the 1980s. [207] While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album features house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits. [304], Houston was honored with various tributes at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards, held on February 17. Rookie. The Bodyguard (soundtrack) remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time, with global sales of over 45 million copies. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened. [61][62] Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to USA Today. [178] The album received mainly positive reviews. Butterflyj30. [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. [351] Jon Pareles of The New York Times stated Houston "always had a great big voice, a technical marvel from its velvety depths to its ballistic middle register to its ringing and airy heights". "U2, Bon Jovi were top concert acts of 1987". Just Whitney was certified platinum in the United States and sold about two million worldwide. No other female pop star not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama. 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. [274][275] Beverly Hills paramedics arrived about 3:30pm, found Houston unresponsive, and performed CPR. You can also catch Monie DJing on the road at an array of events from corporate to Metro City Nightlife in a city near you. [242] Houston admitted on the show to having used drugs with Brown during their marriage; she said Brown had "laced marijuana with rock cocaine". [390][391] Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010. [259] In September 2011, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Houston would produce and star alongside Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps in the remake of the 1976 film Sparkle. Now if you think I got that long, you think about it. Houston played the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. Her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. [338] It was certified multi-platinum in the United States,[339] Australia,[340] Canada,[341] Poland[342] and the United Kingdom. [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. Houston holds the record for the most American Music Awards received in a single year by a woman with eight wins in 1994 (overall tied with Michael Jackson). An official biopic movie of Houston, titled I Wanna Dance with Somebody, was released in theaters on December 23, 2022. [362] However, during the world tour that followed the release of I Look to You, "YouTube videos surfaced, showing [Houston's] voice cracking, seemingly unable to hold the notes she was known for". [384], Houston won numerous accolades, including 2 Emmy Awards, 8 Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), 14 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards (31 Billboard awards in all) and 22 American Music Awards. Paramedics were called and performed CPR, but to no avail. Bobby Brown is opening up on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk" on Facebook Watch about the drug-related deaths of his . [67][68] Houston became the first woman to generate four number-one singles from one album. [371] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated: "Her sound expanded through collaborations with a wide array of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Bobby Brown, and Mariah Carey. 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. [96], During the Persian Gulf War, on January 27, 1991, Houston performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", the US national anthem, at Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium. Moments after news of her death emerged, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. In February 2012, Houston, 48, was found dead in a bathtub in the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice called her contribution "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".[35]. Being a woman of many talents, the singer also found success in acting. As a film producer, she produced multicultural movies including Cinderella (1997) and series including The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls. [135][136] Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You". In September 2016, a Georgia judge found Nick legally responsible for the Bobbi Kristina's death, according toCNN. [307] Houston was also featured, alongside other recently deceased figures from the film industry, in the In Memoriam montage at the 84th Academy Awards on February 26, 2012. Gordon's death comes three years after he was found liable in the death of Brown the daughter of the late Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown and was ordered to pay millions of . [308][309], In June 2012, the year's McDonald's Gospelfest in Newark was dedicated as a tribute to Houston. He was hospitalized for approximately seven hours before he passed away. [38] The label wanted to make sure no other label signed her away and Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for her debut album. [230] The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics. Together, the couple has a daughter, Rayah Victoria. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" became just the third single in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" and Mariah Carey's "Fantasy". 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. [155] Houston placed in the top five of Entertainment Weekly's annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking[156] and was labeled by Premiere magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood. Hodges, Anne. [255], In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. Fe. [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. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date My Love Is Your Love World Tour. But sources say that it was her other brother, Gary . 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 went from 868,000 views in the week prior to her death to 40,200,000 views in the week following her death, a 45-fold increase.[321]. [110] The show gave HBO its highest ratings ever. With the same complexity as someone who has mastered the violin or the piano, Whitney mastered the use of her voice. [217], In August 2001, Houston signed one of the biggest record deals in music history, with Arista/BMG. [418] The film was directed by Nick Broomfield. "Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision", he stated. It was so much press, and the media was following me around, I couldnt grieve in privacy, Houston told Oprah. [228] Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Her 2002 studio album, Just Whitney, received mixed reviews. Monie, coming from a Jamaican background with parents who saw to it that complete knowledge of ancestry and African history was prevalent in the household, recently joined the ranks of artist/activists to form SANKOFA Social Justice Organization, lead by Harry Belafonte. ", Browns estate filed awrongful death lawsuit against Nickin 2015, alleging he beat her up after a cocaine and drinking binge.. [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. If she was less influential than they were in the years since, it was only because her gift was so rare, so impossible to mimic. [34] Houston recalled recording the song at just 16 years old. The service was scheduled for two hours, but lasted four. [1] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her second on their list of the greatest singers of all time. Coming to the U.S. a British import via the Hip Hop movement, Monie Love found herself amidst the cream of the crop within the rap community. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on. and said of Houston: "When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life. [113] Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law for drunken driving, drug possession and battery, including some jail time. On January 11, 2000, while traveling with Brown, airport security guards discovered half an ounce of marijuana in Houston's handbag at Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii, but she departed before authorities could arrive. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. "[244], Houston told Winfrey that she had attended a 30-day rehabilitation program. [24][33] The offers, however, were turned down by her mother because Cissy wanted Houston to finish school. There were years we didnt speak at all, but when he got sickly, I went to the hospital and I said, lets end this right now.'. 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. [26], In the same year, Houston met Robyn Crawford while both worked as counselors at a youth summer camp in East Orange. [186][187], After spending much of the early and mid-1990s working on motion pictures and their soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed My Love Is Your Love, was released in November 1998.