Whitney Houston

In the span of one short decade, Whitney Houston has become an international superstar in the worlds of both music and motion pictures. Her first three albums for Arista Records amassed global sales of over 50 million. The Bodyguard featured Whitney in her first major motion picture role, co-starring with Oscar-winning actor/director Kevin Costner, which broke box office records worldwide. Six Houston songs highlighted the 1992 released soundtrack for the film and the response was phenomenal.

To date, the soundtrack for The Bodyguard has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and in 1994, Whitney garnered a slew of international awards including three Grammys, bringing the total in her career to five, nineteen American Music Awards, five Image Awards by the N.A.A.C.P., five Peoples Choice Awards, two Soul Train Awards, two Emmys and in November 1995, she was inducted into the Soul Train Hall of Fame.

"I Will Always Love You," the first single culled from The Bodyguard, has become the longest running #1 single in history, logging an incredible 14 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100: while three other singles from the album - "I'm Every Women," "I Have Nothing" and "Run To You" - have been major international hits for Whitney.

While music lovers the world over have helped make The Bodyguard an all-time best-selling album, movie-goers have been awed by Whitney's impressive acting debut in the film. Playing the lead role of Rachel Marron - opposite box office giant Kevin Costner in the romantic thriller, Whitney received rave notices from critics everywhere who praised her work in the film and declared The Bodyguard an auspicious beginning for Whitney as a major movie star, opening up new horizons for her.

Through her mother, R&B/Gospel star Cissy Houston, and legendary cousin Dionne Warwick, Whitney has been exposed to music since birth. As a member of the New Hope Baptist Junior choir in Newark, New Jersey (where her mother has served as the Minister of Music for many years), Whitney developed into a soloist by the age of 11. Cissy Houston's career helped provide Whitney with invaluable vocal training. Whitney was singing backup for artists like Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls while in her mid-teens, frequently appearing with Cissy in concert and local New York clubs.

While she also began pursuing a career in modeling (gracing the covers of magazines such as Glamour and Seventeen), her musical ambitions received a boost when she teamed with superstar Teddy Pendergrass for his 1984 hit duet "Hold Me."

Arista President Clive Davis signed Whitney Houston to the label in 1985, and her debut album Whitney Houston, released the same year, boasted a string of hits including "You Give Good Love," "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know", and a song that has become Whitney's all-time anthem, "The Greatest Love OF All." Not only did the album establish Whitney as an important new recording artist, it went on to sell over ten million copies in the U.S., racking up several million more sales overseas, and becoming the biggest selling album by a solo artist.

With the much-anticipated 1987 release of Whitney, Houston made history when she become the first female artist to enter the album charts at #1. Whitney, included a string of chart-toppers including "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), "So Emotional," "Love Will Save The Day," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," which established Whitney as the only artist to have seven consecutive No. 1 hits, surpassing a record previously set by The Beatles and The Bee Gees.

Her third powerhouse album I'm Your Baby Tonight, released in 1990, displayed Whitney's versatility, spanning tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance tracks, again setting sales records as a multi-platinum seller internationally. She has gone on to become an international household name, amassing countless awards and breaking box office records with her concerts worldwide.

In 1989, Whitney formed The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, Inc., a non-profit organization, who work assists with a variety of children's issues - homeless children, children with cancer and AIDS, as well as self-empowerment of today's youth. Houston has also given her time and energy to numerous other benefits and worthwhile causes including The United Negro College Fund, The Children's Diabetes Fund, St. Jude's Children's' Hospital and several noted AIDS-related organizations. In 1991, she performed for the homecoming troops of Desert Storm which was filmed for HBO as "Welcome Home Heroes With Whitney Houston" and in April of 1994, she made a surprise appearance and performed at the Rainforest benefit put together by Sting at Carnegie Hall.

Whitney spent the majority of 1994 on tour, with dates in South America and the United States. She brought her '94 tour to a close with three spectacular performances in South Africa, one of which broadcast live on HBO.

In May of 1995, Whitney completed filming her second movie, Waiting To Exhale , which was released on December 22nd by Twentieth Century Fox. The movie is based on the best selling book of the same name by Terry McMillan and stars Whitney, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon. It is directed by Forest Whitaker.

And now comes the release of the soundtrack for Waiting To Exhale, featuring three new tracks from Whitney, including; "Exhale(Shoop, Shoop)", "Count On Me", (duet with CeCe Winans) which was co-written by Whitney and Babyface, and "why Does It Hurt So Bad." The album, written and produced by Babyface was recorded by an all-star line-up including Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin, Brandy, TLC, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, CeCe Winans, Sonja Marie, SWV, Chante Moore, Patti LaBelle, Faith Evans, For Real and Shanna.

In January of 1996, Whitney Houston will co-star with Denzel Washington in The Preacher's Wife to be directed by Penny Marshall. Also in 1996, Arista will release Whitney's Greatest Hits, a multi CD package.

Whitney Houston- Discography

Waiting To Exhale (Soundtrack)

10. Hold Me