Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012) was an American R&B/pop singer, actress, and former fashion model. Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. Inspired by several prominent soul singers in her extended family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, as well as her godmother, Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing with New Jersey church's junior gospel choir at age 11. After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. As of 2011, Houston has released six studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have had diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold certification. Houston's 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. Her second studio album, Whitney (1987), became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know", enabled several African-American female artists to follow in her success. Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. The album makes her the only female act ranked in the list of the top-10 best-selling albums, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to soundtracks, including with the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). Three years after the release of her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records. She released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney, in 2002, and the Christmas-themed One Wish: The Holiday Album in 2003. Amid widespread media coverage of personal and professional turmoil, Houston ended her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown in 2006. In 2009, Houston released her seventh studio album, I Look To You. Description above from the Wikipedia article Whitney Houston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

• 2021Whitney Houston at the BBC — Self(archive footage)
• 2012Sparkle — Emma
• Glee — In Memory Of
• 2006The Cheetah Girls 2 — Executive Producer
• Web Junk 20
• Dancing with the Stars — Thanks
• 2004Nora's Hair Salon — Whitney Houston
• 2004The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement — Producer
• 2003The Cheetah Girls — Executive Producer
• 2001The Princess Diaries — Producer
• 1999Heartbreak Hotel — Whitney Houston
• 1998The Prince of Egypt — The Balladeer (voice) (uncredited)
• 1997Cinderella — Fairy Godmother, Presenter, Executive Producer
• 1997Classic Whitney: Live from Washington, D.C. — Self, Executive Producer
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Executive Producer
• E! True Hollywood Story
• 1996The Preacher's Wife — Julia Biggs
• 1995Waiting to Exhale — Savannah
• 1995Whitney Houston Live in Brunei — self, Director
• 1992The Bodyguard — Rachel Marron, Theme Song Performance
• The Word
• 1986An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Appearances as themselves (90)

• 2026Dolly Parton: An American Original – Special Edition of 20/20 — Self (archive footage)
• 2026Dolly: An NBC News Special — Self (archive footage)
• 2026Remembering Dolly: A Rhinestone Life — Self (archive footage)
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Whitney Houston Born to Sing — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Whitney Houston: The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Commitment to Life — Self (archive footage)
• 2023I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston — Self (archive footage)
• 20222022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL — Self (archive footage)
• Biography: Bobby Brown — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20 — Self (archive footage)
• 2022George Michael: Freedom Uncut — Self (archive footage)
• Il était une fois Champs-Élysées — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Whitney, a Look Back — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Fame Kills: Whitney Houston — Self (archive footage)
• Superstar — Self (archive footage)
• This Is Pop — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Whitney Houston: As I Am — Self
• 2021You're Watching Video Music Box — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The BRITs at 40 — Self (archive footage)
• 201990s Divas: Whitney, Mariah, Céline — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Whitney — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Whitney Houston: Close Up — Self
• 2018Whitney: The Last Great Diva — Self (archive footage)
• The True Story of... — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Whitney: Can I Be Me — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers) — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Freedom : La Story de George Michael — Self (archive footage)
• 2016Night Flight: Born Again — Self
• 2015Four Falls of Buffalo — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances — Self
• 2012Always Whitney Houston — Self (archive footage)
• 2012The Houstons Remember Whitney — Self
• 2012Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love Of All — Self
• 2012Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody — Self - Vocals
• 2012Whitney Houston: The Woman Behind the Voice — Self
• 2012Whitney Houston: We Will Always Love You — Self (archive footage)
• 2011Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon — Self
• 2009O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar — Self (archive footage)
• 2006George Michael - Twenty Five — Self
• Being Bobby Brown — Self
• The Reichen Show — Self
• 2005WHITNEY HOUSTON - Live (Norfolk - USA) — Self
• 2004Retro Video Collection 1975-1999 vol3 — self
• 2003101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment — Self (archive footage)
• 2002It's Black Entertainment — Self
• 2002VH1: Divas Las Vegas — Self - Performer
• 2001A New Princess — Self
• 2001Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration — Self
• 2000Arista Records' 25th Anniversary Celebration — Self
• Boston Public — Self
• 2000Whitney Houston - The Ultimate Collection — Self (archive footage)
• 2000Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits — Self / Self - Various
• 1999VH1 Divas Live 2: An Honors Concert for VH1's Save the Music — Self - Performer
• 1997Scratch the Surface — Self
• The Music Biz — Self
• 1994Whitney Houston Live in Johannesburg 1994 — Self
• 1992Whitney Houston: This is My Life — Self - Host
• 1991The Star Spangled Basher — Self (archive footage)
• 1991Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston — Self
• 1991Whitney Houston - Live at the Yokohama Arena, Japan — Self
• 1991Whitney Houston: Live in Concert — Self
• 1990Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration — Self
• MTV Rockumentary — Self
• 1988Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul — Self
• Nase vorn — Self
• 1988Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute — Self
• 1988The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert — Self
• Kids' Choice Awards — Self - Host
• Sacrée soirée — Self
• 1987Superstars and their Moms — Self
• 1986Barbra Streisand: One Voice — Self (Interviewee)
• 1986Women in Rock — Self
• MTV Video Music Awards — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self
• Wogan — Self
• Entertainment Tonight — Self
• Wetten, dass..? — Self
• The BRIT Awards — Self
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Musical Guest
• Top of the Pops — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Grammys — Self
• The Oscars — Self
• Bambi — Self
• Whitney Houston: Live in Rio — Self