Whitney Houston, American singer, performer and actress and one of the most successful female artists of all time, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room this weekend – just hours before she was expected to appear at an annual pre-Grammy party. Even though the 80’s and 90’s saw the heights of Houston’s career, her legacy will live on for decades to come. Between her record breaking career and her troubled personal life, Houston will be remembered for her achievements in the music industry.
Born into a musically-inclined family, Houston was inspired into a singing career by her mother, Cissy Houston, her godmother, Aretha Franklin, and other successful soul singers in her family. She started her singing career by performing as part of a gospel church choir and continued to sing in night clubs with her mother, where she was discovered by Clive Davis at Arista records. Her debut album Whitney Houston climbed the charts when it became the best-selling debut album by a female act in 1985. From 1985 to 2012, she released seven studio albums and three movie soundtracks, all of which have enjoyed considerable success.
In 2009 Guinness World Records listed Whitney Houston as the most-awarded female act of all time. So far, Whitney Houston has been the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 Hits. In 1992 she starred in the film The Bodyguard which featured her biggest hit – a 12 million record-selling version of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You.
And so it goes… another commercial co. makes money from the dead Ms Houston… and this is most of the reason for her death… she no longer felt like a person, just a commodity. sigh. RIP