Whitney Houston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whitney Houston
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Whitney Houston in 1991
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Whitney Elizabeth Houston
August 9, 1963 |
| Died | February 11, 2012 (aged 48) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Fairview Cemetery Westfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Other names | The Queen of Pop Whitney Houston-Brown |
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| Years active | 1977–2012 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Bobbi Kristina Brown |
| Parent(s) | John Russell Houston, Jr. Cissy Houston |
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Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. She was famous for her many popular songs. Some of her biggest hits include "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". She also sang a famous version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You".
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Early Life and Music
Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, John Russell Houston, Jr., worked in the Army and entertainment. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel singer. Whitney's cousins were the singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. She also had two brothers, Michael and Gary. Singer Darlene Love was her godmother. Aretha Franklin, a family friend, was like an aunt to her.
After some difficult times in Newark, Whitney's family moved to East Orange, New Jersey. Her parents later divorced.
Whitney started singing in her church choir at age five. This was at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. She also learned to play the piano there. By age eleven, she sang alone for the junior gospel choir. She performed the hymn, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah". Her mother, Cissy Houston, who was a gospel singer, greatly influenced her. Whitney was known for her amazing voice. In 1983, a person from Arista Records found her and signed her to their music label.
Whitney went to Franklin Elementary School. This school is now called the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts. She later went to an all-girls Catholic school, Mount Saint Dominic Academy. She graduated from there in 1981 when she was 17.
A Star's Journey
Whitney Houston also became a fashion model. A photographer saw her and her mother performing at Carnegie Hall. This was for the United Negro College Fund. Whitney was one of the first women of color to be on the cover of a fashion magazine. She appeared on the cover of Seventeen.
Whitney released her first album, Whitney Houston, in 1985. It had hit songs like "Saving All My Love for You" and "How Will I Know". Her second album, Whitney, came out in 1987. It included the popular songs "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "So Emotional". In 1990, her album I'm Your Baby Tonight was released. The song of the same name became a number one hit. "All the Man That I Need" also reached number one.
In 1991, she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Many people praised her performance. She starred in the movie The Bodyguard in 1992. She sang several songs for the movie's soundtrack. One of these was "I Will Always Love You", originally by Dolly Parton. This song became Whitney's biggest hit. It reached number one in many countries. Whitney was pregnant with her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, during the music video. "I Will Always Love You" became the best-selling song by a female artist. The Bodyguard soundtrack became the best-selling movie soundtrack ever. She also sang "When You Believe" with Mariah Carey for the movie The Prince of Egypt.
Whitney released more albums: My Love Is Your Love (1998), Just Whitney... (2002), and I Look to You (2009). She also appeared in the movie Sparkle with singer Jordin Sparks.
Whitney Houston won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She had seven number-one songs in a row on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She had a total of 11 number-one hits on that chart. This places her among the top female artists. She is known as the most-awarded female artist of all time.
Family Life
Whitney Houston married Bobby Brown in 1992. In 1993, they had a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown. The couple later divorced in 2007.
Her Passing
On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston was found dead. She was 48 years old. This happened in her hotel room at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The official report said she accidentally drowned in the bath. Her funeral was shown on television.
Lasting Impact
Whitney Houston is seen as one of the greatest singers ever. She is also a cultural icon. She is known as one of the most important R&B artists in history.
In March 2020, her 1992 song "I Will Always Love You" was added to the National Recording Registry. This list includes important American songs that should be saved.
Many artists have said Whitney was an influence and inspiration. These include Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Adele, Lady Gaga, and Ariana Grande.
Awards and Honors
Whitney Houston won many honors. She received 2 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards. She also won 14 World Music Awards and 16 Billboard Music Awards. She holds the record for most American Music Awards won by a woman in one year. She won eight awards in 1994. Whitney also won a record 11 Billboard Music Awards in 1993. She won five World Music Awards in 1994, which is also a record.
In 2001, Whitney was the first artist to get a BET Lifetime Achievement Award. She was only 37, making her the youngest to receive it. In 1996, she was the second person to get the BET Walk of Fame honor. At 32, she was the youngest for that award too. In 2010, BET honored her again with the BET Honors.
Whitney Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has sold over 200 million records around the world. She is the top-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century. She has also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist. As of 2025, she was one of the best-selling artists in the United States. She had 61 million certified albums. Whitney released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums. All of them have been certified as diamond, multi-platinum, or platinum.
She is the first and only black artist to have three Diamond-certified albums.
Remembering Whitney
- In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey, where Whitney went as a child, was renamed. It is now the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative & Performing Arts.
- Four albums have been released since her death. These include two collections of songs and two live albums. A concert tour called An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour ran from 2020 to 2023. It featured a projected image of Whitney.
- Madame Tussauds made four wax figures of Whitney in 2013. They were inspired by her looks from her "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" music video, The Bodyguard film, and her 1991 Super Bowl performance.
- In 2015, the Lifetime network showed a movie about her life called Whitney. Model Yaya DaCosta played Whitney.
- A documentary film called Whitney: Can I Be Me was shown on Showtime in 2017.
- Another documentary film, Whitney, came out in 2018.
- In 2019, a new version of "Higher Love" by Whitney and Kygo was released. It was very popular in many countries.
- Lifetime released the documentary Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All in 2021.
- A beautiful mural of Whitney, made of glass, was put up in Newark, New Jersey, in 2021.
- On the tenth anniversary of her death, ESPN showed a documentary. It was about her famous performance of The Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl.
- A movie about her life, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, opened in December 2022. Naomi Ackie played Whitney.
- In December 2023, a service area on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey was renamed. It is now the Whitney Houston Service Area. This honors her as an important person from New Jersey.
Discography
Studio albums
- Whitney Houston (1985)
- Whitney (1987)
- I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)
- My Love Is Your Love (1998)
- Just Whitney (2002)
- One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003)
- I Look to You (2009)
Soundtrack albums
- The Bodyguard (1992)
- The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Filmography
- The Bodyguard (1992)
- Waiting to Exhale (1995)
- The Preacher's Wife (1996)
- Cinderella (1997)
- The Princess Diaries (2001)*
- The Cheetah Girls (2003)*
- The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)*
- Nora's Hair Salon (cameo) (2004)
- The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006)*
- Sparkle (2012)
- Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
- Whitney (2018)
- The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban) (2024)
(*) = only produced, not starred in
Tours
Headlining tours
- US Summer Tour (1985)
- The Greatest Love World Tour (1986)
- Moment of Truth World Tour (1987–1988)
- Feels So Right Tour (1990)
- I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour (1991)
- The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994)
- Pacific Rim Tour (1997)
- The European Tour (1998)
- My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999)
- Nothing but Love World Tour (2009–2010)
- An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour (2020–2023)
Images for kids
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Houston performing "My Love Is Your Love" with her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown on Good Morning America, September 1, 2009
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Whitney Houston at the O2 Arena, April 28, 2010, as part of her Nothing but Love World Tour
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The Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Whitney's body was found.
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"We miss you" message at the Los Angeles Theatre.
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Flowers near the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
See also
In Spanish: Whitney Houston para niños
