History Music / WhitneyHouston

'''Whitney Elizabeth Houston''' (August 9, 1963 -- February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and a former model. In her prime, Houston -- the cousin of pop singer Music/DionneWarwick -- was known as the "Queen of Pop" and "The Voice". Houston was the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 -- February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and a former model. In her prime, Houston -- the cousin of pop singer Music/DionneWarwick -- was known as the "Queen of Pop" and "The Voice". Houston was the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010.

!!I will always trope you…
* ButNotTooBlack: Her first major hit, "You Give Good Love," had been intended only to be a major R&B hit and surprised Houston's camp with how strongly it crossed over to Pop and Adult Contemporary stations, which led Houston to begin super-serving the crossover audience with a heavy dose of pop ballads at the expense of her Urban following (who leveled the "Oreo" insult at her), particularly on her second album. Thus, her next album, ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'', was an attempt to re-establish herself as an R&B singer first and foremost, and it worked - at least until "I Will Always Love You."

[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whitney_houston-1_6326.jpg]]

!!Tropes

* CoveredUp: Her greatest hit, "I Will Always Love You", was originally a Music/DollyParton song -- not that most people ''know'' that.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 -- February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actor, producer, and a former model. In her prime, Houston -- the cousin of pop singer Music/DionneWarwick -- was known as the "Queen of Pop" and "The Voice". Houston was the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Houston sold over 170 million records in her career, but just like Music/MichaelJackson, she spent the later years of her life being ridiculed constantly for her problems with drugs & alcohol and increasingly erratic behavior, not to mention her tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown. Shortly after her death, sales of her records soared, tributes to her began to pour out, and [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead jokes about the problems she had were largely forgotten]].

+ Music/AnitaBaker, Music/JanetJackson, Music/{{Brandy}}, Music/DestinysChild, Music/{{Monica}}, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/LadyGaga, Music/JenniferHudson, Music/MariahCarey, Music/AliciaKeys, Music/CelineDion, Music/{{Ashanti}}, Music/ArianaGrande, Music/JessieJ, Music/KellyClarkson, Music/LaurynHill, Music/MaryJBlige, Music/EnVogue, Music/Aaliyah, Music/FaithHill, Music/DeborahCox, Music/VanessaWilliams and countless others]

+ Music/RobertaFlack, Music/ArethaFranklin, Cissy Houston, Music/DionneWarwick, Dee Dee Warwick, Music/ChakaKhan, Music/GladysKnight, Music/DarleneLove, Music/MinnieRiperton, Music/StevieWonder]

+ Music/RobertaFlack, Music/ArethaFranklin, Cissy Houston, Music/DionneWarwick, Dee Dee Warwick, Music/ChakaKhan, Music/GladysKnight, Music/DarleneLove]

* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Whitney Houston]]'' (1985)

* BeYourself / FollowYourHeart: "Greatest Love of All".

* TheMistress: "Saving All My Love for You," in which the narrator is a woman having an affair with a married man.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 -- February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actor, producer, and a former model. In her prime, Houston -- the cousin of pop singer Dionne Warwick -- was known as the "Queen of Pop" and "The Voice". Houston was the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010.

In the early 1990s, she branched out into acting, starring in the acclaimed film ''Film/TheBodyguard'' (1992) alongside Creator/KevinCostner. The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You" (yes, that one, written by Music/DollyParton) became pop music's best-selling single by a female vocalist. This massive success launched a short career as a movie actress and producer.

* CultSoundtrack: She is involved in two. ''The Bodyguard'' soundtrack is the bestselling film soundtrack of all time, in no small part due to her cover of "I Will Always Love You" as well as "I Have Nothing" and "I'm Every Woman". ''The Preacher's Wife'' soundtrack is also this, being the bestselling ''GospelMusic'' album of all time.

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Houston's 1991 hit, "Miracle," is widely believed to be an anti-abortion song, although Houston herself denied it specifically referred to abortion.

* LyricalShoehorn: The chorus of "Shoop shoop shoo-be-doo" in Houston's #1 hit "[[Film/WaitingToExhale Exhale (Shoop Shoop)]]" was originally intended by songwriter Music/{{Babyface}} as a placeholder until he was able to write actual lyrics. In the end, he gave up trying to write something more profound and decided to leave the song as it was. Houston still made it sound special.

** To a lesser extent, Music/CelineDion, although Celine has never been anything other than complimentary of Houston's talents and even stated Houston was an inspiration for her when she began to record in English.

* VocalEvolution: Well, "evolution"'s not exactly the word here, but the drugs changed her voice drastically in the 2000s.
** In a straightforward example, her voice notably deepened between ''The Bodyguard'' and ''My Love Is Your Love''. Her voice changed from her early soprano to a warmer mezzo-soprano, high notes still very much intact.

* DeadlyBath: Both her and her daughter, unfortunately.

In the early 1990s, she branched out into acting, starring in the acclaimed film ''Film/TheBodyguard'' (1992) alongside Creator/KevinCostner. The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You" (yes, that one, written by Music/DollyParton) became pop music's best-selling single by a female vocalist.

As successful as Houston was, her personal life was questionable. Her marriage to troubled [=R&B=] singer Music/BobbyBrown from 1992-2006, and drug use and alcohol use took its toll on Houston's voice, career as a whole, and health. She attempted a few comebacks in the 2000s, but she continued to be the subject of many tabloid stories suggesting drug binges and other escapades. She died on February 11, 2012, which was the night before the 54th Grammy Awards, drowning in her bathtub due to heart disease and cocaine use. A few years later, Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Garry Marshall, and Dawn Soler placed an "In Loving Memory of Whitney Houston: 1963-2012" screen on international prints of ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'' shown on Disney Channel (UK), BBC One (UK) and Disney Channel (Japan).

* ButNotTooBlack: Her first major hit, "You Give Good Love," had been intended only to be a major R&B hit, and surprised Houston's camp with how strongly it crossed over to Pop and Adult Contemporary stations, which led Houston to begin super-serving the crossover audience with a heavy dose of pop ballads at the expense of her Urban following (who leveled the "Oreo" insult at her), particularly on her second album. Thus, her next album, ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'', was an attempt to re-establish herself as an R&B singer first and foremost, and it worked - at least until "I Will Always Love You."
* CoverVersion: Her famous songs "I'm Every Woman", "I Will Always Love You" and "The Greatest Love of All" are covers of songs by Chaka Khan (to whom she gives a shout-out during the song's FadeOut), Music/DollyParton and George Benson, respectively. Less obvious cover versions among her hit singles include "Saving All My Love for You" (Marilyn [=McCoo=] and Billy Davis Jr.), "I Believe in You and Me" (The Four Tops), "Step by Step" (Music/AnnieLennox), and "All the Man That I Need" (originally by Linda Clifford, later a minor R&B hit for Sister Sledge).

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Houston sold over 170 million records in her career, but just like Music/MichaelJackson, she spent the later years of her life being ridiculed constantly for her problems with drugs & alcohol and increasingly erratic behavior, not to mention her tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown. Shortly after her death, sales of her records soared, tributes to her began to pour out and [[NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead jokes about the problems she had were largely forgotten]].

* LyricalDissonance: Both her version and Music/DollyParton's of "I Will Always Love You" is not a silly love song or an "I'm happy I found you" song, it's a sad, lost break-up song, yet try telling that to the many people who make it their wedding/relationship song. Including many who requested it over the years as a Long Distance Dedication on [[Creator/CaseyKasem Casey Kasem's]] "[[Radio/AmericanTop40 American Top 40"]], or on love-song request radio programs.

* TruckDriversGearChange: In some of her songs. ''I Will Always Love You'' and ''I Have Nothing'' are some examples.

** In a straightforward example, her voice notably deepened between ''The Bodyguard'' and ''My Love Is Your Love''.
*** Her voice changed from her early soprano to a warmer mezzo-soprano, high notes still very much intact.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 -- February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and a former model. In her prime, Houston -- the cousin of pop singer Dionne Warwick -- was known as the "Queen of Pop" and "The Voice". Houston was the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010.

As successful as Houston was, her personal life was questionable. Her marriage to troubled [=R&B=] singer Music/BobbyBrown from 1992-2006, and [[DrugsAreBad drug use]] and alcohol use took its toll on Houston's voice, career as a whole, and health. She attempted a few comebacks in the 2000s, but she continued to be the subject of many tabloid stories suggesting drug binges and other escapades. She died on February 11, 2012, which was the night before the 54th Grammy Awards, drowning in her bathtub due to heart disease and cocaine use. A few years later, Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Garry Marshall, and Dawn Soler placed an "In Loving Memory of Whitney Houston: 1963-2012" screen on international prints of ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'' shown on Disney Channel (UK), BBC One (UK) and Disney Channel (Japan).

* CultSoundtrack: She is involved in two. ''The Bodyguard'' soundtrack is one of the bestselling albums of all time, in no small part due to her cover of "I Will Always Love You" as well as "I Have Nothing" and "I'm Every Woman". ''The Preacher's Wife'' soundtrack is also this, being ''the'' bestselling GospelMusic album of all time.