BIOGRAPHY AND PERSONALITY OF A FAMOUS LEO: WHITNEY HOUSTON

Singer, actress. Born Whitney Elizabeth Houston on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey. Daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston (c.1930– ), she began singing in the local gospel choir, and became a backing singer for Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls (1933–2006), and others.

The album Whitney Houston (1985) won a Grammy award and included her first US number 1 hit single ‘Saving All My Love For You’. Her second album, Whitney (1987), entered the UK chart and became the first album by a female artist to debut at number 1. Later albums include My Love is Your Love (1999) and One Wish - The Holiday Album (2003). In 1988 she broke a US chart record with seven consecutive number 1 hits, overtaking the previous record of six achieved by The Beatles and The Bee Gees.

Houston also launched a film career, including The Bodyguard (1992) and The Preacher's Wife (1996).

In 1998, Houston’s fourth album, My Love Is Your Love, sold seven million copies worldwide on release. Though she signed the biggest record deal in history with Arista/BMG in 2001, the early 2000s saw a slump in Houston’s career. Her comeback album, Family First, was released in 2007.