Singer, 48, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on February 11

Whitney Houston, who died February 11 in Beverly Hills, California, is being remembered across the globe as a trailblazer.* Here's a look back at her rise to superstardom and the songs that made her one of pop music’s most celebrated divas.




















Among all of Houston’s groundbreaking achievements, including a tally of more than 400 career awards, her most significant feat was her record-setting string of seven consecutive Number One singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.* It broke the previous record of six set by The Bee Gees and The Beatles.* The string began on October 26, 1985 with her Grammy-winning hit “Saving All My Love For You,” and ended on April 23, 1988 with her R&B ballad “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”* It was the fourth single from her album “Whitney” to go to Number One, also a record for a female artist.* She sold more than 170 million albums worldwide and co-produced and recorded songs for one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, The Bodyguard.

Whitney Houston was born the daughter of famed gospel singer Cissy Houston in Newark, New Jersey.* Dionne Warwick was her cousin and Aretha Franklin her godmother.* She began as a gospel singer and pianist in her mother’s church and sometimes performed alongside her in nightclubs.* At age 15, Whitney sang backup on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman,” a tune she later performed on The Bodyguard soundtrack.* Her multi-octave vocal range became her signature sound, and led to her discovery by Arista Records’ president Clive Davis. *

Whitney signed with Arista in 1983 and released her self-titled debut album two years later.* The New York Times called her first effort, “an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent.”* She continued to garner similar accolades for subsequent albums, while her fast-growing fan base catapulted her into the realm of world-class entertainer.* She crossed over into acting, starring in the Hollywood blockbusters “The Bodyguard,” “Waiting To Exhale,” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”* In 1998, she released her most musically-diverse album to date, “My Love Is Your Love.”* The title track became her third best-selling single ever.

The past 10 years were filled with highs and lows.* While Whitney’s contract at Arista Records was renewed for $100 million, album sales began to slide.* Her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown ended in 2007, she canceled concerts and interviews, and allegations arose of drug abuse.* As recently as May 2011, she was enrolled at a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol problems.* Her final album I Look To You, sold more than two million copies and reached the Number One spot in 2009.

Houston’s untimely death prompted tributes the world over.* Celebrities in Los Angeles for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards spoke glowingly about her influences and contributions.* Mariah Carey said, “She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices ever to grace the earth.”* And Tony Bennett, who dedicated a song to her at a pre-Grammy party, said, “When I first heard her I called Clive Davis and said, ‘You finally found the greatest singer I’ve ever heard in my life.’”


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