Celebrating the Legendary Whitney Houston (Part I)
Nine years ago today, one of the most talented and beloved performers in American history tragically died. But rather than relive the sensational details of her decline, I want to revisit the remarkable gifts she bestowed upon the world. Here I discuss her recording career and count down her greatest songs.
[Note: This article is the first part of a two-part article about the legacy of Whitney Houston. Click here for the second article, which discusses her life and lists her best albums, film performances, remixes, and live performances.]
A Few Highlights of Whitney’s Recording Career. From the time she was signed by the chairman of Arista Records at age 19 to her tragic death at the age of 48, Whitney Houston established herself as one of the greatest artists of all time. She has dozens of astonishing achievements related to her recording career, a few highlights of which I have listed below:
- She is the first and (to date) only black artist to have three albums certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for domestic sales exceeding 10 million copies (1985’s Whitney Houston, 1987’s Whitney, and 1992’s The Bodyguard Soundtrack).
- The soundtrack to The Bodyguard is currently the 5th best selling album of all time globally, with estimated sales of 45…
