A soul that will always be loved

By Melanie Henderson

BuenosAiresHerald.com staff.

The loss of another music legend is upon us, and as the news of Whitney Houston’s death starts to sink in, it becomes impossible to doubt that she was one of the most talented and successful singers in history.

A singer, actress, model, producer and mother, Whitney Houston appeared to have it all, as she broke records with her success winning countless awards and performing alongside some of the world’s finest musicians.

Even though she is probably best known for her blockbuster rendition of the Dolly Parton classic, “I Will Always Love You,” the key soundtrack song accompanying her appearance alongside Kevin Costner in the 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” Houston’s singing career began back in the 1980s when she was scouted in New York.

The roots of an iconic voice

Houston’s rare and raw vocal talent trace back to her gospel and soul roots where she began. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, Whitney grew up listening to gospel and soul artists, being highly influenced by her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston who also sang back-up for the likes of Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.

Her godmother Franklin influenced her, but she also had more soul singers in her New Jersey family, which included cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick.

Whitney was exposed to singing from a very early age, as she used to move around with her mother to a multitude of gigs. At the age of 11 she joined a choir, and by the age of 15 she was singing back-up vocals to Chaka Khan’s song ‘I’m Every Woman’. Later on in her career, she recreated the song for ‘The Bodyguard’ film.

Although she is mainly known for being a singer, she actually started off as a model, and during the early 1980s she modeled for many US magazines, which also saw her being one of the first African American women to appear of the cover of ‘Seventeen’ magazine.

The rise to fame

The singer was spotted whilst performing at a club on stage in New York with her mother, when a scout for music label Arista Records was wowed by her talent. Later the same scout insisted the Arista boss Clive Davis see her sing, which consequently gave the singer her big break as a solo artist.

Between 1983 when she got signed and her unforgettable appearance in “The Bodyguard” in 1992, Houston had a number of big hits, such as the notable songs “How Will I Know,” “Saving All My Love for You,” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”

After appearing alongside Kevin Costner in the role that could be arguably the catapulting moment in her career, "I Will Always Love You" rocked the top spot of the charts worldwide, making Houston a household name.

Much like the late Michael Jackson, she broke barriers with her music but in addition she honed in on her acting skills, going on to star in “Waiting to Exhale” in 1995 and then the gospel music-inspired film “The Preacher's Wife" in 1996.

In 1998, she released her hit album “My love is your love” which featured collaborations with some of the biggest names in the music business, such as Faith Evans, Kelly Price and Wyclef Jean.

After her 2000 greatest hits release “Whitney: The Greatest Hits,” her career began to be tainted by the problems in her personal life.

Her marriage to singer Bobby Brown, who had a bad-boy reputation, who she was with for 14 years saw a tumultuous relationship fueled by drugs.

The last 10 years of Houston's life were dominated by her drug use, rumours of relapses and trips to rehab. In a 2002 TV interview with Dianne Sawyer, she admitted using marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.

She launched a comeback tour in 2009 with the album release of “I Look to You,” making some appearances on television singing her the single "Million Dollar Bill" which saw the singer not entirely looking or sounding herself. In April 2010 the singer called media reports she was using drugs again "ridiculous."

Even still, by May 2011, Houston had enrolled in another drug and alcohol rehab program.

Although the singer struggled through the ups and downs of fame her music remains iconic and with 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammys and a multitude of different awards around the world, she will go down in music history as one of the greatest singers of all time.

Selling 170 million albums, singles and videos the world over, and inspiring artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey to mention a few, it is certain and very clear Whitney Houston is a soul that will always be loved and will forever continue to inspire.