Whitney was born on 9 August 1963, Newark, New Jersey, USA. This pop and soul singer followed the traditions of her mother Cissy Houston and cousin Dionne Warwick by beginning her vocal career in gospel. There was much diversity in her early performances, however. These included engagements as backing singer with established acts, such as Chaka Khan, as well as lead vocals on the Michael Zager Band's single Life's A Party. She also appeared as a model in various magazines, and as an actress in television shows such as Give Me A Break. By 1983, she had entered a worldwide contract with Arista Records, and the following year had her first commercial success when Hold Me, a duet with Teddy Pendergrass, crept into the US Top 50. However, the rest of that year was taken up with the recording of a debut album. Clive Davis, the head of Arista, who had taken a strong personal interest in the vocalist, insisted on selecting the best songwriters and producers in search of the definitive debut album. Whitney Houston was finally released in March 1984, from which time it would begin its slow stalking of the album charts, topping them early the next year. Its steady climb was encouraged by the success of the singles You Give Good Love and Saving All My Love For You, which hit numbers 3 and 1, respectively. The latter single also saw her on top of the charts in the UK and much of the rest of the world. The disco-influenced How Will I Know and the more soul-flavoured Greatest Love Of All, both topped the US charts in rapid succession. Her domination was acknowledged by a series of prestigious awards, notably a Grammy for Saving All My Love For You and an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Program On US TV.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), released in 1987, topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, paving the way for Whitney to become the first album by a female artist to debut at number 1 on the US album chart, a feat it also achieved in the UK. The album included a version of I Know Him So Well, sang as a duet with her mother Cissy, and the ballad Didn't We Almost Have It All which became her fifth successive US number 1 shortly afterwards. However, even this was surpassed when So Emotional and Where Do Broken Hearts Go continued the sequence, breaking a record previously shared by the Beatles and the Bee Gees. In 1988, she made a controversial appearance at Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Party, where other acts accused her of behaving like a prima donna. By September, Love Will Save The Day had finally broken the winning sequence in the USA where it could only manage number 9. Another series of awards followed, including Pop Female Vocal and Soul/R&B Female Vocal categories in the American Music Awards, while rumours abounded of film offers alongside Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy.

Houston's recording of the title track to the 1988 Olympics tribute, One Moment In Time, restored her to US Top 5 prominence and topped the UK singles chart. The follow-up I'm Your Baby Tonight put her back on top of the US singles chart. Despite the relatively modest success of the album of the same name (number 3 in the US charts), All The Man That I Need compensated by becoming her ninth number 1. She became permanently enshrined in the hearts of the American public, however, when she took the microphone to perform The Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV in Miami. The public response ensured that the version emerged as a single shortly afterwards. She also performed the song at Houston as she welcomed back US troops returning from the Gulf War. Such open displays of patriotism did not endear Houston to all. Her remarkably rich voice also caused some debate, with some critics claiming that her masterful vocal technique is not equalled by her emotional commitment to her music.

In July 1992, Houston married singer Bobby Brown (the relationship would prove tempestuous). The same year she made a credible acting debut in the movie The Bodyguard. Four songs recorded by her were lifted from the phenomenally successful soundtrack album - cover versions of Dolly Parton's powerful I Will Always Love You, which topped the US chart for 14 weeks and the UK charts for nine, and Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman, and I Have Nothing and Run To You. Houston spent most of the 90s concentrating on her acting career, but made a surprise return to the studio for 1998's My Love Is Your Love. Enlisting the songwriting help of Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Diane Warren and Wyclef Jean, the album was a confident attempt by Houston to reclaim ground lost to the new diva superstars Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. When You Believe, a duet with Carey taken from the animated DreamWorks movie The Prince Of Egypt, was a transatlantic hit. With the album selling poorly, however, Houston's fortunes were revived by the US number 2 single, Heartbreak Hotel, and the atypical and hard-hitting It's Not Right But It's Okay, a US/UK Top 5 hit single.

In 2000 a Greatest Hits album was released: it contains some new duets, such as Could I have this kiss forever with Enrique Iglesias and If I told you that with George Michael. In 2001another collection: Love, Whitney, with her most famous love-songs.

THE NEW ALBUM IS JUST WITHNEY... - December 10th '02

With over 120 million albums and 50 million singles sold worldwide, Whitney Houston has already established an unparalleled legacy for herself. Yet rather than bathe in past glory, the singer who has influenced an entire generation of female vocalists now steps right back front and center with Just Whitney…, her first brand new album of the 21st century. "This album for me is about surviving, raising a family, being a wife or girlfriend and all the challenges that go along with those things", says Ms. Houston. "These songs are more about creating a mood than about anything in particular."

The A-list hitmakers and producers who contributed to this album were handpicked by Whitney and Arista President and CEO, Antonio "L.A." Reid. Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Missy Elliott, Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs, Teddy Bishop and Gordon Chambers are among some of the producers who assisted Whitney in crafting an album that is a timely testament to her endurance as a musical icon. The album is a diverse blend of ballads including Try It On My Own (written by Babyface and Carole Bayer Sager), My Love, in which Whitney duets with her husband Bobby Brown and a powerhouse remake of You Light Up My Life (originally released by Debbie Boone in 1977). Songs with hip grooves such as Love That Man and the old -school style jam Things You Say (which was written and produced by Missy Elliott) are also among the album's tracks.

The CD's promotional single (in US, while in Europe the first single is Whatchulookinat), One Of Those Days (produced by She'kspere) is an infectious song about the need to chill out, relax and get away from the stresses of everyday life. "One Of Those Days marks the joyous, triumphant return of one of the great singers, who delivers the goods in glorious voice, singing a groovy, hip-swaying composition that is at last worthy of her immense talent." - BILLBOARD.

In the same vein, with love as its theme, Things You Say, produced and co-written by Missy Elliott, is a laid-back acoustic slow jam that goes back to the old school style and flavor of classic Curtis Mayfield; in contrast, Dear John Letter, another track produced by She'kspere, details the inevitable ups and downs of a relationship and its ultimate end.

Executive-produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid and produced by Whitney and Bobby, Just Whitney… follows the 2000 release of the Greatest Hits package which sold over 8 million copies world-wide and included the gold single, Could I Have This Kiss Forever. Two years prior, My love is your love racked up 10 million global sales thanks to hits like When You Believe, Heartbreak Hotel, It's Not Right But It's OK, the title track and I Learned From The Best.

Now comes her 2002 release, a record with a decidedly personal flavor that demonstrates the maturity and growth of an artist who has consistently triumphed as a multi-talented recording artist, performer, actress, producer and entrepreneur of the first order. And, as those who know will attest, through all of her accomplishments and achievements, she has remained - as the title of her sparkling new album implies - JUST WHITNEY…

WEBSITES ----- www.whitney-houston.com        www.whitneyhouston.com

Maybe you don't know that: The name of Tiziano's dog is Whitney.....