| Whitney Houston  AKA Whitney Elizabeth Houston
Born: 9-Aug-1963
Birthplace: Newark, NJ
Gender: Female
Religion: Baptist
Race or Ethnicity: Black
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Singer Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Diva and cautionary tale Whitney Houston was a fashion model before becoming a singer, and as a teen appeared on the cover of Glamour. Houston had seven consecutive #1 hit singles, and has had 23 songs reach the Top Ten. Her 1993 cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is one of the best-selling songs of all time.
Houston's mother, noted R&B singer Cissy Houston, recorded "Midnight Train to Georgia" years before Gladys Knight & the Pips. Cissy's group the Sweet Inspirations also sang back-up on many Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley hits. Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are Houston's cousins. Her parents divorced when Whitney was in kindergarten, but her father acted as her business manager through Houston's rise. He later sued to receive millions in past due compensation. He died in 2003, and his suit was dismissed in 2004.
For years there have been perpetual whispers of an eating disorder or, more commonly and obviously, drug addiction. She has been in and out of rehab repeatedly, to overcome reported addictions to cocaine, marijuana, and assorted pills. In January 2000, Houston was arrested at an airport checkpoint after two plastic baggies of marijuana and three partially smoked joints were found in her luggage. She eventually reached a plea bargain, and despite missing the court's deadline to submit proof of passing a substance-abuse evaluation, her record was wiped clean five months later. Once literally "movie star beautiful" in films like The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale, rare photos of the present-day Houston are shocking -- in her increasingly rare public appearances, she is frequently referred as "frightfully emaciated," "skeletal and frail" "scarily skinny," etc.
In 2002, she told Diane Sawyer, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight, okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." In 2003, her husband, singer Bobby Brown, was charged with battery after an argument with Houston left her with facial injuries. In 2005, she was hospitalized with what was called food poisoning.
Houston and Brown separated in October 2006, and their Georgia mansion and numerous possessions were subsequently sold to settle long-overdue mortgage payments and other debts. Father: John Houston (entertainment executive, b. 13-Sep-1920, d. 2-Feb-2003 heart disease)
Mother: Emily Drinkard ("Cissy Houston", singer)
Brother: Michael Houston (musician)
Brother: Gary Garland (stepbrother)
Brother: John Russell Houston III (stepbrother)
Mother: Peggy Houston (stepmother, m. John Houston)
Sister: Alana Houston (stepsister, born to John and Peggy Houston)
Husband: Bobby Brown (musician, m. 18-Jul-1992, sep. Oct-2006, div. 24-Apr-2007, one child)
Daughter: Bobbi Kristina (b. 4-Mar-1993, with Brown)
Boyfriend: Ray-J (rapper, dated 2007)
United Negro College Fund
Drug Possession: Marijuana Keahole-Kona Int'l Airport, Hawaii (Jan-2000)
unknown detox facility Atlanta, checked in 15 March 2004, stayed five days
unknown detox facility checked in Mar-2005
Sierra Tucson checked in Apr-2006
Miscarriage Jul-1994
Miscarriage 19-Dec-1996
Intervention organized by Clive Davis with Courtney Love
Risk Factors: Cocaine, Smoking, Marijuana
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
Cinderella (2-Nov-1997)
The Preacher's Wife (13-Dec-1996)
Waiting to Exhale (22-Dec-1995)
The Bodyguard (25-Nov-1992)
Official Website:
http://www.whitney-houston.com/
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