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[[Image:Zeus Typhon Staatliche Antikensammlungen 596.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[Zeus]] darting his lightning at Typhon, Chalcidian black-figured [[hydria]], ca. [[550 BC]], [[Staatliche Antikensammlungen]] (Inv. 596)]]
{{Infobox musical artist 2
|Name = Whitney Houston
|Img = Whitney Houston 005.jpg
|Img_capt = Whitney Houston Performing Live
|Background = solo_singer
|Birth_name = Whitney Elizabeth Houston
|Born = {{birth date and age|1963|08|9}}
|Died =
|Origin = {{flagicon|USA}} [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]], [[New Jersey]], [[United States]]
| Instrument = [[Vocals]], [[piano]]
|Genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]], [[Gospel music|gospel]]
|Occupation = [[Singer]], [[Actor|actress]], [[film producer]], [[Model (person)|fashion model]], [[songwriter]]
|Years_active = 1977–present <small>(singer)</small> <br> 1980–present <small>(fashion model)</small> <br> 1992–present <small>(actress)</small> <br> 2000–present <small>(film producer)</small>
|Label = [[Sony BMG Music Entertainment|SonyBMG]]/[[Arista Records|Arista]]
|URL = [http://www.whitneyhouston.com/ WhitneyHouston.com]
}}
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Typhon''' ([[ancient Greek]]: {{polytonic|Τυφῶν}}), also '''Typhoeus''' ({{polytonic|Τυφωεύς}}), '''Typhaon''' ({{polytonic|Τυφάων}}) or '''Typhus''' ({{polytonic|Τυφώς}}) is the final son of [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]], with [[Tartarus]]; Typhon attempts to replace Zeus as the king of gods and men. [[Hesiod]] narrates his birth:
'''Whitney Elizabeth Houston''' (born on [[August 9]], [[1963]]), is an [[United States|American]] [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]/[[Pop music|pop]] [[singer]], [[Actor|actress]], former [[Model (person)|fashion model]], record and [[film producer]]. Houston is one of the most successful pop singers of all time, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. Her body of work includes [[ballad]]s, [[dance-pop]] and [[urban contemporary]] [[soul music|soul]]. She is well known for her vocal power, control, range and [[coloratura soprano]] voice,<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.signandsight.com/features/931.html|title=Cutting the Coloratura|publisher=Sign and Sight}}</ref> thus often being known by the title "The Voice".{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
:''But when Zeus had driven the [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]] from heaven,
Houston was one of the first [[African American]] artists to find success on MTV in [[Michael Jackson]]'s wake. She became the first artist to have seven consecutive U.S. number-one singles, her 1992 [[Dolly Parton]] cover "[[I Will Always Love You]]" (from the soundtrack of ''[[The Bodyguard]]'') became one of the biggest singles in music history.<ref>[http://www.mediatraffic.de/alltime-track-chart.htm|ttile=All Time Singles]</ref> She later branched out into acting and eventually became a businesswoman, setting up production and recording studios while continuing to record music. In the 2000s, Houston's personal life became the subject of controversy because of her marriage to [[Bobby Brown]] allegations of [[drug abuse]], especially after repeated cancellations of public appearances and erratic behaviour. Her record sales during this period were modest. Houston has since undergone a successful intense rehabilitation process and is currently recording an album that will be released in the fall of 2007.
:''mother Earth bare her youngest child Typhoeus of the love of
:''Tartarus, by the aid of golden [[Aphrodite]].'' —Hesiod, ''[[Theogony]]'' 820-822.
==Early life==
Houston was born in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], [[New Jersey]] to John and [[Cissy Houston]]. She was born and raised [[Baptist]] but also exposed to the Pentecostal church. She attended a [[Roman Catholic]] single-sex high school Mount Saint Dominic Academy.
Houston's mother ([[Cissy Houston]]), first cousin ([[Dionne Warwick]]) and godmother ([[Aretha Franklin]]) are all notable figures in [[gospel music]], [[rhythm and blues]] and [[soul music]] recordings. At the age of eleven, Houston began to follow in their footsteps and started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.
==Music career==
===Early years (1977–1984)===
In 1977, Houston was featured as the lead vocalist on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party" and Zager later offered to obtain a record deal for her but she declined. She also sang background vocals with her mother, Cissy Houston, for Chaka Khan's hit single "Papillon (A.K.A. Hot Butterfly)" in 1979, which was released on the album ''Naughty'' in 1980. In the early-1980s, she started appearing as a fashion model in various magazine advertisements and snagged the cover of ''[[Seventeen (magazine)|Seventeen]]'' magazine and a [[Canada Dry]] commercial. During these modeling years, she continued to advance her singing career by working with producers Michael Bienhorn, [[Bill Laswell]] and Martin Bisi on an album they were spearheading called ''One Down'', which was credited to the group [[Material (band)|Material]]. It was planned to contain eight songs, each one featuring a different lead vocalist. Houston contributed the ballad "Memories", which received favorable reviews from ''[[The Village Voice]]'' when the album debuted.
Houston had been offered several record deals (from Michael Zager in 1980, and Elektra Records in 1981) and in 1983 an A&R representative from [[Arista Records|Arista]] saw Houston performing with her mother in a nightclub in [[New York City]]. He convinced the head of the record label, [[Clive Davis]], to take time to see Houston singing at the nightclub. Davis saw her perform and offered her a worldwide contract, which Houston signed. Her debut album took over two years to complete.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Before the release of her own debut album, Houston recorded a duet with [[Teddy Pendergrass]] entitled "Hold Me", which first appeared on his album ''Love Language''. The single peaked in the top fifty on the U.S. pop chart and the top five on the R&B chart, and it later appeared on her debut album.
===First releases and mainstream success (1985–1992)===
[[Image:WhitneyHoustonAlbumCover.gif|thumb|left|180px|''Whitney Houston'' (1985)]]
Houston's self-titled 1985 debut album was initially a slow seller until the success of its single "[[You Give Good Love]]", which peaked inside the top five on the U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Follow-up singles "[[Saving All My Love for You]]", "[[How Will I Know]]" and "[[Greatest Love of All]]" went to number one on the pop chart, and ''[[Whitney Houston (album)|Whitney Houston]]'' eventually topped the album chart, giving her hits in the U.S., [[United Kingdom]], Europe, [[Asia]], [[Australia]], and [[Africa]]. The album sold over thirteen million copies at its time of release (eight million of those in the U.S.); for thirteen years, it was the best-selling debut album by a female artist. To date, Houston's debut has sold over thirteen million copies in the U.S. alone, and twenty-four million copies worldwide.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Houston's first tour, the worldwide The Greatest Love Tour, took place in 1986.
Houston set yet another record with the release of her second album, ''[[Whitney (album)|Whitney]]'' (1987), which consisted mainly of pop songs and followed in the steps of its predecessor. It debuted at number one in various countries around the world, including the U.S. and the UK, and in those two countries she was the first female artist to accomplish that feat. It sold twelve million copies worldwide on release (eight million of those in the U.S.), championed by such singles as "[[I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)]]", "[[Didn't We Almost Have It All]]", "[[So Emotional]]" and "[[Where Do Broken Hearts Go]]". These singles brought her total of consecutive Hot 100 number-one hits to seven, breaking the record of six previously shared by [[The Beatles]] and [[The Bee Gees]]. Another song, "[[Love Will Save the Day]]", hit the U.S. top ten. Houston embarked on the worldwide The Moment of Truth tour. She also recorded the theme song to the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]], "[[One Moment in Time]]", which peaked at number five in the U.S. and reached number one in the UK.
Houston's third album, ''[[I'm Your Baby Tonight]]'' (1990), featured singing and production collaborations with [[Babyface]], [[Stevie Wonder]], and [[Luther Vandross]] and reached number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. It did not sell as highly as her first two albums, but sold well with eight million copies moved worldwide at its time of release (four million of those in the U.S.).{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The first two singles, "[[I'm Your Baby Tonight (song)|I'm Your Baby Tonight]]" and "[[All the Man That I Need]]" went to number one in the U.S., and "[[Miracle (song)|Miracle]]" went top ten. "[[My Name Is Not Susan]]" was a top twenty hit and "[[I Belong to You (Whitney Houston song)|I Belong to You]]" became an R&B hit only, peaking in the top ten on that chart. In 1991 Houston embarked I'm Your Baby Tonight Tour, which ''Rolling Stone'' poll voters voted "Worst Tour of the Year".<ref>''Rolling Stone'', December 1991 year-end issue.</ref> When on tour, she and then boyfriend Bobby Brown wrote the song "[[Something in Common]]", which became a UK hit. The song examines two unlikely people coming together as they found "something in common".
Following the success of the film ''The Bodyguard'', Houston embarked on a worldwide tour in 1993; the tour concluded in 1994 followed by a special concert in South Africa.
Houston's [[lip-synch]]ed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/012801/SuperBowl2001/The_toughest_2_minute.shtml|title=The toughest 2 minutes|author=Fleming, John|publisher=St. Petersburg Times|date=January 28, 2001}}</ref> performance of "[[The Star Spangled Banner]]" at [[Super Bowl XXV]] in January 1991 was released as a single, reaching the top twenty on the U.S. Hot 100 and making her the only artist to turn the national anthem into a chart hit.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Houston donated her share of the proceeds to the [[American Red Cross]]. This performance of the national anthem was named number one in the [[NFL]]'s 2003 list of Top 25 greatest moments in NFL history.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
===Soundtrack recordings (1993–1997) ===
Houston has several chart successes with soundtracks to films in which she has appeared.
The soundtrack to the film ''[[The Bodyguard]]'' has become the second best-selling soundtrack album ever: current sales stand at thirty seven million, with seventeen million of those sold in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600142714,00.html|title=Soccer and music fans sound|publisher=Deseret Morning News }}</ref> The album won "Album of the Year" and "Record of the Year" at the following Grammy Awards.
Houston recorded three songs for the ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' soundtrack. As of January, 2006, sales stand at 5.1 million copies in the U.S;<ref name="bb2006">http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878</ref> it is certified seven-times platinum by the RIAA. The soundtrack holds the record as the most Grammy Award-nominated album of all time.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Houston received three of them.
The soundtrack to ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' included Houston's first gospel recordings. The album had sales of 2.5 million in the U.S. through January 2006,<ref name="bb2006" /> and it is certified three-times platinum. It is the highest-selling gospel album of all time.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
===Subsequent albums (1998–2001) ===
''[[My Love Is Your Love]]'' (1998), Houston's fourth studio album, was originally conceived as a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, but recording sessions produced enough new material for a full-length album. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, ''My Love Is Your Love'' received critical acclaim{{Fact|date=February 2007}} and sold eleven million copies worldwide on release (four million of those in the U.S.).{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Houston served as one of the album's producers, and the album was more R&B and hip-hop driven than past releases as she collaborated with [[Wyclef Jean]], [[Missy Elliott]], [[Lauryn Hill]], and once again Babyface. First single, "[[When You Believe]]", was a duet with [[Mariah Carey]] recorded for the soundtrack to ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]''; it reached the U.S. top twenty and won an [[Academy Award]]. Next singles "[[Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song)|Heartbreak Hotel]]" (featuring [[Faith Evans]] and [[Kelly Price]]), "[[It's Not Right but It's Okay]]" (which won Houston her sixth [[Grammy Award]]) and "[[My Love Is Your Love (song)|My Love Is Your Love]]" reached the U.S. top five. Another single, "[[I Learned from the Best]]" peaking inside the top forty. All singles except "When You Believe" became number-one dance hits, continuing Houston's presence on the U.S. club scene. Before the successful My Love Is Your Love World Tour, she performed on the ''VH1 Diva's Live '99'' special with artists such as [[Mary J. Blige]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Cher]], and [[Chaka Khan]]. Current sales of the album in the U.S. are at 2.7 million.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878 http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878] ''Billboard.com'' </ref>
The album and DVD ''[[Whitney: The Greatest Hits]]'' (2000) reached the U.S. top five, with two weeks spent at number one on the UK chart. Many of the past uptempo songs were remixed to [[house music]] and dancefloor-ready songs, while the ballads were left unchanged. The DVD features [[music videos]] of past hits as well as actual live performances, interviews, and special features. The compilation also includes a previous unreleased duet with [[Jermaine Jackson]], and new duets with [[Enrique Iglesias]] ("[[Could I Have This Kiss Forever]]"), [[George Michael]] ("[[If I Told You That]]") and [[Deborah Cox]] ("[[Same Script, Different Cast]]"). The album was a success, selling 1.5 million copies in the U.S.,<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878 http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878] ''Billboard.com'' </ref> and it is certified three-times platinum.
===Just Whitney (2001–2005)===
In August 2001, Houston signed the biggest record deal in history with Arista/BMG: She renewed her contract (worth $100 million) to deliver six new albums on which she would also earn royalties.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Two months later, Houston re-released her version of "[[The Star Spangled Banner]]" after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11th attacks]]. It reached the U.S. top ten, achieving [[platinum single|platinum]] status, and its proceeds were donated to a relief fund.
''[[Just Whitney]]'' (2002), Houston's fifth studio album, featured collaborations with then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as [[Missy Elliott]], and the ten song collection saw Houston incorporate pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock, and dance. The album received mixed reviews on release<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/houstonwhitney/justwhitney</ref> and landed in the U.S. top ten, but it failed to reach the top seventy-five in the UK. The singles "[[Whatchulookinat]]" (co-written by Houston), "[[One of Those Days]]" and "[[Try It on My Own]]" were not top forty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, but remixes of "Whatchulookinat", "Try It on My Own" and "[[Love That Man]]" became hits on the Billboard [[Hot Dance Music/Club Play]] Chart. Current sales of the album are at 731,000 in the U.S.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878 http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878] ''Billboard.com'' </ref>
''[[One Wish: The Holiday Album]]'' (2003) was a specialty album and her sixth studio album, and it consisted of covers of Christmas songs such as "Noel" ([[The First Noel]]), "[[Deck the Halls]]/[[Silent Night (song)|Silent Night]]" and "[[Little Drummer Boy]]" featuring daughter Bobbi Kristina. The single "One Wish (for Christmas)" (a cover of the [[Freddie Jackson]] song) reached the top twenty on Billboard's [[Adult Contemporary (Billboard chart)|Adult Contemporary chart]], but the album itself failed to achieve [[gold album|gold]] status in the U.S., Houston's first studio album not to do so,<ref>http://www.riaa.com/</ref> and it sold just 348,000 copies.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878 http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001807878] ''Billboard.com'' </ref>
In 2004, Houston embarked on an international tour, the Soul Divas tour with [[Natalie Cole]] and cousin Dionne Warwick in Europe, before embarking on solo dates in the [[Middle East]], [[Russia]], and Asia. In September 2004 she made a surprise performance at the [[World Music Awards]], in tribute to long time friend Clive Davis.
===Current/anticipated career activity (2006–present)===
Whitney Houston attended the Carousel of Hope Ball in October 2006, where [[Katherine McPhee]] dedicated a performance of Houston's "I Have Nothing" to her. [[Clive Davis]] said at the ball that he and Houston "are getting our things together, and we are going to make a killer, killer album".{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
Houston was featured on the song "Family First" from the soundtrack of the 2007 film ''[[Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls]]''. The song also featured Houston's mother [[Cissy Houston]], Houston's cousin [[Dionne Warwick]], Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina, and most of her other relatives.
Houston started recording a new album in LA mid-March 2007.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Houston started recording with [[Johnta Austin]]. Clive Davis said in an interview that he would like Houston to record the song "I Look to You", written by [[R. Kelly]], and predicted that song would make the comeback.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Davis has made it clear that this will be a Whitney Houston album, focusing on her, and less on "flavor of the moment" sounds.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
==Film and television career==
[[Image:Whitney Houston- The Bodyguard Cover.jpg|thumb|right|180px|''The Bodyguard Soundtrack'' (1992)]]
During the 1980s, as Houston was working on launching a music career, she auditioned for acting roles, including the part of Sondra Huxtable on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', which was won by [[Sabrina Le Beauf]]. Houston acted on episodes of ''[[Gimme a Break]]'' with [[Nell Carter]] and ''[[Silver Spoons]]'' with [[Rick Schroder]] before her debut album was released.
Houston's first film role was in ''[[The Bodyguard]]'' released in 1992 and co-starring [[Kevin Costner]]. The film was successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide. Reviews, however, were mixed, and Houston received two [[Razzie Award]] nominations.
In 1995, Houston starred alongside [[Angela Bassett]], [[Loretta Devine]], and [[Lela Rochon]] in the film ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'', about four African-American women struggling with relationships. The film grossed $67 million in the U.S. and $82 million worldwide.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} In the 1996 film ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'', Houston starred with [[Denzel Washington]]. It grossed nearly $50 million in the U.S. and $70 million worldwide.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
In 1997, she co-produced and starred in (along with [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]], [[Jason Alexander]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], and [[Bernadette Peters]]) a made-for-television remake of [[Rodgers & Hammerstein]]'s ''[[Cinderella (TV)|Cinderella]]''. Airing in November 1997 via [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], the film attracted more than sixty million U.S. viewers and won an Emmy Award.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
Houston has served as a producer or executive producer on other films, including the [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] comedy ''[[The Princess Diaries (film)|The Princess Diaries]]'', starring [[Anne Hathaway (actress)|Anne Hathaway]] and Dame [[Julie Andrews]]. The film grossed more than $100 million at the U.S. [[box office]], and her production company Brownhouse received a percentage of the profits..{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Houston served as one of the producers on three other projects for Disney: the 2003 television film ''[[The Cheetah Girls (film)|The Cheetah Girls]]'' (starring [[Raven-Symone]]) and the sequel ''[[The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement]]'', which grossed more than $90 million at the U.S. box office.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} In May 2006, Houston also was an executive producer for ''[[The Cheetah Girls]]'' sequel ''[[The Cheetah Girls 2: When in Spain]]''.
In 2005, Houston co-starred in her then-husband's reality TV program ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]'', which provided a view into the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. The show was a ratings success.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
== Personal problems ==
===Drug and health issues===
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Shortly before the release of ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' in April 2000, airport security discovered [[marijuana]] in Houston and husband [[Bobby Brown]]'s luggage at a Hawaiian airport, but they boarded the plane and departed before police could arrive. Charges were later dropped against her and Brown but other rumors about drug use developed around the couple, and Houston became well known in the industry for canceling appearances. Shortly before the December 2002 release of ''Just Whitney'', Houston gave an interview with [[Diane Sawyer]] where she discussed drug allegations and marital issues. She denied using [[crack cocaine]], stating that "crack is [[wack]]", and suggested the power of [[prayer]] had kept temptation at bay. Houston entered drug rehabilitation facilities in March 2004 and again in March 2005.
In addition to the allegations about [[drug abuse]], Houston's appearance has led to speculation that she was [[anorexia nervosa|anorexic]], had an eating disorder, or experienced weight loss in conjunction with the drug usage. In particular, Houston's appearance at the 30th anniversary concert for singer [[Michael Jackson]] elicited a strong response.<ref name="didntshealmost">{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/04/12/whitney_houston/index_np.html|title=Didn't she almost have it all?|publisher=Salon.com|date=April 12, 2006}}</ref>
===John Houston dispute===
Houston became involved in a dispute with her father, John Houston. In 2002, John Houston's company sued his daughter for $100 million, stating that they owed the money for helping to guide her career, as well as helping Houston manage the controversies surrounding her career.<ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0212/05/lt.07.html "'Celebrity Justice' Producer Discusses Whitney Houston Trial"], CNN, December 5, 2002.</ref> Both of them appeared on television and disputed the other's claims.<ref>[http://www.whitney-fan.com/nr/tv/015.shtml Transcript of ''Primetime Live'' feature], ABC, December 4, 2002; hosted at fan site Whitney-Fan.com</ref> John Houston died in February 2003.
===Financial problems===
On [[January 3]], [[2007]], the ''[[New York Post]]'' reported that "in an embarrassing financial scare last year, Houston. . .nearly lost her spectacular $6 million, 10-acre estate in Morris County because she owed tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes."<ref>http://www.nypost.com/seven/01032007/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm</ref> The article then went on to detail how Houston was selling hundreds of her famous stage outfits and accessories at an auction, including intimate undergarments, in "an event that could earn her hundreds of thousands of dollars in welcome cash." ''[[The Toronto Star]]'' newspaper reported on [[January 4]], [[2007]], that the items were being sold "in an effort to cover unpaid storage fees."<ref>http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/167604</ref> [[Reuters]] reported on that same date that Houston was "being forced to sell off clothes, instruments and sound equipment to pay a debt to a warehouse storing the items" and that the sale "has been ordered by the New Jersey Superior Court."<ref>http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=peopleNews&storyID=2007-01-03T221146Z_01_N03276278_RTRIDST_0_PEOPLE-HOUSTON-AUCTION-DC.XML</ref>
Houston lost her [[Atlanta]] estate in a foreclosure sale in November 2006 because mortgage payments were in arrears.<ref>http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007000393,00.html</ref> On [[November 16]], [[2006]], the [[Associated Press]] reported that Houston's mansion in [[Mendham, New Jersey]], currently assessed at $5.6 million, was due to be sold at a [[sheriff's sale]] in January 2007 because of more than $1 million in unpaid mortgage payments and taxes.<ref>http://news.aol.com/entertainment/music/articles/_a/houston-faces-mansion-foreclosure/20061116071909990001?cid=918</ref>
==Family life==
Houston was married [[R&B]] singer [[Bobby Brown]] in 1992. On [[March 4]] [[1993]] she gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown.
In September 2006, it was reported that the couple were in the process of their going through divorce. Houston filed legal papers to initiate the process, but there are conflicting reports as to what occurred. According to publicist Nancy Seltzer, Houston filed for divorce from Brown on [[September 8]] 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213689,00.html|title=Whitney Houston Files for Divorce From Bobby Brown|date=September 13, 2006|author=Associated Press}}</ref> However, Brown's lawyer, Phaedra Parks, indicated that the action was a legal separation, and not a petition for divorce. Parks indicated that in the separation papers, Houston requested custody of the couple's daughter, and requested that any property litigation be postponed until a later date.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/13/whitneyhouston.divorce.ap/index.html "Whitney's prerogative: Leaving Bobby Brown"], [[CNN]], September 14, 2006.</ref> The separation progressed to divorce, however, which was filed [[October 16]], 2006. Houston hired attorney Stephen Kolodny, who has represented many celebrities in their divorce trials. On February 1, 2007 Whitney asked the court to fast track their divorce.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=1&num=39319|title=Whitney Houston Hires Heavyweight Help For Divorce Battle|date=September 14, 2006|publisher=The Post Chronicle|work=Tittle Tattle Too}}</ref> Houston was also granted custody of their daughter. The divorce became final on [[April 24]], [[2007]].
==Awards==
Houston has won twenty-three American Music Awards (a record for a solo artist), six [[Grammy Awards]], and two [[Emmy Awards]] among her many accolades. She holds the [[Guinness World Record]] for being the most awarded female artist of all time. Among the recognition Houston has received:
In the alternative account of the origin of Typhaon, the [[Homeric Hymn]] to [[Apollo]] makes the monster Typhaon at [[Delphi]] a son of archaic [[Hera]] in her [[Eteocretan language|Minoan form]], produced out of herself, like a monstrous version of [[Hephaestus]], and whelped in a cave in [[Cilicia]] and confined there in the enigmatic land of the Arimi— ''en Arimois'' (''[[Iliad]]'', ii. 781-783). It was in Cilicia that Zeus battled with the ancient monster and overcame him, in a more complicated story: It was not an easy battle, and Typhon temporarily overcame Zeus, cut the "sinews" from him and left him in the "leather sack", the ''korukos'' that is the etymological origin of the ''korukion atron'', the Korykian or [[Corycian Cave]] in which Zeus suffers temporary eclipse as if in the Land of the Dead. The region of Cilicia in southeastern [[Anatolia]] had many opportunities for coastal Hellenes' connection with the [[Hittites]] to the north. From the first reappearance of the Hittite myth of [[Illuyankas]], it has been seen as a prototype of the battle of Zeus and Typhon.<ref>W. Porzig, "Illuyankas und Typhon", ''Kleinasiatische Forschung'' I.3 (1930) pp 379-86.</ref> [[Walter Burkert]] and [[Calvert Watkins]] each note the close agreements. Watkins' ''How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics'' (Oxford University Press) 1995, reconstructs in disciplined detail the flexible [[Indo-European]] poetic formula that underlies myth, epic and magical charm texts of the lashing and binding of Typhon.
For ''Whitney Houston'':
* [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]]" [[Grammy Award]] for "Saving All My Love for You"
* [[Emmy Award]] for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety Program on TV"
The inveterate enemy of the [[Twelve Olympians|Olympian gods]] is described in detail by Hesiod<ref>''[[Theogony]]'' 820-868</ref> as a vast grisly monster with a [[Multi-headed animal|hundred snakelike heads]] "with dark flickering tongues" flashing fire from their eyes and a din of voices and a hundred [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpents]] issuing from his thighs, a feature shared by many primal monsters of Greek myth that extend in serpentine or scaly coils from the waist down. The titanic struggle created earthquakes and [[tsunami]]s.<ref>"The whole earth seethed, and sky and sea: and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about, at the rush of the deathless gods: and there arose an endless shaking." (Hesiod, ''Theogony'').</ref> Once conquered by [[Zeus]]' thunderbolts, Typhon was cast into Tartarus, the common destiny of many such archaic adversaries, or he was confined beneath [[Mount Aetna]] ([[Pindar]], ''Pythian Ode'' 1.19 - 20; [[Aeschylus]], ''Prometheus Bound'' 370). where "his bed scratches and goads the whole length of his back stretched out against it," or in other [[Volcano|volcanic]] regions, where he is the cause of eruptions.
For ''Whitney'':
* [[Grammy Award]], Best Female Pop Vocal Performance " for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"
* Several American Music Awards for "Whitney"
Typhon is thus the [[chthonic]] figuration of volcanic forces, as Hephaestus (Roman [[Vulcan (god)|Vulcan]]) is their "civilized" Olympian manifestation. Amongst his children by [[Echidna (mythology)|Echidna]] are [[Cerberus]], the serpent-like [[Lernaean Hydra]], the [[Chimera (creature)|Chimera]], the hundred-headed dragon [[Dragons in Greek mythology|Ladon]], the half-woman half-lion [[Sphinx]], the two-headed wolf [[Orthus]], [[Ethon]] the eagle who tormented [[Prometheus]], and the [[Nemean Lion]].
For ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'':
* Four [[Billboard Music Awards]]
Typhon is also the father of hot dangerous [[anemoi|storm winds]] which issue forth from the stormy pit of Tartarus, according to Hesiod.
For ''The Bodyguard'' soundtrack:
* Grammy Awards for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance", "[[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]]" and "[[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]"
* Eleven [[Billboard Music Awards]]
* Eight [[American Music Awards]]
His name is apparently derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] "typhein", to smoke, hence it is considered to be a possible [[etymology]] for the word ''[[typhoon]],'' supposedly borrowed by the [[Persians]] (as طوفان ''Tufân'') and [[Arab]]s to describe the [[Cyclone|cyclonic storms]] of the [[Indian Ocean]]. The Greeks also frequently represented him as a storm-daemon, especially in the version where he stole Zeus's thunderbolts and wrecked the earth with storms (cf. Hesiod, Theogony; Nonnus, Dionysiaca).
For the ''Waiting to Exhale'' soundtrack:
* Three [[NAACP Image Awards]] for "Outstanding Female Artist", "Album of the Year" and "Best Soundtrack Album"
* One American Music Award for "Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist".
* [[Soul Train Music Award]] for "Best Female R&B/Soul Single"
For ''My Love Is Your Love'':
* MTV Europe Award for "Best R&B Artist"
* Two NAACP Image Awards
* Grammy Award for "[[Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance|Best Female R&B Vocal Performance]]" ("It's Not Right but It's Okay")
Since [[Herodotus]], Typhon has been identified with the Egyptian [[Set (mythology)|Set]] ([[interpretatio Graeca]]). In the [[Orphic]] tradition, Typhon leads the Titans when they attack and kill [[Dionysus]], just as [[Set (mythology)|Set]] is responsible for the murder of [[Osiris]]. Furthermore, the slaying of Typhon by Zeus is analogous to the killing of [[Vritra]] by [[Indra]] (also a lightning deity), and two stories likely are ultimately derived from a common Indo-European myth.
Other recognition:
* [[Soul Train Music Award]] for "Artist of the Decade"
* Lifetime Achievement Award at the [[BET Awards]] in 2001; this was the first year of the awards. During the dedication segment of the ceremony, singers [[Christina Aguilera]] and [[Luther Vandross]] paid tribute to Houston.
*A 2004 Women's World Award: Lifetime Achievement Award (for outstanding contributions/success in music and film)
*Best Ever Selling Gospel Album: ''The Preacher's Wife'' (Whitney Houston) (six million copies){{Fact|date=April 2007}}
*A 2006 [[Guinness World Record]] - Most Awarded/Popular Female Artist of All Time: Whitney Houston, 411 awards.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
==In popular culture==
==Discography==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Typhon is the two-headed tyrant of Urth in [[Gene Wolfe]]'s ''[[Book of the New Sun]]''—who built the [[generation ship]] ''Whorl'' in ''[[Book of the Long Sun]]'' and is referred to there as Pas.
*Typhon is the main "villain" in the mythology-based computer action-[[RPG]] ''[[Titan Quest]]''.
*In the [[Playstation]] game '[['Final Fantasy VII]]'', Typhon is the name of an optional summon. Portrayed as a purple creature with a head at each end. Typhon unleashes a strong breath that creates a whirlwind causing wind damage to all enemies.
*In the [[Playstation 2]] game ''[[God of War II]]'', Typhon is portrayed as a wind-blowing [[Titan (mythology)|Titan]], immobile in a cave-like lair, on an island. The main character, [[Kratos]], makes his way up to Typhon's eye, and attacks it, ultimately pulling out its magic, a bow-and-arrow-like weapon, called Typhon's Bane.
*In ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'', Typhon, played by [[Glenn Shadix]], is Echidna's doting husband and is a cheerful giant. He was trapped in stone until Hercules freed him.
*Typhon is the name of a song by the metal band [[Therion]]
*Typhon is the name of a line of locomotive horns manufactured by the Leslie Company, formerly of Parsippany, NJ.
*Typhon is the name of a character who seems to be a demon in Dean Koontz's book "The Face."
*Typhon is the name of a character from warhammer 40,000 before the Horus Heresy. After which the Choas god Nurgle renamed him Typhus and gifted him the Destroyer Plague, an infestation of insect that pour from inside of him blotting out the sun and getting in Typhus's enemies.
==Notes==
{{main|Whitney Houston discography}}
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<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
Studio albums:
<references />
* 1985: ''[[Whitney Houston (album)|Whitney Houston]]''
</div>
* 1987: ''[[Whitney (album)|Whitney]]''
* 1990: ''[[I'm Your Baby Tonight]]''
* 1998: ''[[My Love Is Your Love]]''
* 2002: ''[[Just Whitney]]''
* 2003: ''[[One Wish: The Holiday Album]]''
* 2007: ''[[Whitney Houston's 7th studio album]]''
Soundtrack albums:
* 1992: ''[[The Bodyguard (soundtrack)|The Bodyguard]]''
* 1995: ''[[Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack)|Waiting to Exhale]]''
* 1996: ''[[The Preacher's Wife (soundtrack)|The Preacher's Wife]]''
Compilations:
* 2000: ''[[Whitney: The Greatest Hits]]''
* 2001: ''[[Love, Whitney]]''
* 2004: ''Artist Collection: Whitney Houston''
==Videography==
Home videos:
*''Number One Video Hits'' - 1986
*''Star Spangled Banner'' - 1991
*''Welcome Home Heroes'' - 1991
*''Concert for a New South Africa'' - 1994
*''[[VH1 Divas Live]] '99'' - 1999
*''The Greatest Hits'' - 2000
*''Fine'' - 2000
*''Whatchulookinat Video/Whatchulookinat Behind-the-Scenes Footage/Love to Infinity Megamix Video'' - 2002
*''Artist Collection: Whitney Houston'' - 2004
Motion pictures:
*''[[The Bodyguard]]'' - 1992
*''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' - 1995
*''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' - 1996
*''[[Cinderella (TV)#1997 version|Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella]]'' - 1997
==Number-one songs==
The following songs reached number-one on the U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].
*1985: "[[Saving All My Love for You]]"
*1986: "[[How Will I Know]]"
*1986: "[[Greatest Love of All]]"
*1987: "[[I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)]]"
*1987: "[[Didn't We Almost Have It All]]"
*1988: "[[So Emotional]]"
*1988: "[[Where Do Broken Hearts Go]]"
*1990: "[[I'm Your Baby Tonight (song)|I'm Your Baby Tonight]]"
*1991: "[[All the Man That I Need]]"
*1992: "[[I Will Always Love You#Whitney Houston version|I Will Always Love You]]"
*1996: "[[Exhale (Shoop Shoop)]]"
The following songs reached number-one on the UK singles chart.
*1985: "Saving All My Love for You"
*1987: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"
*1988: "[[One Moment in Time]]"
*1992: "I Will Always Love You"
The following songs reached number-one on the U.S. Dance chart.
*1987: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"
*1987: "So Emotional"
*1988: "[[Love Will Save the Day]]"
*1993: "[[I'm Every Woman]]"
*1994: "Queen of the Night"
*1998: "[[Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song)|Heartbreak Hotel]]" (featuring Faith Evans & Kelly Price)
*1999: "[[It's Not Right but It's Okay]]"
*1999: "[[My Love Is Your Love (song)|My Love Is Your Love]]"
*2000: "[[I Learned from the Best]]"
*2002: "[[Whatchulookinat]]"
*2003: "[[Try It on My Own]]"
*2004: "[[Love That Man]]"
==See also==
*[[Whitney Houston chart records and achievements]]
*[[List of Whitney Houston awards]]
*[[Grammy nominations for Whitney Houston]]
*[[List of artists by total number of USA number one singles]]
*[[American Music Award nominations for Whitney Houston]]
*[[List of best-selling music artists]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart]]
*[[List of actor-singers]]
==References==
*[[Walter Burkert]], ''Greek Religion'' 1985
<ref> [http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/entry/Whitney-Houston-wins-custody-of-daughter "Whitney Houston wins custody of daughter"],BLN - People in the News, 2007-04-05 </ref>
*[[Robert Graves]], ''The Greek Myths'', (1955) 1960, §36.1-3
[http://www.whitneyhouston.com Whitney houston fan site]
*[[Karl Kerenyi]], ''The Gods of the Greeks'' 1951
<references/>
*[[Calvert Watkins]], ''How to Kill a Dragon'' 1995, 448-459
==External links==
* [http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/Typhoeus.html Typhoeus at Theoi]compiled sources of myth in classical literature
[[Category:Greek mythology]]
* [http://www.whitneyhouston.com/ Official website]
[[Category:Greek legendary creatures]]
* {{imdb name|id=0001365|name=Whitney Houston}}
[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
*[http://video.aol.com/video-category/whitney-houston/2627 Music Videos]
[[Category:Dragons]]
{{Whitney Houston}}
{{The Princess Diaries}}
[[Category:Whitney Houston| ]]
[[Category:American pop singers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American rhythm and blues singers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American dance musicians|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American female singers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American pianists|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Arista Records artists|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Rhythmic contemporary musicians|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American record producers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American actor-singers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American film actors|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:American models|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Baptists from the United States|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:People from Newark, New Jersey|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:New Jersey actors|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:New Jersey musicians|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:African-American actors|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:African-American singers|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:World record holders|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:1963 births|Houston, Whitney]]
[[Category:Living people|Houston, Whitney]]
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