Whitney Houston's Personal Life Story | The Biography of Whitney Houston

Her full name is Whitney Elizabeth Houston (1963-2012). Oprah Winfrey called her “The Voice” and said, “We got to hear a part of God every time she sang.” Celine Dion described her voice as “perfect.” Mariah Carey deemed her voice as “one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.” New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica called her gift not only “rare” but “impossible to mimic.”

Whitney desired a normal life. Not all celebrities pursue the “glamour” that comes with the occupation. If she has a choice to be “normal” for an hour, she would rather spend her time on a mini road trip in downtown Atlanta than to be flown to some exotic concert destination. She liked to visit her friends' home and hang out. She adored shopping in the mall, but after about five minutes, there would be a long queue of people behind her. She also loved to go to the cinema to watch a movie. But that, like everything else, came at a price: the price of privacy.

Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey

Contrary to what was written in the news, she loved to hear Mariah Carey sing. When she heard Mariah sang for the first she time, she told Bebe Winans, her close friend, “Did you hear that new girl, Mariah? Good Lord, she can sing!” The media twisted the reality. When Mariah debuted, she hit hard and people in the media could not wait to compared her with Whitney. Instantly, the media created this massive tension and “hate” between them. It was a fabrication. They didn’t hate each other, they didn’t even know each other then, until they sang the duet, Prince of Egypt soundtrack, “When You Believe” together. This duet was the catalyst for a great friendship between them.

Whitney Houston and Her Faith

Whitney grew up in New Hope Baptist church, where she sang solo since she was a young girl. A voice like hers had to have been molded by the halls of worship. If anyone was born to sing, it was Whitney. God placed Whitney into musical family, a legendary one. It’s in her blood. Her mom, Cissy, possessed a powerful voice in her own right. Together with her sister - Lee Drinkard, Cissy formed a gospel group called Drinkard Singers.

In my life, it was not that I said, “Well, I’m gonna entertain” or “I want to be an entertainer.” It is in my bloodline; I can’t help it. It is something that God said: “This is what you do.” It’s in me.

~ Whitney

The most heart-wrenching song of all the songs she sang could be “My Love Is Your Love,” from her 1998 album of the same name. Whitney sang these words: “If tomorrow was judgment day, and I’m standing on the front line, and the Lord asked me what I did with my life, I will say I spent it with you.”

Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton

When The Bodyguard soundtrack was released, Dolly Parton praised Whitney for her performance of her song, “I Will Always Love You.” At that time, Whitney gracefully received the compliment. At the same time, she also, in her humility, deflected it. Dolly still insisted that no one else could have done what Whitney did to the song. Some called it “Whitney effect”, but the humble and humourous Whitney would probably tell you that it had something to do with the “Aretha effect.” Both Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton had enormous influences on Whitney Houston's legendary career. Whitney had that uncanny ability to draw that “Aretha well of soul” deep inside her and revitalize a song, making it totally her own.

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown

Whitney truly loved Bobby. He was energetic, adventurous, real and gave her life a tangibility she longed for. They had great chemistry. Even when things between her and Bobby got out of hand and seemed to escalate to a point of no return, there was a switch within her that did not allow her to give him up. She stayed, not because it was great, but she wanted to prove everyone wrong as much as she wanted the relationship. Their “us against the world” mentality is what kept them together as long as they were.

Whitney married Bobby on July 18, 1992. Later that year, the movie, The Bodyguard was released. Then, in 1993 March, Bobbi Kristina was born. The Bodyguard was such a huge success that the movie and soundtrack consumed Whitney’s life for the three years followed. The challenge and tension in her life was unbelievable. Bobby and Whitney were thrust into very difficult situation. Whitney later admitted that her substance problem began just prior to The Bodyguard release and her union with Bobby.

As The Bodyguard craziness mounted, Bobby’s insecurities set in. He gave her his full support while filming the movie. He would go out of stage to hug her at the end of her concert, when people were screaming crazy for her. Her spotlight never turned off, while Bobby’s was gradually dimming. That created tension in their marriage. Many people understood that they were not set up to succeed.

Those were the past. What Bobby and Bobbi Kristina need now are support and prayers, not more rumours, gossips and accusations of Whitney’s past or how Bobby affected her life.

Whitney and her decision

Whitney did not make the best decision, like we all did some time in our lives. The only difference between Whitney’s and us is that her decision was played out on the world’s stage. As her friends or fans, our responsibility lies in letting the grief process to run its course. Let people heal. Allow her memory to shine through the dark times. Let her rest in peace.

“The best way to honor her is to be reminded that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. So love God, and love each other.” ~ Cece Winans

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