Remembering Whitney Houston: Awards, facts, TV roles and quotes

Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48, which was confirmed by CNN and the Beverly Hills Police Dept. Authorities have not yet released the cause of her death. The world has lost a great talent and a superstar who definitely made her mark on the world. In memory of Whitney Houston, here is a list of her awards and greatest accomplishments, some interesting facts about her life, Whitney's TV roles, and some of her more famous quotes.

For decades, Houston reigned as the queen of pop music and went on to conquer films and TV. Her incredible voice was beyond compare and was flawless on “I Will Always Love You,” the title track from the movie The Bodyguard.

However, Houston’s life was also riddled with pain and turmoil. Being Bobby Brown, a TV reality series that ran for one season on Bravo in 2005, chronicled the tumultuous marriage of Whitney Houston and her husband. The short-lived series gave viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the two superstars and the problems they shared. Many viewers also claimed at the time that it showed the underbelly of the couple's problems, including alledged drug abuse.

At her peak, Whitney Houston was the Golden Girl of Hollywood and the recording industry. Her voice was close to musical perfection and it entranced millions of fans worldwide. At her worst, Houston battled drugs and sought help at rehab. During a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston said honestly, “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.”

In celebration of her life, below are some of Houston's finest accomplishments and famous quotes from the sweet songbird who had a phenominal voice.

Whitney Houston’s Accomplishments:

Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records.
Her list of awards include two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, thirty Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards.
Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide.
Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits: "Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All", "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go".
Houston is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Top Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.
Houston's 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston, became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was also named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Her second studio album, Whitney (1987), became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history.

Interesting facts about Whitney Houston:

Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963.
Houston’s cousin is Dionne Warwick and her grandmother is Aretha Franklin.
At the age of eleven, Houston began singing in public. Her first solo performance took place in a church.
When Houston was a teenager, she attended a Catholic girls high school, Mount Saint Dominic Academy.
In 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single "I'm Every Woman.”
She also sang back-up on albums by Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson.
Whitney Houston was a model and appeared on the pages of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen and Young Miss magazines.
Houston's debut album Whitney Houston was released in February 1985. Rolling Stone magazine praised Houston, calling her "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while The New York Times called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent."
Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, the singer refused to work with any agencies that did business with the then-apartheid South Africa.
In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world.
Houston’s first film role was in The Bodyguard, released in 1992. It was hugely successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide.
In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela.
Houston also starred in the films Waiting To Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife and Cinderella.

Whitney Houston on TV:

In addition to being a recording artist and movie star, Whitney Houston also left her mark on the world of television. She appeared on Gimme a Break in 1984, Silver Spoons in 1985, and Boston Public in 2002. She also starred in TV commercials for Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, Sanyo and AT&T. In addition, four of her concerts were televised nationally, including the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute (1988), Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston (1991), The Concert for a New South Africa (1994) and Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C. (1997). Most recently, Whitney was seen on Being Bobby Brown, which aired on Bravo for one season.

Famous Whitney Houston quotes:

In memory of Whitney Houston, below are some of her more famous quotes (from Brainyquotes.com) :

"From the beginning, the camera and I were great friends. It loves me, and I love it."
"I finally faced the fact that it isn't a crime not having friends. Being alone means you have fewer problems."
"No, I'm not a drug addict, and neither is my husband. If that were so, you'd get a lot less work out of me. It would show in the performances and in the work."
"God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there? My mother taught me that when you stand in the truth and someone tells a lie about you, don’t fight it."

Latest Update on the death of Whitney Houston:

Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills Police Dept. held a press conference that aired on CNN at 9:00 p.m. ET. He stated that the police went to the 4th floor of the Beverly Hills Hilton, where Houston was staying for several days. Houston was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:55 p.m. PT. There were no signs of criminal intent and investigators are currently on the scene. No cause of death was reported. Whitney Houston’s next of kin has been notified.

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