We all loved Whitney Elizabeth Houston, not just for the depth and breadth of her acquired knowledge in the music industry and her philanthropic gestures. But for her willing to learn her craft. In effort which began as a youngster at her church, New Hope Baptist Church in Newark New Jersey (where Whitney was Born on August 9, 1963 to February 11, 2012) to ultimately serve as a choir girl — having a gifted voice. This small framed little girl was destined for bigger things as she was a natural performer. Her voice was crystal clear and Ms. Huston’s delivery was spot-on. 

As a adult the songs she delivered to her loyal fans and on-lookers each and every time Whitney performed she was mesmerizing. Whitney was led by a caring mother, Cissy Houston, a Grammy award-winning gospel singer, who oversaw the musical program at New Hope Baptist Church. Cissy was an avid and blessed churchgoer, who watched over her daughters every move like a hawk until she was old enough to make her own decisions. [It was true motherly love.] In addition to Whitney’s mother, she was also supported by a famous cousin, singer Dione Warwick, who also sang in the choir at New Hope. Whitney sung like the angles she worshiped for years in a small church in Newark, New Jersey all the way up into the big league as Sony’s top performer, who dominated the 80’s and 90’s with her illustrious life as a singer, actress, film producer, and philanthropist. 

Whitney is one of the most awarded entertainers of all times, having been inducted into multiple halls of fame. She had compelling and amazing crossover appeal in an array of demographics of popular music and beyond that genre alone. She influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers and popular culture. Thereby, facilitating the acceptance of those who followed her in the music industry. Whitney was the ultimate trendsetter and influencer. Rolling Stone ranked Houston second on their list of the greatest singers of all times. She sold over 220 million records worldwide, to become the best-selling music artist of all times. Again, helping to breaking barriers, Whitney became the one of the first African American/Black women to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine and thereafter becoming a teen model in 1981. The only singing artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on Billboard 200, which are among the best selling albums of all time. Admiring her talent from afar, Clive Davis Chairman of Records signed her at age 19 seeing a winner. A decision he had come to never regret. 

Mrs. Houston’ staggering accomplishments in brief include”

• Her debut in the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard in (1992), is the tenth highest-grossing film to this very day. The sound track won a Grammy Award for Album of the year. The soundtrack “I Will Always Love You” won the Grammy Award for Record of the year and is the best-selling female single in history.
• In 1995, Houston stared and recorded the soundtracks for the films “Waiting to Exhale” — 1995 and the “Preacher’s Wife” in 1996, scoring her the “Billboard’s Hot 100 number one single for Exhale (Shoop Shoop). 
• It was one success story after the other, and in 2001Whitney renewed her contract with Arista Records for a whooping 100 million dollars.

I, as a fan of Mrs. Houston, I miss the exuberance she brought to the church and the professional world of entertainment. Whitney Elizabeth Houston, many believe she was call home too early, February 11, 2012 at the age of 48 years of age. But then again, none of us know why the Lord take some of us in our prime and let some live. That’s why he is God, the Lord over all of us. I am completely satisfied to have had the extremely memorable opportunity to meet Whitney in person. She was alive and unpretentious. She had a smile that would calm a blustering or enraged lion. The why is not important. It’s the life of this extraordinary human being, who never for got where she came from and who gave of herself to everyone — known and unknown.