Rise and fall of a SUPERSTAR

REMEMBERING THE SINGING SUPERSTAR'S EXTRAORDINARY TALENT AND UNTIMELY DEATH

- Jennie Noonan

WHITNEY HOUSTON 10 YEARS ON

A STAR IS BORN

Houston’s close family and friends called her by her childhood nickname, Nippy, throughout her life. She grew up in New Jersey and her incredible talent emerged at 11 when she began singing at the New Hope Baptist Church.

Despite her death 10 years ago on February 11, 2012, aged just 48, Whitney Houston’s remarkable legacy lives on. Last month her emotional rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning it has sold or streamed more than 10 million units in the US alone. Clearly, there is still much love for the singer we lost way too soon.

EARLY LIFE

Music was in Whitney Houston’s blood. She was the cousin of Dionne Warwick, and her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel star who sang with her dear friend Aretha Franklin. As a young girl, Houston sang in church and attended a Catholic girls’ high school in New Jersey, which her mother insisted she finish before pursuing her career. She worked as a model and scored gigs as a backup studio singer for Chaka Khan and The Neville Brothers as a teenager.