Houston began singing at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, as a child and became a background vocalist while in high school. She was one of the first black women to appear on the cover of Seventeen after becoming a teen model in 1981. With the guidance of Arista Records chairman Clive Davis, Houston signed to the label at age 19. Her first two studio albums, Whitney Houston (1985) and Whitney (1987), both peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and are among the best-selling albums of all time. Hit singles from the albums, including "How Will I Know", "Greatest Love of All" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", established her as a catalyst in the acceptance of black female artists on MTV. Her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), yielded two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, the title track and "All the Man That I Need". Houston's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991 received widespread media coverage.
Houston made her acting debut with the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard (1992), which despite its mixed reviews became the tenth highest-grossing film to that date. Its soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. It generated multiple hit singles, including "I Have Nothing", "I'm Every Woman" and "I Will Always Love You"; the latter won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, spent a then-record 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. Subsequently, she went on to star in the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996), and she recorded their respective soundtracks; the former scored her last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", while the latter, produced by Houston herself, became the bestselling gospel album of all time. As a film producer, she produced multicultural movies and series such as Cinderella (1997) and The Princess Diaries and The Cheetah Girls.
Houston's first studio album in eight years, My Love Is Your Love (1998), spawned several hit singles, including the title track, "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and the Academy Award-winning Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe". Following the success, she renewed her contract with Arista for $100 million in 2001, one of the biggest recording deals of all time. However, her personal problems began to overshadow her career. Her 2002 studio album, Just Whitney, received mixed reviews, while her drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown received widespread media coverage. After divorcing Brown, Houston returned to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with her final studio album, I Look to You (2009). In February 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. News of her death coincided with the 2012 Grammy Awards, which took place the day following her death, and was covered internationally. Her life and career were dramatized in the 2022 biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Her assets amounted to $250 million, earned over a 25-year career.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston
Discography
Whitney Houston (1985)
Whitney (1987)
I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990)
My Love Is Your Love (1998)
Just Whitney (2002)
One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003)
I Look to You (2009)
Star Spangled Banner
Whitney Houston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States. The opening lines of this song refer to the American flag, which is seen as dawn breaks, after a night of intense battle. The singer contemplates whether the flag, still there after the constant bombardment, still waves, symbolizing that the country still stands free and strong.
Throughout the song, we see how the country has persevered through various trials and tribulations, including the war that the lyrics allude to. The flag itself is seen as a symbol of national pride and unity, as well as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought for the country's freedom.
With its soaring melody and bold imagery, The Star-Spangled Banner has become synonymous with American patriotism. This song has been performed at many public events, including sports games, political rallies, and national celebrations. Its lyrics and melody have inspired countless Americans to reflect on the country's history, values, and aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
O say can you see by the dawn's early light
Can you see the flag in the early morning light?
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming
What we saw proudly waving in the last light of day?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
Whose flag with broad stripes and bright stars endured a dangerous battle?
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
Were gallantly waving over the ramparts that we watched?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
The bombs and rockets exploding in the air?
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
Proved that our flag was still flying during the night?
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
Does the flag with stars and stripes still wave?
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
Over the country of the fearless and the free?
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David L Brunner, Francis Scott Key
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Night Has Fallen
That wasn't a national anthem, that was a spiritual experience.
Linda Lyte
AMEN .....Hallelujah 😪😔
Dennis Mc laurin
Amen to that! They should've tossed the phonebook on stage in her honor after that stirring rendition.
Nancy Tyler
Testify.
Demarcus Howard
Yes it was!!!!
deborah williamson
Amen!!!
Kyle Jon
This version is PURE PERFECTION. I love how the horns are holding a line, and Whitney takes that opportunity to play and trill like a Champ. Love the dynamics. And the ending 3 chords are perfect. Gives me chills and gets me emotional every time, and I'm from Canada!
Kyle Jon
The trill and cool lead up is from 1:52-1:59.
Sail129
America needs to return to this greatness. In every way.
lucero carri
YOU WILL, OUR LOVE FROM ARGENTINA TO THE USA!!