Remembering Whitney Houston on What Could Have Been Her 52nd Birthday

August 9th could have been Whitney Houston's 52nd birthday if she has had passed away in 2012.  Houston had an unmistakable influence on the music industry, as well as pop culture as a whole. Earlier in the year Whitney Houston's only child Bobbi Kristina Brown had been discovered unconscious in her bathtub, much like Whitney was in 2012. Tragically, both women's accidents ended in death, with Bobbi Kristina passing in 2015. 

Above is a picture of Whitney Houston on August 8 of 2011 where she celebrated her 48th and her last birthday.  Celebrating her birthday alone, there's a hint of sadness on the pop icon's face despite her smile.  In front of her is a lighted red velvet cake, a favorite of hers. 

Houston was one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with an estimated 170-200 million records sold worldwide. She released six studio albums, one holiday album and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know", influenced several African American women artists who follow in her footsteps 

She also had an amazing film career,with blockbusters such as Waiting To Exhale and, of course, The Bodyguard. With her iconic turn in the latter, Whitney also composed the soundtrack; "I Will Always Love You," her seminal hit, is the best-selling song by a woman in music history. The soundtrack made Whitney the first artist to sell over a million copies of an album within a week. Additionally, the album was the #4 best-selling of all time; Whitney's on that list as the top female artist.

Houston also made her mark in Gospel music. Her soundtrack to the movie "The Preacher's Wife" is the best-selling gospel soundtrack album of all time, and has sold an estimated 6 million copies worldwide. The lead single, "I Believe in You and Me" (a cover of The Four Tops classic), became a top five hit in the U.S. and was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards, as well as for Best R&B Album.

 

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