On this glorious day in 1963, a legend was born in Newark, New Jersey. Whitney Elizabeth Houston would grow up to become a national treasure, nicknamed "The Voice" for her 4.5 octave range that could leap from alto to the highest soprano with ease. Whitney didn't just have the range, she invented the range.
Over the span of her decades-long career, she made history again and again. She became the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She recorded the best-selling debut album by a woman in history (Whitney Houston in 1985), the first album by a woman to debut at number one (Whitney in 1987), and the best-selling single by a woman in music history (I Will Always Love You). The Guinness Book of World Records cited her as the most awarded female artist in history for racking up an astounding 415 awards. She's one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 200 million records sold worldwide. Your fave knows they could never, and they wouldn't even try.
On February 11, 2012, the singer died tragically in an accidental drowning in her hotel bathroom, with heart disease and longterm substance usage listed as contributing factors. Today, she would have turned 53 years old.
To celebrate this international holiday, the anniversary of our dear Whitney's birth, we're looking back at our 10 favorite performances. Watch in awe.
1. "Home" in 1985
Whitney Houston's first national televised appearance at age 21 quickly cemented her as one of the best live performers of all time. She sang "Home" from The Wiz with such vocal dexterity that her cover of the classic song is still lauded to this day.
2. "All the Man That I Need" in 1991
In a landmark performance from her Welcome Home Heroes concert to honor the troops, Whitney's vocal acrobatics were truly second-to-none — especially in the final note, which she could hold for lengths at a time.
3. "I Will Always Love You" in 1994
Whitney is one of those rare artists whose live performances actually eclipse the in-studio recording. Such was the case for her transcendent performance of "I Will Always Love You" at the Grammy Awards, when her earth-shattering voice sounded more powerful and resonant than ever.
4. "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 1991
There's no shortage of artists attempting to sing our national anthem, but no one transformed the classic tune quite like Whitney Houston. Her one-of-a-kind rendition was so iconic that people across the country called Arista Records begging to purchase it as a single. Their calls were answered, and the song quickly rose to the top of the charts. It was re-released in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks with proceeds benefitting the firefighters and victims of terrorism. It became her last Top Ten hit before she died.
5. "How Will I Know" in 1986
For one of her first major televised appearances, Whitney belted out a flawless performance of her euphoric pop hit "How Will I Know" at the third MTV Video Music Awards.
6. "The Greatest Love of All" in 1986
A timeless anthem performed at graduations across the globe, "The Greatest Love of All" showed off the full range of Whitney Houston's incredible voice, starting off with velvety, luscious notes and rising to a powerful, resonant climax. She sailed through her performance of the complicated ballad at the Grammys without missing a beat.
7. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" in 1987
Whitney wasn't just adept at crafting ballads; her pop hits were just as memorable. Infectious songs like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" sent the audience into a frenzy whenever she performed them. She belted out the hit on the Top of the Pop show with a stage presence that today's artists still haven't been able to master.
8. "I'm Every Woman" in 1994
Whitney was revered all over the world, and it was mind-blowing to see fans from every nation line up to watch her perform. The audience at the Rio de Janeiro stop of her Bodyguard World Tour enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, when the singer performed "I'm Every Woman" and invited them to sing along.
9. "I Have Nothing" in 1994
In a gilded floor-length gown and head wrap that channeled her wedding dress from two years prior, Whitney looked completely regal at her South Africa concert for President Nelson Mandela. Her stellar vocal ability was on full display as she approached the ballad softly in the beginning, then became invincible by the final piercing, fluid notes. As she exclaimed to the rapt crowd of 200,000 fans, she was finally "home!"
10. "I Love You Porgy/And I'm Telling You/I Have Nothing" in 1994
Whitney wasn't just famous for the sake of being famous. She had something much more valuable than highly-publicized relationships and Instagram followers: pure and unadulterated talent. That truth was most evident when she performed covers of age-old classics with a new, inventive spin. At the American Music Awards in 1994, she sang the best rendition of I Love You Porgy since Billie Holiday, and her version of the Dreamgirls hit And I’m Telling You is easily on par with Jennifer Holliday's (and later, Jennifer Hudson's). As Whitney closed the performance with her own ballad I Have Nothing, it was clear she would join the pantheon of brilliant vocalists who came before her — not merely as another great singer, but as the greatest singer of all time.
