Graced with the same vocal abilities as her mother Cissy and aunt Dionne (Warwick), Whitney Houston was the first of the modern R&B divas. Famous, fabulous and massively popular from the moment her self-titled debut hit the shelves in 1985, Houston bagged seven American No. 1 singles in a row (including Saving All My Love, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and The Greatest Love Of All), her gospel-trained voice breaking through even the slickest production techniques to deliver an emotional wallop upside the head.

Yet Houston chose to spend much of the 1990s flirting with Hollywood, only recording tracks for movies she personally appeared in. This paid dividends with her starring role in The Bodyguard and accompanying worldwide hit "I Will Always Love You", but left Houston looking curiously outdated as a new breed of soul singers poured through the doors she herself had opened.

Ground gained with convincing comeback My Love Is Your Love (1999) was then squandered amidst missed performances, marital scandal and well-publicised drug problems. However, she's now ditched the hubby and the drugs, and her seventh studio album is set for release in November 2008.

Mark Ramshaw


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