Whitney Houston's Cameo In The Best Man

Whitney Houston was an American singer, actress, and film producer. Known as the Voice, she is one of the most awarded performers and best-selling music artists of all time, with over 200 million records sold worldwide. She began her career in the music industry in 1983 and went on to star in several films, including The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale, and The Preacher's Wife.

Houston's personal life was often the subject of media scrutiny, particularly her marriage to singer Bobby Brown and her struggles with substance abuse. She passed away in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of musical achievements and a lasting impact on popular culture.

Now, to answer the question: No, Whitney Houston was not in the movie The Best Man.

Whitney Houston's career

Houston's professional music career began in 1983 when she was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis. Her self-titled debut album, "Whitney Houston", was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling debut album by a solo artist. The album featured hits such as "Saving All My Love for You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All", and earned Houston her first Grammy Award.

Houston's second album, "Whitney", was released in 1987 and made her the first female artist to enter the Billboard album charts at #1. The album featured four #1 chart-toppers, including "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", which earned Houston her second Grammy.

Houston's third album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight", was released in 1990 and showcased her versatility as an artist. The album included hits such as the title track and "All the Man That I Need", and sold 10 million copies worldwide.

In 1992, Houston made her film debut in "The Bodyguard", starring opposite Kevin Costner. The film broke box office records worldwide and its soundtrack became the best-selling motion picture soundtrack album of all time. Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" became the biggest-selling single by a female artist in history and earned her two Grammys.

Houston went on to star in "Waiting to Exhale" and "The Preacher's Wife", both accompanied by hit soundtracks. In 1998, she released "My Love Is Your Love", her first non-soundtrack studio album in many years, which earned her another Grammy for the single "It's Not Right But It's Okay".

Houston's later career was marked by struggles with drug use and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown. Despite this, she continued to release music and, in 2009, made a comeback with her final studio album, "I Look to You".

Houston died on February 11, 2012, from accidental drowning in a hotel bathtub. Her passing shocked the world and saw an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow celebrities.

Her personal life

Whitney Houston's personal life was as eventful as her career. She was married to singer Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007, and they had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, who passed away in 2015. Houston's relationship with Brown was tumultuous and marred by drug addiction and domestic abuse allegations. Following their divorce, Houston was in a relationship with Ray J until her tragic death in 2012.

There were also rumours of romantic connections with several other celebrities, including Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Michael Jackson, Kelly McGillis, and NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham. However, the exact nature of these relationships remains a mystery, with Houston denying some of the rumours.

Houston's friendship with Robyn Crawford, which began when they were teenagers, was also the subject of much speculation. In her memoir, Crawford revealed that their relationship was intimate on all levels, including sexually, in the early years. Despite their connection, Houston ended their sexual relationship as she felt it would make their journey more difficult due to the homophobia prevalent in the entertainment industry. Crawford remained by Houston's side as her assistant and roommate for two decades, weathering addiction, fame, and secrecy.

Houston's life was also marked by her struggles with drug abuse, which overshadowed her music career and contributed to her untimely death in 2012. Despite her successes and accolades, she faced challenges and controversies throughout her personal life, which was often scrutinised and judged by the public and the media.

Her film career

Whitney Houston's film career began with her role in the romantic thriller film The Bodyguard in 1992. She played a star who is being stalked and hires a bodyguard, played by Kevin Costner, to protect her. Despite mixed reviews, the film became the tenth highest-grossing film at the time.

Houston went on to star in Waiting to Exhale (1995), a film about four African-American women struggling with relationships. She played the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. The film proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience could cross over to success.

In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy The Preacher's Wife, alongside Denzel Washington. She played the gospel-singing wife of a pastor. The movie gave Houston the strongest reviews of her acting career.

Houston also produced several films, including Cinderella (1997), The Princess Diaries (2001), The Cheetah Girls (2003), and Sparkle (2012).

Her musical achievements

Whitney Houston was an American singer, actress, and producer, commonly known as "The Voice". She is one of the most awarded performers in history, with over 400 accolades, including six Grammys. She has also sold over 220 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Houston's debut album, "Whitney Houston", was the best-selling album by a female artist in Canada in the 1980s, beating the previous best-seller, Cyndi Lauper's "She's So Unusual", which sold more than 900,000 copies in the country. Houston's first release, "Whitney Houston", is the best-selling album by a female and a new artist in the 1980s in the United States, certified 9x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was later certified 14x platinum (or Diamond) by RIAA.

Houston's second album, "Whitney", became the first album by a female artist to enter the Billboard 200 album chart at #1. The album featured four #1 chart-toppers, the GRAMMY-winning "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". This established Houston as the only artist ever to have seven consecutive #1 hits, surpassing a record previously set by The Beatles and the Bee Gees.

Houston's third best-selling album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight", displayed her versatility on a new batch of tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads, and up-tempo dance tracks. With back-to-back #1 hits for the title tune and "All The Man That I Need", followed by "Miracle" and "My Name Is Not Susan", sales records were set once again, as the album became an international multi-platinum best-seller, to the tune of 10 million copies worldwide.

Houston's recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" reached number twenty on the Hot 100 Singles chart in March 1991, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit. The single was re-released in September 2001 and peaked at number six on the chart, becoming the first and the only version of the national anthem to achieve that feat in music history.

Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You" became the biggest-selling single by a female artist in history, and reaped Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The Bodyguard Soundtrack, featuring six Whitney Houston songs in all, has sold more than 45 million copies worldwide. At 18-times platinum in the U.S., it is the biggest-selling motion picture soundtrack album in history, ahead of Saturday Night Fever, Forrest Gump, Titanic, and so on.

Houston's fourth motion picture, "Waiting to Exhale", opened in December 1995, preceded by the soundtrack album in November. The critically acclaimed film, starring Whitney with Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon, and directed by Forrest Whitaker, went on to gross over $80 million (in '90s dollars). The soundtrack for Waiting To Exhale featured three new tracks from Whitney: the #1 Pop/#1 R&B "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"; the top 10 Pop and R&B follow-up "Count On Me" (a duet with CeCe Winans), co-written by Whitney and Babyface; and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad". The album spent five weeks at #1, was certified 7x-platinum in the U.S., and has sold nearly twice that worldwide to date.

Houston's third motion picture, "The Preacher's Wife" (Buena Vista, December 1996), also starring Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance, and directed by Penny Marshall, was based on the 1947 classic, "The Bishop's Wife" (with Cary Grant and Loretta Young). The gospel-soaked Arista soundtrack, Whitney's lifelong dream, became the biggest-selling gospel album in Billboard chart history, 3x-platinum in the U.S. alone. Collaborations with an extraordinary roster of artists and producers (among them GRAMMY and Dove Award winner Mervyn Warren of Sister Act and Sister Act II fame) resulted in a unique album. Whitney sang lead vocals on 14 of the album's 15 tracks, including the beautiful first single "I Believe In You And Me", "Step By Step" (written by Annie Lennox), and two songs produced by GRAMMY award winner Babyface.

Houston's seventh and final studio album, "I Look To You", was released on August 28, 2009, and it debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with sales of 305,000 copies. It was her first studio album to reach #1 since 1992's "The Bodyguard". The album spawned two hit singles – the title track, which became a Top 20 R&B single, and "Million Dollar Bill", which hit the Top 10 in several countries worldwide.

Her legacy

Whitney Houston's legacy is that of a cultural icon and one of the greatest vocalists of all time. She is also recognised as one of the most influential R&B artists in history, breaking down barriers for black female artists and paving the way for the likes of Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige.

Houston's success as a black woman on MTV in the 1980s was groundbreaking, and her music videos dominated the channel's rotations during its first decade on air. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers in popular culture.

Houston's vocal talent was extraordinary. She possessed a soprano voice with a four-octave range, and her vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. She could handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity.

Houston's career achievements are also remarkable. She is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and the first female artist to enter the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 1. She is also one of a select number of solo artists with eight consecutive multi-platinum albums.

Houston's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is her career-defining song and the biggest-selling single of all time by a female artist. The Bodyguard soundtrack, which features the song, is one of the top five biggest-selling albums of all time.

Houston's success extended beyond music. She was a successful film producer, producing The Princess Diaries, which grossed over $165 million worldwide, and co-producing Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, which drew a U.S. audience of more than 60 million viewers.

Houston was also a long-time supporter of charities, including the United Negro College Fund and the Children's Diabetes Foundation. She established the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989, which raised funds for homelessness, children with cancer and AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.

Houston's legacy continues to be celebrated. In 2020, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and she is the first African-American recording artist with three Diamond albums. In 2024, she was placed at No. 2 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers of all time.

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