Houston began singing in church as a child, and by age 11, she was performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano.

As a child, Whitney's family and friends called her Nippy, a nickname given by her father who would say to her, "Nippy, seldom right," when Houston, as a fussy baby, would repeatedly kick off her winter blanket at night. As an adult, Houston would go on to form her own management company, Nippy Inc.

I decided long ago
Never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all is happening to me

Cissy Houston was a member of the group The Sweet Inspirations which opened and sang backup for Elvis Presley. The group also provided backing vocals for the Jimi Hendrix single "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" and for Van Morrison's classic hit "Brown Eyed Girl". Whitney spent some of her teenage years touring nightclubs where Cissy was performing, and she would sometimes get on stage and perform with her.

In the early 1980s, Houston started working as a fashion model after a photographer saw her at Carnegie Hall singing with her mother. Her good looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought-after teen models. She appeared in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Young Miss, and became the first woman of color to appear on the cover of Seventeen.

She is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988.

Baby you hold the cards
You got the magic and I've got to have it
I don't want the pieces, I want every single part
I'll be your angel, I'm ready and able whatever you want is fine
Whenever you're ready, just call on your lady and I'll be your baby tonight

Houston made her acting debut in the romantic thriller The Bodyguard (1992). She recorded six songs for the film's soundtrack (which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year) including "I Will Always Love You" (which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year).

The film follows a former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard (Kevin Costner) who is hired to protect a music superstar (Whitney Houston) from an unknown stalker.

She first met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and invited him to her 26th birthday party. After a three-year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992.