Whitney Houston Whitney Houston is an American R&B pop singer, songwriter, actress, film producer and former model. Houston debuted in 1985 with the release of her self-titled album, and later released a record seven consecutive number-one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. She was also one of a few African-American artists who received heavy rotation on early MTV in the 1980's. Houston continued her success in the 1990s with the release of several films and soundtracks, particularly “The Bodyguard” which became one of the best-selling albums of all time, and spawned her highly successful signature song "I Will Always Love You" (a remake of Dolly Parton’s original). Houston has sold over 170 million records and is the only female artist to have two entries in the top thirty-five of the best selling albums in the U.S. She has influenced a generation of singers and has won twenty-one American Music Awards (a record for a solo artist).