WATCH: Whitney Houston Explained

TheGrio continues to celebrate Juneteenth and Black History with a video clip explaining the life of Whitney Houston

With Juneteenth in the rearview, theGrio looks to continue celebrating the life of some of the greatest Black innovators in history. Watch as Touré shares the inspirational and acclaimed life of pop sensation Whitney Houston in this transcript:

Touré: Many people think the greatest singer of all time is Whitney Houston. She was from an amazing singing family. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel star. Her first cousin was the legendary Dionne Warwick. And Aretha Franklin was a close family friend. All these women played a role in mentoring Whitney; but she had a God-given gift that made her unforgettable.

At 19, Whitney’s amazing voice caught the attention of legendary record executive Clive Davis at a nightclub in New York as she sang “The Greatest Love of All.” He fell in love with her voice as quickly as America did. Whitney’s debut album sold over 25 million records and spent 14 weeks at number one.

She was a dominant figure in the music world and became a Hollywood star with “The Bodyguard,” but continued making monster hits like the unforgettable “I Will Always Love You,” which is one of the top ten best selling singles of all time. A few years later, she co-starred in Terry McMillan’s “Waiting to Exhale” and gave us “The Preacher’s Wife,” which became the greatest selling gospel album ever.

She tragically passed away in 2012, but her legacy lives on in the work of so many singers. Whitney showed them all what it means to be a singer.

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