title: Whitney Houston

text: The film's soundtrack also enjoyed success. Houston co-executive produced "" and recorded six songs for the album. "Rolling Stone" described it as "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane". The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. Houston's version was highly acclaimed by critics, regarding it as her "signature song" or "iconic performance". "Rolling Stone" and "USA Today" called her rendition a tour-de-force. The single peaked at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks. The single was certified Diamond by the RIAA, making Houston's first Diamond single, the third female artist who had a Diamond single, and becoming the bestselling single by a woman in the U.S. The song was a global success, topping the charts in almost all countries. With 20 million copies sold it became the best-selling single of all time by a female solo artist. Houston won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1994 for "I Will Always Love You".


title: Whitney Houston

text: The soundtrack topped the "Billboard" 200 chart and remained there for 20 non-consecutive weeks, the longest tenure by any Arista album on the chart in the Nielsen SoundScan era (tied for tenth overall by any label) and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. During Christmas week of 1992, the soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album to achieve that feat under Nielsen SoundScan system. With the follow-up singles "I'm Every Woman", a Chaka Khan cover and "I Have Nothing" both reaching the top five, Houston became the first woman to ever have three singles in the Top 11 simultaneously. The album was certified 18× platinum in the US alone, with worldwide sales of 45 million copies.


title: Whitney Houston

text: The album became the bestselling soundtrack album of all time. Houston won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the soundtrack, becoming only the second African American woman to win in that category after Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable... with Love" album. In addition, she won a record eight American Music Awards at that year's ceremony including the Award of Merit, 11 Billboard Music Awards, 3 Soul Train Music Awards in 1993–94 including Sammy Davis, Jr. Award as Entertainer of the Year, 5 NAACP Image Awards including Entertainer of the Year, a record 5 World Music Awards, and a BRIT award.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Following the success of "The Bodyguard", Houston embarked on another expansive global tour ("The Bodyguard World Tour") in 1993–94. Her concerts, movie and recording grosses made her the third highest-earning female entertainer of 1993–94, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to "Forbes". Houston placed in the top five of "Entertainment Weekly"s annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking and was labeled by "Premiere" magazine as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela. At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people; this made her the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election. Portions of were broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela".


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon in her second film, "Waiting to Exhale", a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with relationships. Houston played the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because she saw the film as "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers". After opening at number one and grossing $67 million in the US at the box office and $81 million worldwide, it proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience can cross over to success, while paving the way for other all-black movies such as "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and the Tyler Perry movies that became popular in the 2000s. The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens rather than as stereotypes. The reviews were mainly positive for the ensemble cast. "The New York Times" said: "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant." Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture", but lost to her co-star Bassett.


title: Whitney Houston

text: The film's accompanying soundtrack, "", was written and produced by Babyface. Though he originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. Instead, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal distinction" and thus gathered several African-American female artists for the soundtrack, to go along with the film's message about strong women. Consequently, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" became just the third single in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" and Mariah Carey's "Fantasy".


title: Whitney Houston

text: It also would spend a record eleven weeks at the No. 2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B charts, her second most successful single on that chart after "I Will Always Love You". "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, hit the U.S. Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", made the Top 30. The album was certified 7× Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies. The soundtrack received strong reviews; as "Entertainment Weekly" stated: "the album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks ... the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense" and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks. Later that year, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy "The Preacher's Wife", with Denzel Washington. She plays the gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). It was largely an updated remake of the 1948 film "The Bishop's Wife", which starred Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant. Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood at the time and the highest-earning African-American actress in Hollywood. The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning about $50 million at the U.S. box offices. The movie gave Houston her strongest reviews so far. "The San Francisco Chronicle" said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice". Houston was again nominated for an NAACP Image Award and won for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston recorded and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. "" included six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time. The album received mainly positive reviews. She won Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist at the 1997 American Music Awards for "The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions and was joined by Debra Martin Chase. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television. Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella". In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the film as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened. The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message. An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years. The movie received seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston and Chase then obtained the rights to the story of Dorothy Dandridge. Houston was to play Dandridge, the first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Houston wanted the story told with dignity and honor. However, Halle Berry also had rights to the project and got her version going first. Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols, such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick, by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert "". The special raised over $300,000 for the Children's Defense Fund. Houston received the Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements in the field of entertainment at the 12th Soul Train Music Awards.


title: Whitney Houston

text: After spending much of the early and mid-1990s working on motion pictures and their soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed "My Love Is Your Love", was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. The album debuted at number thirteen, its peak position, on the "Billboard" 200 chart. It had a funkier and edgier sound than past releases and saw Houston handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B, reggae, torch songs and ballads all with great dexterity.


title: Whitney Houston

text: From late 1998 to early 2000, the album spawned several hit singles: "When You Believe" (US No. 15, UK No. 4), a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998's "The Prince of Egypt" soundtrack, which also became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song; "Heartbreak Hotel" (US No. 2, UK No. 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price, received a 1999 MTV VMA nomination for Best R&B Video, and number one on the US R&B chart for seven weeks; "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (US No. 4, UK No. 3) won Houston her sixth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance; "My Love Is Your Love" (US No. 4, UK No. 2) with 3 million copies sold worldwide; and "I Learned from the Best" (US No. 27, UK No. 19). These singles became international hits as well and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the "Billboard" Hot Dance/Club Play chart. The album sold four million copies in America, making it certified 4× platinum and a total of eleven million copies worldwide.


title: Whitney Houston

text: The album gave Houston some of her strongest reviews ever. "Rolling Stone" said Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice" and "The Village Voice" called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far". In 1999, Houston participated in VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date "My Love Is Your Love World Tour". While the European leg of the tour was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year, Houston canceled "a string of dates [during the] summer citing throat problems and a 'bronchitis situation'". In November 1999, Houston was named Top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century with certified US sales of 51 million copies at the time and "The Bodyguard Soundtrack" was named the Top-selling Soundtrack Album of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She also won The Artist of the Decade, Female award for extraordinary artistic contributions during the 1990s at the 14th Soul Train Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best R&B.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In May 2000, "" was released worldwide. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States, reaching number one in the United Kingdom. In addition, the album reached the Top 10 in many other countries. While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album features house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits. Included on the album were four new songs: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox), "If I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael) and "Fine" and three hits that had never appeared on a Houston album: "One Moment in Time", "The Star Spangled Banner" and "If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful", a duet with Jermaine Jackson from his 1986 "Precious Moments" album. Along with the album, an accompanying VHS and DVD was released featuring the music videos to Houston's greatest hits, as well as several hard-to-find live performances including her 1983 debut on "The Merv Griffin Show" and interviews. The greatest hits album was certified 5× platinum in the US, with worldwide sales of 10 million.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, her behavior had changed by 1999 and 2000. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, she canceled concerts and talk-show appearances and there were reports of erratic behavior. Missed performances and weight loss led to rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband. On January 11, 2000, while traveling with Brown, airport security guards discovered half an ounce of marijuana in Houston's handbag at Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii, but she departed before authorities could arrive. Charges against her were later dropped, but rumors of drug usage by Houston and Brown would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but was a no-show.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Shortly thereafter, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards, but was fired from the event by musical director and longtime friend Burt Bacharach. Her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation. In his book "The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards", author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery and her attitude was casual, almost defiant" and that while Houston was supposed to perform "Over the Rainbow", she would start singing a different song during rehearsals. Houston later admitted to having been fired.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In May 2000, Houston's longtime executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company; in 2019, Crawford asserted that she had left Houston's employ after Houston declined to seek help for her drug dependency. The following month, "Rolling Stone" published a story stating that Cissy Houston and others had held a July 1999 intervention in which they unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Whitney to obtain drug treatment.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In August 2001, Houston signed one of the biggest record deals in music history, with Arista/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to release six new albums, for which she would also earn royalties. She later made an appearance on "", where her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Her publicist stated, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters and when she is under stress she doesn't eat." (In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston acknowledged that drug use had been the reason for her weight loss.) She was scheduled for a second performance the following night, but canceled it. Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the September 11 attacks, with the proceeds donated to the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. The song peaked at No. 6 this time on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 2002, Houston became embroiled in a legal dispute with John Houston Enterprise. Although the company was started by her father to manage her career, it was actually run by company president Kevin Skinner. Skinner filed a breach of contract lawsuit and sued for $100 million (but lost), stating that Houston owed the company previously unpaid compensation for helping to negotiate her $100 million contract with Arista Records and for sorting out legal matters. Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court. Houston's father later died in February 2003. The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Also in 2002, Houston gave an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her then-upcoming album. During the primetime special, she spoke about her drug use and marriage, among other topics. Addressing the ongoing drug rumors, she said, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." The "crack is wack" line was drawn from a mural that Keith Haring painted in 1986 on the handball court at 128th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. Houston did, however, admit to using alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and pills; she also acknowledged that her mother had urged her to seek help regarding her drug use. She also denied having an eating disorder and that her very thin appearance was connected to drug use. She further stated that Bobby Brown had never hit her, but acknowledged that she had hit him.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In December 2002, Houston released her fifth studio album, "Just Whitney". The album included productions from then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as Missy Elliott and Babyface, and marked the first time that Houston did not produce with Clive Davis, as Davis had been released by top management at BMG. Upon its release, "Just Whitney" received mixed reviews. The album debuted at number 9 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and it had the highest first week sales of any album Houston had ever released. The four singles released from the album did not fare well on the "Billboard" Hot 100, but became dance chart hits. "Just Whitney" was certified platinum in the United States and sold about two million worldwide.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In late 2003, Houston released her first Christmas album "", with a collection of traditional holiday songs. Houston produced the album with Mervyn Warren and Gordon Chambers. A single titled "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart and the album was certified gold in the US.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In December 2003, Brown was charged with battery following an altercation during which he threatened to beat Houston and then assaulted her. Police reported that Houston had visible injuries to her face.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Having always been a touring artist, Houston spent most of 2004 touring and performing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Russia. In September 2004, she gave a surprise performance at the World Music Awards in a tribute to long-time friend Clive Davis. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into the studio to work on her new album.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In early 2004, Brown starred in his own reality TV program, "Being Bobby Brown", on Bravo. The show provided a view of the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. Houston was a prominent figure throughout the show, receiving as much screen time as Brown. The series aired in 2005 and featured Houston in unflattering moments. Years later, "The Guardian" opined that through her participation in the show, Houston had lost "the last remnants of her dignity". "The Hollywood Reporter" said that the show was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television". Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, the series gave Bravo its highest ratings in its time slot and continued Houston's successful forays into film and television. The show was not renewed for a second season after Houston said that she would no longer appear in it and Brown and Bravo could not come to an agreement for another season.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston gave her first interview in seven years in September 2009, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade". Whitney admitted on the show to having used drugs with Brown during their marriage; she said Brown had "laced marijuana with rock cocaine". She told Oprah that before "The Bodyguard" her drug use was light, that she used drugs more heavily after the film's success and the birth of her daughter and that by 1996 "[doing drugs] was an everyday thing ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston told Oprah that she had attended a 30-day rehabilitation program. Houston also acknowledged to Oprah that her drug use had continued after rehabilitation and that at one point, her mother obtained a court order and the assistance of law enforcement to press her into receiving further drug treatment. (In her 2013 book, "Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped", Cissy Houston described the scene she encountered at Whitney Houston's house in 2005 as follows: "Somebody had spray-painted the walls and door with big glaring eyes and strange faces. Evil eyes, staring out like a threat ... In another room, there was a big framed photo of [Whitney] – but someone had cut [her] head out. It was beyond disturbing, seeing my daughter's face cut out like that." This visit led Cissy to return with law enforcement and perform an intervention.) Houston also told Oprah that Brown had been emotionally abusive during their marriage and had even spat on her on one occasion. When Winfrey asked Houston if she was drug-free, Houston responded, "'Yes, ma'am. I mean, you know, don't think I don't have desires for it.'"


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston released her new album, "I Look to You", in August 2009. The album's first two singles were the title track "I Look to You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the "Billboard" 200 at No. 1, with Houston's best opening week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since "The Bodyguard" and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's "Whitney". Houston also appeared on European television programs to promote the album. She performed the song "I Look to You" on the German television show "Wetten, dass..?". Houston appeared as guest mentor on "The X Factor" in the United Kingdom. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two seconds into the performance. She later commented that she "sang [herself] out of [her] clothes". The performance was poorly received by the British media and was described as "weird" and "ungracious".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade). Three weeks after its release, "I Look to You" went gold. Houston appeared on the Italian version of "The X Factor", where she performed "Million Dollar Bill" to excellent reviews. In November, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Two days later, Houston performed "Million Dollar Bill" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" on the "Dancing with the Stars" season 9 finale.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston later embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing but Love World Tour. It was her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, some poor reviews and rescheduled concerts brought negative media attention. Houston canceled some concerts because of illness and received widespread negative reviews from fans who were disappointed in the quality of her voice and performance. Some fans reportedly walked out of her concerts.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. She won the award for Best Music Video for her single "I Look to You". On January 16, she received The BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. Houston also performed the song "I Look to You" on the 2011 BET "Celebration of Gospel", with gospel–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The performance aired on January 30, 2011.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In May 2011, Houston enrolled in a rehabilitation center again, citing drug and alcohol problems. A representative for Houston said that the outpatient treatment was a part of Houston's "longstanding recovery process". In September 2011, "The Hollywood Reporter" announced that Houston would produce and star alongside Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps in the remake of the 1976 film "Sparkle". In the film, Houston portrays Sparks's "not-so encouraging" mother. Houston is also credited as an executive producer of the film. Debra Martin Chase, producer of "Sparkle", stated that Houston deserved the title considering she had been there from the beginning in 2001, when Houston obtained "Sparkle" production rights. R&B singer Aaliyah – originally tapped to star as Sparkle – died in a 2001 plane crash. Her death derailed production, which would have begun in 2002.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's remake of "Sparkle" was filmed in late 2011 over two months and was released by TriStar Pictures. On May 21, 2012, "Celebrate", the last song Houston recorded with Sparks, premiered at RyanSeacrest.com. It was made available for digital download on iTunes on June 5. The song was featured on the "" soundtrack as the first official single. The movie was released on August 17, 2012, in the United States.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston reportedly appeared "disheveled" and "erratic" in the days before her death. On February 9, 2012, Houston visited singers Brandy Norwood and Monica, together with Clive Davis, at their rehearsals for Davis's pre-Grammy Awards party at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. That same day, she made her last public performance when she joined Kelly Price on stage in Hollywood, California, and sang "Jesus Loves Me".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Two days later, on February 11, Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton, submerged in the bathtub. Beverly Hills paramedics arrived about 3:30 pm, found Houston unresponsive, and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm PST. The cause of death was not immediately known; local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".


title: Whitney Houston

text: An invitation-only memorial service was held for Houston on February 18, 2012, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The service was scheduled for two hours, but lasted four. Among those who performed at the funeral were Stevie Wonder (rewritten version of "Ribbon in the Sky" and "Love's in Need of Love Today"), CeCe Winans ("Don't Cry" and "Jesus Loves Me"), Alicia Keys ("Send Me an Angel"), Kim Burrell (rewritten version of "A Change Is Gonna Come") and R. Kelly ("I Look to You").


title: Whitney Houston

text: The performances were interspersed with hymns by the church choir and remarks by Clive Davis, Houston's record producer; Kevin Costner; Rickey Minor, her music director; her cousin, Dionne Warwick; and Ray Watson, her security guard for the past 11 years. Aretha Franklin was listed on the program and was expected to sing, but was unable to attend the service. Bobby Brown departed shortly after the service began. Houston was buried on February 19, 2012, in Fairview Cemetery, in Westfield, New Jersey, next to her father, John Russell Houston, who had died in 2003.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office reported that Houston's death was caused by drowning and the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use". The office said the amount of cocaine found in Houston's body indicated that she used the substance shortly before her death. Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), alprazolam (Xanax), cannabis, and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril). The manner of death was listed as an "accident".


title: Whitney Houston

text: The February 11, 2012, Clive Davis pre-Grammy party that Houston had been expected to attend, which featured many of the biggest names in music and film, went on as scheduled – although it was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston. Davis spoke about Houston's death at the evening's start:


title: Whitney Houston

text: By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's death before performing at Davis's party. He said, "First, it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston." Bennett sang "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and said of Houston: "When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Some celebrities opposed Davis's decision to continue with the party while a police investigation was being conducted in Houston's hotel room and her body was still in the building. Chaka Khan, in an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan on February 13, 2012, shared that she felt the party should have been canceled, saying: "I thought that was complete insanity. And knowing Whitney I don't believe that she would have said 'the show must go on.' She's the kind of woman that would've said 'Stop everything! Un-unh. I'm not going to be there.'"


title: Whitney Houston

text: Sharon Osbourne condemned the Davis party, declaring: "I think it was disgraceful that the party went on. I don't want to be in a hotel room when there's someone you admire who's tragically lost their life four floors up. I'm not interested in being in that environment and I think when you grieve someone, you do it privately, you do it with people who understand you. I thought it was so wrong."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Many other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death. Darlene Love, Houston's godmother, hearing the news of her death, said, "It felt like I had been struck by a lightning bolt in my gut." Dolly Parton, whose song "I Will Always Love You" was covered by Houston, said, "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed. Aretha Franklin said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen." Others paying tribute included Mariah Carey, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Moments after news of her death emerged, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all broke from their regularly scheduled programming to dedicate time to non-stop coverage of Houston's death. All three featured live interviews with people who had known Houston including those that had worked with her along with some of her peers in the music industry. "Saturday Night Live" displayed a photo of a smiling Houston, alongside Molly Shannon, from her 1996 appearance. MTV and VH1 interrupted their regularly scheduled programming on Sunday February 12 to air many of Houston's classic videos with MTV often airing news segments in between and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities.


title: Whitney Houston

text: The first full hour after the news of Houston's death broke saw 2,481,652 tweets and retweets on Twitter alone, equating to a rate of more than a thousand tweets every second.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, was reported to be "in and out of crying fits" after receiving the news. He did not cancel a scheduled performance and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi observed as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the 54th Grammy Awards, announced that Jennifer Hudson would perform a tribute to Houston at the February 12, 2012, ceremony. He said, "event organizers believed Hudson – an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist – could perform a respectful musical tribute to Houston." Ehrlich went on to say: "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years." At the start of the awards ceremony, footage of Houston performing "I Will Always Love You" from the 1994 Grammys was shown following a prayer read by host LL Cool J. Later in the program, following a montage of photos of musicians who died in 2011 with Houston singing "Saving All My Love for You" at the 1986 Grammys, Hudson paid tribute to Houston and the other artists by performing "I Will Always Love You". The tribute was partially credited for the Grammys telecast getting its second highest ratings in history.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston was honored with various tributes at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards, held on February 17. An image montage of Houston and important black figures who died in 2011 was followed by video footage from the 1994 ceremony, which depicted her accepting two Image Awards for outstanding female artist and entertainer of the year. Following the video tribute, Yolanda Adams delivered a rendition of "I Love the Lord" from "The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack". In the finale of the ceremony, Kirk Franklin and the Family started their performance with "The Greatest Love of All".


title: Whitney Houston

text: The 2012 Brit Awards, which took place at the O2 Arena in London on February 21, also paid tribute to Houston by playing a 30-second video montage of her music videos with a snippet of "One Moment in Time" as the background music in the ceremony's first segment. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that all New Jersey state flags would be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, February 21, to honor Houston. Houston was also featured, alongside other recently deceased figures from the film industry, in the "In Memoriam" montage at the 84th Academy Awards on February 26, 2012.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston topped the list of Google searches in 2012, both globally and in the United States, according to Google's Annual Zeitgeist most-popular searches list.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On May 17, 2017, Bebe Rexha released a single titled "The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody)" from her two-part album "". The song mentions Houston's name in the opening lyrics, "I'm sorry, I'm not the most pretty, I'll never ever sing like Whitney", before going on to sample some of Houston's lyrics from "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" in the chorus. The song was in part made as a tribute to Whitney Houston's life.


title: Whitney Houston

text: According to representatives from Houston record label, Houston sold 3.7 million albums and 4.3 million singles worldwide in the first ten months of the year she died. With just 24 hours passing between news of Houston's death and Nielsen SoundScan tabulating the weekly album charts, "" climbed into the Top 10 with 64,000 copies sold; it was a 10,419 percent gain compared to the previous week. 43 of the top 100 most-downloaded tracks on iTunes were Houston songs, including "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" at number one. Two other Houston classics, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Greatest Love of All", were in the top 10. As fans of Houston rushed to rediscover the singer's music, single digital track sales of the artist's music rose to more than 887,000 paid song downloads in 24 hours in the US alone.


title: Whitney Houston

text: The single "I Will Always Love You" returned to the "Billboard" Hot 100 after almost twenty years, peaking at number three and becoming a posthumous top-ten single for Houston, the first one since 2001. Two other Houston songs also jumped back on the Hot 100: "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at 25 and "Greatest Love of All" at 36. Her death on February 11 ignited an incredible drive to her YouTube and Vevo pages. She went from 868,000 views in the week prior to her death to 40,200,000 views in the week following her death, a 45-fold increase.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On February 29, 2012, Houston became the first and only female act to ever place three albums in the Top Ten of the US "Billboard" 200 Album Chart all at the same time, with "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" at number 2, "The Bodyguard" at number 6 and "Whitney Houston" at number 9. On March 7, 2012, Houston claimed two more additional feats on the US "Billboard" charts: she became the first and only female act to place nine albums within the top 100 (with "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" at number 2, "The Bodyguard" at number 5, "Whitney Houston" at number 10, "I Look to You" at number 13, "Triple Feature" at number 21, "My Love Is Your Love" at number 31, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" at number 32, "Just Whitney" at number 50 and "" at number 80); in addition, other Houston albums were also on the US "Billboard" Top 200 Album Chart at this time. Houston also became the second female act, after Adele, to place two albums in the top five of the US "Billboard" Top 200, with "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" at number 2 and "The Bodyguard" at number 5.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's first posthumous greatest hits album, "", was released on November 13, 2012, by RCA Records. It features the remastered versions of her number-one hits, an unreleased song titled "Never Give Up" and a duet version of "I Look to You" with R. Kelly. The album won two NAACP Image Awards for 'Outstanding Album' and 'Outstanding Song' ("I Look to You"). It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2020. In October 2021, the album was reissued on vinyl and included Houston's first posthumous hit, "Higher Love". Since its release, it has spent more than 100 weeks on the "Billboard" 200, making it one of the longest-charting compilations in chart history, the fifth by a woman after H.E.R., Madonna, Carrie Underwood and Pink.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's posthumous live album, "Her Greatest Performances" (2014), was a US R&B number-one and received positive reviews by music critics. In 2017, the 25th anniversary reissue of "The Bodyguard" (soundtrack)—"—"was released by Legacy Recordings. It includes film versions, remixes and live performances of Houston's Bodyguard songs.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 2019, Houston and Kygo's version of "Higher Love" was released as a single. The record became a worldwide hit. It peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in several countries. "Higher Love" was nominated at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards for "Top Dance/Electronic Song of the Year", the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards for "Dance Song of the Year" and "Best Remix". It was certified multi-platinum in the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom. The song was also a platinum hit in Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On December 16, 2022, RCA released the soundtrack album to Houston's upcoming biopic, titled, "", to every digital download platform all over the world. The soundtrack includes reimagined remixes of some of Houston's classics and several newly discovered songs such as Houston's cover of CeCe Winans' "Don't Cry" (labeled as "Don't Cry for Me" on Houston's soundtrack) at the Commitment to Life AIDS benefit concert in Los Angeles in January of 1994, remixed by house producer Sam Feldt.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston possessed a spinto soprano vocal range, and was referred to as "The Voice" in reference to her vocal talent. Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" stated Houston "always had a great big voice, a technical marvel from its velvety depths to its ballistic middle register to its ringing and airy heights". In 2008, "Rolling Stone" ranked Houston among the list "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", stating, "Her voice is a mammoth, coruscating cry: Few vocalists could get away with opening a song with 45 unaccompanied seconds of singing, but Houston's powerhouse version of 'I Will Always Love You' is a tour de force."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Matthew Perpetua of "Rolling Stone" also acknowledged Houston's vocal prowess, enumerating ten performances, including "How Will I Know" at the 1986 MTV VMAs and "The Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl. "Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision", he stated. "She was a brilliant performer and her live shows often eclipsed her studio recordings." According to "Newsweek", Houston had a four-octave range.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Elysa Gardner of the "Los Angeles Times" in her review for "The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack" highly praised Houston's vocal ability, commenting, "She is first and foremost a pop diva – at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star – not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand – quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Singer Faith Evans stated: "Whitney wasn't just a singer with a beautiful voice. She was a true musician. Her voice was an instrument and she knew how to use it. With the same complexity as someone who has mastered the violin or the piano, Whitney mastered the use of her voice. From every run to every crescendo—she was in tune with what she could do with her voice and it's not something simple for a singer—even a very talented one—to achieve. Whitney is 'The Voice' because she worked for it. This is someone who was singing backup for her mom when she was 14 years old at nightclubs across the country. This is someone who sang backup for Chaka Khan when she was only 17. She had years and years of honing her craft on stage and in the studio before she ever got signed to a record label. Coming from a family of singers and surrounded by music; she pretty much had a formal education in music, just like someone who might attend a performing arts high school or major in voice in college."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" commented, "Her voice was clean and strong, with barely any grit, well suited to the songs of love and aspiration. [ ... ] Hers was a voice of triumph and achievement and it made for any number of stunning, time-stopping vocal performances." Mariah Carey stated, "She [Whitney] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong." While in her review of "I Look to You", music critic Ann Powers of the "Los Angeles Times" writes, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators", adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Lauren Everitt from BBC News Magazine commented on melisma used in Houston's recording and its influence. "An early 'I' in Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' takes nearly six seconds to sing. In those seconds the former gospel singer-turned-pop star packs a series of different notes into the single syllable", stated Everitt. "The technique is repeated throughout the song, most pronouncedly on every 'I' and 'you'. The vocal technique is called melisma and it has inspired a host of imitators. Other artists may have used it before Houston, but it was her rendition of Dolly Parton's love song that pushed the technique into the mainstream in the 90s. [ ... ] But perhaps what Houston nailed best was moderation." Everitt said that "[i]n a climate of reality shows ripe with 'oversinging,' it's easy to appreciate Houston's ability to save melisma for just the right moment."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. According to Linda Lister in "Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars", she has been called the "Queen of Pop" for her influence during the 1990s, commercially rivaling Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Stephen Holden from "The New York Times", in his review of Houston's Radio City Music Hall concert on July 20, 1993, praised her attitude as a singer, writing, "Whitney Houston is one of the few contemporary pop stars of whom it might be said: the voice suffices. While almost every performer whose albums sell in the millions calls upon an entertainer's bag of tricks, from telling jokes to dancing to circus pyrotechnics, Ms. Houston would rather just stand there and sing." With regard to her singing style, he added: "Her [Houston's] stylistic trademarks – shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration – infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning."


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston struggled with vocal problems in her later years. Gary Catona, a voice coach who began working with Houston in 2005, stated: "'When I first started working with her in 2005, she had lost 99.9 percent of her voice ... She could barely speak, let alone sing. Her lifestyle choices had made her almost completely hoarse.'" After Houston's death, Catona asserted that Houston's voice reached "'about 75 to 80 percent'" of its former capacity after he had worked with her. However, during the world tour that followed the release of "I Look to You", "YouTube videos surfaced, showing [Houston's] voice cracking, seemingly unable to hold the notes she was known for".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Regarding the musical style, Houston's vocal performances incorporated a wide variety of genres, including R&B, pop, rock, soul, gospel, funk, dance, latin pop, disco, house, hip hop soul, new jack swing, opera, and . The lyrical themes in her recordings are mainly about love, social, religious and feminism. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stated: "Her sound expanded through collaborations with a wide array of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Bobby Brown, and Mariah Carey." While AllMusic commented that, "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston has been regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a cultural icon. She is also recognized as one of the most influential R&B artists in history. Black female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music partly because Houston paved the way. Baker commented that "Because of what Whitney and Sade did, there was an opening for me ... For radio stations, black women singers aren't taboo anymore."


title: Whitney Houston

text: AllMusic noted her contribution to the success of black artists on the pop scene. "The New York Times" stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions". Richard Corliss of "Time" magazine commented on her initial success breaking various barriers:


title: Whitney Houston

text: Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. This chanteuse [Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [ ... ] She was a phenomenon waiting to happen, a canny tapping of the listener's yen for a return to the musical middle. And because every new star creates her own genre, her success has helped other blacks, other women, other smooth singers find an avid reception in the pop marketplace.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" said that Houston "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing". Ann Powers of the "Los Angeles Times" referred to Houston as a "national treasure". Jon Caramanica, another music critic of "The New York Times", called Houston "R&B's great modernizer", adding "slowly but surely reconciling the ambition and praise of the church with the movements and needs of the body and the glow of the mainstream". He also drew comparisons between Houston's influence and other big names on 1980s pop:


title: Whitney Houston

text: She was, alongside Michael Jackson and Madonna, one of the crucial figures to hybridize pop in the 1980s, though her strategy was far less radical than that of her peers. Jackson and Madonna were by turns lascivious and brutish and, crucially, willing to let their production speak more loudly than their voices, an option Ms. Houston never went for. Also, she was less prolific than either of them, achieving most of her renown on the strength of her first three solo albums and one soundtrack, released from 1985 to 1992. If she was less influential than they were in the years since, it was only because her gift was so rare, so impossible to mimic. Jackson and Madonna built worldviews around their voices; Ms. Houston's voice was the worldview. She was someone more to be admired, like a museum piece, than to be emulated.


title: Whitney Houston

text: "The Independent"s music critic Andy Gill also wrote about Houston's influence on modern R&B and singing competitions, comparing it to Michael Jackson's. "Because Whitney, more than any other single artist – Michael Jackson included – effectively mapped out the course of modern R&B, setting the bar for standards of soul vocalese and creating the original template for what we now routinely refer to as the 'soul diva' ", stated Gill. "Jackson was a hugely talented icon, certainly, but he will be as well remembered (probably more so) for his presentational skills, his dazzling dance moves, as for his musical innovations. Whitney, on the other hand, just sang and the ripples from her voice continue to dominate the pop landscape." Gill said that there "are few, if any, Jackson imitators on today's TV talent shows, but every other contestant is a Whitney wannabe, desperately attempting to emulate that wondrous combination of vocal effects – the flowing melisma, the soaring mezzo-soprano confidence, the tremulous fluttering that carried the ends of lines into realms of higher yearning".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Similarly, Steve Huey from Allmusic wrote that the shadow of Houston's prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singer – male or female – in her wake and spawned a legion of imitators. "Rolling Stone" stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna". The magazine placed her 34th on their "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" list. "Essence" ranked Houston at number five on their list of 50 Most Influential R&B Stars of all time, calling her "the diva to end all divas". In October 2022, the same magazine ranked Houston at number one on its list of the ten greatest R&B solo artists of all time.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston won numerous accolades, including 2 Emmy Awards, 8 Grammy Awards (including two Grammy Hall of Fame honors), 14 World Music Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards (31 Billboard awards in all) and 22 American Music Awards. Houston holds the record for the most American Music Awards received in a single year by a woman with eight wins in 1994 (overall tied with Michael Jackson). Houston won a record 11 Billboard Music Awards at its fourth ceremony in 1993. She also holds the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five awards at the sixth World Music Awards in 1994.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 2001, Houston was the first artist to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award. Since she received the honor at just the age of 37 at the time, Houston was and remains the youngest artist to receive this. Five years earlier, in 1996, Houston became the second recipient of the BET Walk of Fame and was, at 32, the youngest to receive that honor. In 2010, BET honored her once more with the BET Honors.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era". In 2008, "Billboard" magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine. Similarly, she was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" by VH1 in September 2010. In November 2010, "Billboard" released its "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three who not only went on to earn eight number-one singles on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five number ones on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston's debut album is listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by "Rolling Stone" magazine and is on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list. In 2004, "Billboard" picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history. Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to "USA Today" in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey's chart-topping vocal gymnastics. In 2015, she was placed at number nine (second as a female) by "Billboard" on the list "35 Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with more than 200 million records sold worldwide. She is the top-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century. Houston had also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history. As of 2020, she was ranked as one of the best-selling artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America with 60 million certified albums sold. Houston released seven studio albums and two soundtrack albums, all of which have been certified diamond, multi-platinum or platinum.


title: Whitney Houston

text: She is the first and only black artist to have three Diamond-certified albums. Houston's first two albums, as well as her 1992 release "The Bodyguard's soundtrack", are among the best-selling albums of all time. "The Bodyguard" (soundtrack) remains the bestselling soundtrack album of all time, with global sales of over 45 million copies. Houston's "I Will Always Love You" became the best-selling physical single by a female in music history, with sales of over 20 million copies worldwide. Her 1996 soundtrack for The Preacher's Wife is the bestselling gospel album of all time.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts. She held an honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana. Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013. In August 2014, she was inducted into the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class. In October 2019, Houston was announced as a 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, one of nine first-time nominees and 16 total.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On January 15, 2020, she was announced as an inductee into the Hall's 2020 class, along with five other acts. In March 2020, the Library of Congress announced that Houston's 1992 single "I Will Always Love You" had been added to its National Recording Registry, a list of "aural treasures worthy of preservation" due to their "cultural, historical and aesthetic importance" in the American soundscape. In October 2020, the music video for "I Will Always Love You" surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, making Houston the first solo 20th-century artist to have a video reach that milestone. In 2022, Houston was ranked as the greatest R&B solo artist of all time by "Essence" magazine.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston was a long-time supporter of several charities all around the world. In 1989, she established the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children. It offered medical assistance to sick and homeless children, fought to prevent child abuse, taught children to read, created inner-city parks and playgrounds and granted college scholarships, including one to The Juilliard School.


title: Whitney Houston

text: At a 1988 Madison Square Garden concert, Houston earned more over $250,000 for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston donated all of the earnings from her 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" sales to Gulf War servicemen and their families. The record label followed suit and she was voted to the "American Red Cross Board of Directors" as a result. Following the terrorist attacks in 2001, Houston re-released "The Star Spangled Banner" to support the New York Firefighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. She waived her royalty rights to the song, which reached number one on charts in October 2001 and generated more than $1 million.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Houston declined to perform in apartheid-era South Africa in the 1980s. Her participation at the 1988 Freedomfest performance in London (for a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela) grabbed the attention of other musicians and the media.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In addition, Houston became an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS during the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, in particular, focused on helping children who suffered from HIV/AIDS among other issues. In 1990, Whitney took part in Arista Records' 15th anniversary gala, which was an AIDS benefit, where she sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Greatest Love of All" and, with cousin Dionne Warwick, "That's What Friends Are For". A year later, Whitney participated in the Reach Out & Touch Someone AIDS vigil at London in September 1991 while she was finishing her historic ten-date residency at London's Wembley Arena; there, she stressed the importance of AIDS research and addressing HIV stigma.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Noting of her influence as a gay icon, during the middle of her tour to promote the "My Love Is Your Love" album in June 1999, Whitney gave a surprise performance at the 13th Annual New York City Lesbian & Gay Pride Dance, titled "Dance 13: The Last Dance of the Century", at one of the city's West Side piers. According to Instinct magazine, Houston's unannounced performance at the Piers "ushered in a new era that would eventually make high-profile artists performing at LGBTQ events virtually commonplace." Before hitting the stage, Houston was asked by MTV veejay John Norris why she decided to attend the event, Houston replied, "we're all God's children, honey".


title: Whitney Houston

text: Since Houston's sudden death in 2012, her life, career and death have been the subject of many documentaries and specials. A television documentary film entitled "" aired on Showtime on August 25, 2017. The film was directed by Nick Broomfield.


title: Whitney Houston

text: On April 27, 2016, it was announced that Kevin Macdonald would work with the film production team Altitude, producers of the Amy Winehouse documentary film "Amy" (2015), on a new documentary film based on Houston's life and death. It is the first documentary authorized by Houston's estate. That film, entitled "Whitney", premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was released internationally in theaters on July 6, 2018.


title: Whitney Houston

text: Lifetime released the documentary "Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All" in 2021, which "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" called "...less an exposé and more a loving tribute to these two women".


title: Whitney Houston

text: In 2015, Lifetime premiered the biographical film "Whitney", which mentions that Whitney Houston was named after prominent television actress Whitney Blake, the mother of Meredith Baxter Birney, star of the television series "Family Ties". The film was directed by Houston's "Waiting to Exhale" co-star Angela Bassett and Houston was portrayed by model Yaya DaCosta.


title: Whitney Houston

text: In April 2020, it was announced that a biopic based on Houston's life, said to be "no holds barred", titled "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", would be produced, with "Bohemian Rhapsody" screenwriter Anthony McCarten writing the script and director Kasi Lemmons at the helm. Clive Davis, the Houston estate and Primary Wave are behind the biopic, with Sony Pictures & TriStar Pictures. On December 15, 2020, it was announced that actress Naomi Ackie had been picked to portray Houston.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. Known for starring in both big-budget and independent films, Pattinson has ranked among the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, "Time" magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and he was featured in the "Forbes" Celebrity 100 list.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: After starting to act in a London theatre club at age 15, Pattinson began his film career by playing Cedric Diggory in the fantasy film "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005). He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Edward Cullen in "The Twilight Saga" film series (2008–2012), which grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. After starring in the romantic dramas "Remember Me" (2010) and "Water for Elephants" (2011), Pattinson began working in independent films from auteur directors. He received praise for his starring roles in David Cronenberg's thriller "Cosmopolis" (2012), James Gray's adventure drama "The Lost City of Z" (2016), the Safdie Brothers' crime drama "Good Time" (2017), Claire Denis' science-fiction drama "High Life" (2018), and Robert Eggers' psychological horror film "The Lighthouse" (2019). He returned to mainstream films with a leading role in Christopher Nolan's spy film "Tenet" (2020), and starred as Batman in Matt Reeves' superhero film "The Batman" (2022).


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Aside from acting, Pattinson plays music and has sung on several soundtracks for film. He supports several charities, including the GO Campaign, and has been the face of Dior Homme fragrance since 2013.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson was born on 13 May 1986 in London, the youngest of three children of Clare (Charlton), a scout at a modelling agency, and Richard Pattinson, a vintage car dealer. He grew up in a small home in Barnes with two older sisters, Elizabeth (Lizzy) and Victoria. Pattinson started learning the guitar and piano at the age of four. He attended Tower House School, from which, aged 12, he was expelled for shoplifting adult magazines at a post office shop and selling them later to his male classmates. He completed his schooling at The Harrodian School. As a teenager he worked as a photo model for British fashion brands and magazines to improve his pocket money and developed a love of cinema where he counted Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando and Jean-Paul Belmondo among his acting idols. In his late teens and early twenties, he performed acoustic guitar gigs at open mic nights in pubs around London where he sang his own written songs either solo under the stage name "Bobby Dupea", or with his band "Bad Girls".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson considered becoming a musician or going to university to study speech-writing, but never thought about pursuing an acting career; his teacher in school even advised him not to join the drama club because she thought he was not suited for the creative arts. However, when he was 13, he joined the local amateur theatre club called "Barnes Theatre Company" after his father convinced him to attend because he was quite shy. At age 15 and after two years of working backstage, he auditioned for the play "Guys and Dolls" and he got his first role as a Cuban dancer with no lines. He got the lead role of George Gibbs in the next play "Our Town", was spotted by a talent agent who was sitting in the audience and he began looking for professional roles. He also appeared in the plays "Macbeth", "Anything Goes", and "Tess of the d'Urbervilles". Pattinson had planned to go to university, but couldn't because the shoot for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" went over schedule. He used to share a flat in London's Soho with fellow actor and good friend Tom Sturridge.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson had supporting roles in the German made-for-television film "" in 2004, and in director Mira Nair's costume drama "Vanity Fair", although his scenes in the latter were deleted and only appear on the DVD version. In May 2005, he was scheduled to appear in the UK premiere of "The Woman Before" at the Royal Court Theatre, but was fired shortly before the opening night and was replaced by Tom Riley.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Later in 2005, Pattinson played Cedric Diggory in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". Pattinson learned how to scuba dive to play the role of Diggory. For this role, he was named the 2005 "British Star of Tomorrow" by "The Times". During this period, he was hailed as "the next Jude Law".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2006, Pattinson appeared in "The Haunted Airman" a psychological thriller, aired on BBC Four on 31 October, and he earned favourable reviews. "The Stage" praised his performance by saying that "[he] played the airman of the title with a perfect combination of youthful terror and world weary cynicism." On 19 February 2007, he appeared in a supporting role in a one-off television drama based on the best-selling novel by Kate Long, "The Bad Mother's Handbook".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2008, Pattinson was cast as Edward Cullen in "Twilight", based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. According to "TV Guide", Pattinson was apprehensive about auditioning, fearful that he would not be able to live up to the "perfection" expected from the character. The film was released on 21 November 2008 and turned Pattinson into a movie star overnight. Although the film received mixed reviews, critics praised his chemistry with co-star Kristen Stewart. "The New York Times" called Pattinson a "capable and exotically beautiful" actor and Roger Ebert said he was "well-chosen" for the role.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson's other release of 2008, "How to Be", was a low-budget comedy drama film written and directed by Oliver Irving. It screened at number of film festivals, earning mixed reviews from critics. Pattinson then starred as Salvador Dalí in the film "Little Ashes", a Spanish-British drama directed by Paul Morrison. He also starred in a short film entitled "The Summer House", directed by Daisy Gili. This short film was later re-released as a part of an anthology film titled "Love & Distrust", comprising five short films following eight individuals from diverse backgrounds on their quest for true contentment.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson reprised his role as Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" sequel, "", which was released on 20 November 2009. The film earned a record-breaking $142,839,137 on its opening weekend and earned an overall $709,827,462 worldwide. Though the film received negative reviews, film critic Michael Phillips from the "Chicago Tribune" said that Pattinson was "interesting to watch" despite bad makeup. Bill GoodyKoontz from the "Arizona Republic" said that "Pattinson's actually not in the film that much, but he does his best when he's around" and Michael O'Sullivan of "The Washington Post" noted that his acting was "uniformly strong". "New Moon" brought Pattinson global stardom and made him one of the highest-paid actors in the world.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2009, Pattinson presented at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony. On 10 November 2009, "Revolver Entertainment" released the DVD "Robsessed", a documentary on Pattinson's life and popularity. His next film, "", was released on 30 June 2010, earning $698,491,347 worldwide. The film received mixed reviews. Kirk Honeycutt of "The Hollywood Reporter" praised Pattinson's performance, stating that "(he) makes you forget the white makeup and weird eye contact lenses – to focus on a character torn between his love for the human Bella (Stewart) and the knowledge that she'll have to let go of her beating heart if she's to stay with him forever". Will Lawrence of "Empire Online" praised the performance of three leads of the film, stating that "all three corners of the love triangle look sharper than before: the most accomplished actor, Stewart, still lip-biting, Lautner still pec-flexing, and Pattinson not fully shaking that fiery-eyed pout. But all have grown into their roles, cutting loose in a film that (thankfully) sidesteps the melodrama of its prequels".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson executive-produced and starred in the film "Remember Me", which was released on 12 March 2010. Though the film received mixed reviews, some critics praised his performance. Jake Coyle of "The Associated Press" said that Pattinson had "an unmistakable screen presence" but "pour[ed] it on thickly and self-consciously. With low eyes, sleeves rolled up just so and cigarette drooping artfully from his mouth, Tyler (like Edward Cullen) is a reluctant romantic". However, Ian Nathan of "Empire Online" stated that the film was "the best thing" Pattinson had done. Kirk Honeycutt of "The Hollywood Reporter" praised his chemistry with co-star Emilie de Ravin in the film, stating that the "scenes between Pattinson and de Ravin exude genuine charm."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2011, Pattinson starred as Jacob Jankowski in "Water for Elephants", adapted from the novel by Sara Gruen. The film received mixed reviews, but Pattinson's performance was praised. Film critic Richard Corliss from "Time" praised Pattinson for being "shy and watchful" and said that he "radiates a slow magnetism that locks the viewer's eyes on him", ultimately calling him "star quality". Mick LaSalle from the "San Francisco Chronicle" stated that Pattinson succeeded at holding his own at the center of a major feature and was "endlessly watchable". Peter Travers of the "Rolling Stone" said he "smolders" in the film and Todd McCarthy of "The Hollywood Reporter" said that "Pattinson is entirely convincing as Jacob".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson reprised the role of Edward Cullen in "", which was released on 18 November 2011 and earned $705,058,657 at the worldwide box office. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 24% of critics (of the 188 counted reviews) gave the film positive reviews; the site's consensus reads, "Slow, joyless, and loaded with unintentionally humorous moments, "Breaking Dawn Part 1" may satisfy the "Twilight" faithful, but it's strictly for fans of the franchise". Pattinson also played Georges Duroy in a film adaptation of the 1885 novel "Bel Ami", and the film had a world premiere at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. It was released on 12 February 2012.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson starred in the film adaptation of Don DeLillo's "Cosmopolis", directed by David Cronenberg. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It was well received, with Pattinson's performance particularly praised. Justin Chang of "Variety" wrote, "An eerily precise match of filmmaker and material, "Cosmopolis" probes the soullessness of the 1% with the cinematic equivalent of latex gloves. ... Pattinson's excellent performance reps an indispensable asset." Robbie Collin of "The Telegraph" stated that it is a sensational performance from Robert Pattinson, "yes, that Robert Pattinson – as Packer. Pattinson plays him like a human caldera; stony on the surface, with volcanic chambers of nervous energy and self-loathing churning deep below." And Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" stated, "Pattinson, pale and predatory even without his pasty-white vampire makeup, delivers his frigid pensées with rhythmic confidence."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson starred one last time as Edward Cullen in the final instalment of the "Twilight" saga, "" which was released on 16 November 2012, and has grossed over $829 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of the "Twilight" series. At Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 48% approval rating, based on 174 reviews with the consensus stating: "It is the most enjoyable chapter in "The Twilight Saga", but that's not enough to make "Breaking Dawn Part 2" worth watching for filmgoers who don't already count themselves among the franchise converts."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In May 2014, two of Pattinson's films premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. First, Pattinson starred in David Michôd's futuristic western "The Rover", alongside Guy Pearce and Scoot McNairy. The film had its premiere out of competition at the festival. For his performance as a naïve simpleton member of the criminal gang, Pattinson drew rave reviews. Scott Foundas of "Variety" said that "Pattinson who turns out to be the film's greatest surprise, sporting a convincing Southern accent and bringing an understated dignity to a role that might easily have been milked for cheap sentimental effects." He further added that "(it is) a career re-defining performance for Pattinson that reveals untold depths of sensitivity and feeling." Todd McCarthy, writing for "The Hollywood Reporter", wrote that "Pattinson delivers a performance that, despite the character's own limitations, becomes more interesting as the film moves along." Jessica Kiang in her review for "The Playlist", noted that "(Pattinson) turns in a performance that manages to be more affecting than affected."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Next, he reunited with Cronenberg in "Maps to the Stars", a satirical drama described as a darkly comic look at Hollywood excess. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. In the film, he played the role of Jerome Fontana, a limo driver and struggling actor, who wants to be a successful screenwriter. Robbie Collin of "The Daily Telegraph" summed up his performance as "winningly played."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2015, two of his films premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February. First he appeared in Werner Herzog's adaptation of Gertrude Bell's biopic film "Queen of the Desert" alongside Nicole Kidman and James Franco. Pattinson appeared as T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence Of Arabia in the film, which Geoffrey Macnab of "The Independent" described as "comic and a very long way removed from Peter O'Toole. He plays Lawrence Of Arabia as a sharp-tongued, sardonic figure who can see through the pretensions of his bosses and colleagues." David Rooney of "The Hollywood Reporter" called his role "brief but significant" and concluded that "the easy camaraderie in his scenes with Kidman is appealing." Sam Adams of Indiewire said that, "Robert Pattinson gets relatively high marks for his brief turn as the bonafide T.E. Lawrence."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Next he starred in Anton Corbijn's "Life" as "Life Magazine" photographer Dennis Stock; the film deals with the friendship between actor James Dean and Stock. Critical reception for the film was mixed but Pattinson received appreciation for his performance as a photographer. Guy Lodge of Variety called his performance a "sly turn", "Little White Lies" said that "Pattinson's performance is as crisp as the white shirt and black suits his character always wears. This is a camouflage for his own problems that slowly unfurl, adding colour and improving the film." David Rooney of "The Hollywood Reporter" noted that Pattinson "gives arguably the most fully rounded performance."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In late 2015, Pattinson appeared in Brady Corbet's directorial debut film "The Childhood of a Leader", alongside Bérénice Bejo and Stacy Martin. In the film, he played the dual roles, first a brief but crucial role of Charles Marker, a reporter in Germany during World War I and later as an adult version of the leader. He received praise for his performance, which Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" called "elegant" and Lee Marshall of Screen International described as "excellent".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2016, Pattinson appeared in Paramount Pictures and Plan B Entertainment's adaptation of "The Lost City of Z", directed by James Gray. Premiered at the New York Film Festival, the film starred Pattinson as British explorer Corporal Henry Costin. He grew a heavy beard and lost for the film. Earning critical praise for his role, Matt Neg of "NBP" described him as "one of the better actors working today",


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Keith Uhlich in his review for "Brooklyn Magazine" called him "subtle scene-stealer", and Linda Marric writing for "Heyuguys" find his performance "an impressively subtle, yet brilliant."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson next starred in the Safdie Brothers' neo-grindhouse thriller "Good Time", as a bank robber, Connie Nikas, which he has described as a "really hardcore kind of Queens, New York, mentally damaged psychopath, bank robbery movie." The film premiered in competition at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and proved to be a turning point in his career. Pattinson's performance garnered critical acclaim. Guy Lodge of "Variety" described it as his "career-peak", Eric Kohn of Indiewire called it "his Career-Best" and David Rooney of "The Hollywood Reporter" drew comparisons with Al Pacino's Sonny Wortzik in "Dog Day Afternoon", and ultimately noted it as "his most commanding performance to date." Pattinson received his first Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead for his performance in the film.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In August 2017, while promoting "Good Time", Pattinson wrote and starred in a short film for GQ, titled "Fear & Shame", which was described by the magazine as, "Robert Pattinson Battles Fame and Fear to Get a New York Street Dog". Shot on the streets of New York, the film narrates Pattinson's journey to buy a hot dog while avoiding media and fans in the hustle of the city. "The A.V. Club" called it "bizarre and delightful". While "IndieWire" said that "he's got a bright" and "shimmering future".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Zellner Brothers' western-comedy "Damsel" was his first comedy since his 2008 film "How to Be". Pattinson portrayed Samuel Alabaster, an eccentric pioneer who travels west in search of his fiancée. His performance was favourably received: the "New York Post" described it as a "hilariously oddball performance" and "The A.V. Club" found him "easily the best thing about Damsel".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: His last film of 2018 was Claire Denis' science-fiction drama film "High Life", set in space, about team of criminals traveling towards a black hole. Denis initially had Philip Seymour Hoffman in mind for the role of the protagonist, but after becoming aware of Pattinson's commitment and desire to work with her, she cast him in the role instead. Pattinson starred as Monte, one of the criminals on the spaceship, who became a father against his wishes through artificial insemination, and raised his daughter as the ship progressed to the black hole. Critics praised the film with Allen Hunter of "Screen International" noting Pattinson as the most "dominant" and "engaging" element in the film and Jason Bailey of "The Playlist" called it "another scorching Pattinson performance; he plays the character's menace and rebellion with brio".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson's first 2019 role was Robert Eggers's black-and-white psychological horror film "The Lighthouse", set on a remote New England island in the 1890s. The film premiered at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, with widespread critical acclaim for both the film overall and Pattinson's performance. In his review for "The Guardian", Peter Bradshaw described Pattinson's performance as "mesmeric" and a "sledgehammer punch," which "just gets better and better." Gregory Ellwood, writing for "Collider", said that Pattinson has "topped himself here" and his performance is "so transformative it's jarring. You simply never thought he had it in him." He received his second Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead for the film.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson's following two film releases premiered at 2019 Venice Film Festival; he starred in his second collaboration with director David Michôd, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's plays titled "The King". He played Louis, The Dauphin, who served as the nemesis of Henry V. For the role, Pattinson adopted a French accent, which he based on the fashion industry people of France. Though divided on his accent, critics found his performance the "scene-stealing" and "highlight" of the film. He then appeared in Ciro Guerra's "Waiting for the Barbarians", based on a 1980 novel by J. M. Coetzee, alongside Mark Rylance and Johnny Depp. Boyd van Hoeij writing for "The Hollywood Reporter" called his character as "a rather flat supporting role", while "The Guardian" described his performance as "stiff" and "over-articulated".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson starred as a spy handler in Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" (2020), alongside John David Washington, and it marked his return to big-budget films. He based his character's mannerisms on those of author Christopher Hitchens. Jessica Kiang of "The New York Times" labelled him as "delightful" and praised his chemistry with Washington. Pattinson next featured as part of an ensemble cast in "The Devil All the Time", a psychological thriller based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock. Both the film and Pattinson's performance as a lewd small town preacher received mixed reviews. Nonetheless, Austin Collin of "Rolling Stone" found him "eely, eerie, [and] intriguing", while Owen Gleiberman of "Variety" noted that he did "a stylish job".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Matt Reeves's 2022 superhero film "The Batman". Reeves, following Ben Affleck's departure from the role, wrote the character of Bruce Wayne with Pattinson in mind after seeing his performance in "Good Time". The announcement of Pattinson's casting was met with backlash from some Batman fans, but the ultimate portrayal of the superhero was applauded by critics following its release.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: As of January 2022, he was in talks to star in Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" based on Edward Ashton's science-fiction novel for Warner Bros. Pictures. Additionally, he is set to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the sequel of his 2022 superhero film, helmed by Matt Revees again.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In May 2021, Pattinson signed an overall first-look production deal that encompasses the whole spectrum of Warner divisions, including Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Television, and HBO Max. The deal, which represents the actor's first foray into producing, also takes into account a range of releasing platforms, among them theatrical, SVOD and television.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson began modelling at age 12, but his workload began to decrease four years later. In December 2008, he blamed the lack of modelling work on his masculine appearance: "When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modelling career." Pattinson appeared as a model for British teen magazines, and in the advertising campaign for Hackett's autumn 2007 collection.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In November 2010, Pattinson was approached by Burberry to be the face of their brand with a £1m deal, which he turned down.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In June 2013, Pattinson was announced as the new face of Dior Homme fragrance. In 2016, he also became the first brand ambassador of their Menswear collection. In late 2013, he appeared in a black and white short film with French-American model Camille Rowe, as the new face of "Dior Homme Fragrances". Between 2013 and 2020, he appeared in three advertising campaigns of the fragrance for television and print. Collaboraters included directors Romain Gavras, Frédéric Sofiyana, and The Blaze, and photographers Peter Lindbergh, Nan Goldin and Mikael Jansson. Goldin also released a book titled "Robert Pattinson: 1000 Lives", a collection of Pattinson's images from the 2013 campaign. In February 2016, he was also announced as the first ambassador of Dior Homme menswear and appeared in multiple of the brand's print collection campaigns, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Lindbergh and David Sims. On his nearly decade long collaboration with the house of Dior, Pattinson said in 2020, "There's a timelessness to Dior, it feels like it's going to be around forever, it's a sort of monument."


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson plays the guitar and piano since age four, and writes his own music. He appears as the singer of two songs on the "Twilight" soundtrack: "Never Think", which he co-wrote with Sam Bradley, and "Let Me Sign", which was written by Marcus Foster and Bobby Long. The songs were included in the film after director Catherine Hardwicke added Pattinson's recordings into an early cut without his knowledge, and he agreed that "one of them specifically, it really made the scene better. It was like it was supposed to be there." The soundtrack for the film "How to Be" features three original songs performed by Pattinson and written by composer Joe Hastings. Pattinson has said, "I've never really recorded anything – I just played in pubs and stuff", and when asked about a professional music career, he said, "Music is my back-up plan if acting fails." In 2010, Pattinson was awarded the "Hollywood's Most Influential Top Unexpected Musicians" award.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2013, Pattinson played the guitar on the Death Grips song "Birds" from their album Government Plates, which was achieved by drummer Zach Hill recording Pattinson's playing on his phone in a jam session and later sampling the part into the song itself. In a March 2017 interview, Pattinson stated that he would contribute music to his upcoming film Damsel. Talking about it, he said that "I don’t play that much any more, though I am doing music for [‘Damsel’]. I used to differentiate between music and acting but the more I don't play music, the more I push that area of my brain into acting. I improvise like I would when I play music." In February 2019, Pattinson collaborated with the Nottingham band Tindersticks and released the song "Willow" for "High Life" original soundtrack.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In October 2020, Pattinson made a cameo appearance in the band Haim's performance of the song "3 a.m." on "Late Night with Seth Meyers". He performed the song's opening spoken-word section via a front-facing facetime call video, reciting the lines of the phone call at the beginning of the song.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson supports and promotes the ECPAT UK's campaign "Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People" to stop human trafficking. At 2009 Cannes Film Festival amfAR event, he raised $56,000 for the cause. In June 2010, he donated his own artwork to PACT which auctioned on eBay, to help the organisation working for missing children. He also donated a sketch, drawn by himself, called "Unfinished City" which auctioned at $6,400. The money from the auction went to an Arizona-based homeless center "Ozanam Manor". In January 2010, he participated in charity telethon . In March 2010, he signed off guitar, the money raised from the auction went to Midnight Mission. He raised $80,000 for the GO Campaign by donating a meet and greet with himself on the set of "" and later again by auctioning a private screening of "".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In August 2011, he helped to raise awareness towards the cancer by highlighting "The Cancer Bites campaign" during his acceptance speech at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards; he shared the details about the campaign which is working for the people suffering from cancer. In August 2013, he visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and participated in "arts and crafts" with the patients. In September 2013, he joined International Medical Corps and became one of their first responders, to help raise awareness before the disaster strikes by strengthen of communities. He participated in a charitable auction "Go Go Gala", organised by GO Campaign and bought a cello made out of recycled material, at $5,600 on 15 November 2013. In March 2014, he donated autographed items for auction to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. In May 2014, he donated his bike for an Auction to Benefit the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), who provide primary healthcare services to the people living in the outback. He participated in "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge", promoting the awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In November 2014, he participated in GO Campaign's annual charity function. In October 2015, he joined "Global Goals Campaign", which aims to end poverty by 2030.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2015, Pattinson became the first ambassador of GO Campaign, he said that, "I've eagerly followed the growing impact GO Campaign has had over the years, on so many children and youth, and I love how tangible and transparent it is. They partner with some remarkable grassroots local heroes who are doing fantastic work but who lack the needed resources, and in places where a little bit of money can go a long way. I've been a donor and a supporter, and now I look forward to joining their efforts, so together we can give opportunity to even more kids and young adults across the globe." In May 2019, at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, he co-hosted a charity event with Helen Mirren, organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Pattinson along with Mirren donated $500,000 to "international aid organisation Help Refugees" on behalf of the HFPA.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: During the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, Pattinson donated to GO Campaign emergency funds, that were used to provide food and hygiene products to vulnerable families in London and Los Angeles. While shooting "The Batman" in Liverpool in October 2020, Pattinson surprised a ten-year-old autistic Batman fan by sending DC Batman gifts, because the boy waited every day on set to meet Pattinson, but could not do so because of COVID-19 restrictions.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson's sex appeal has been discussed by various media outlets including "People" magazine, which named him one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, he was named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by "Glamour UK". AskMen named Pattinson as one of the top 49 most influential men of 2009. In 2009, "Vanity Fair" named Pattinson "the most handsome man in the world" along with Angelina Jolie as the most beautiful woman in the world. Pattinson was named one of "Vanity Fair"s "Top Hollywood Earners of 2009" with estimated earnings of $18 million in 2009.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In December 2009, Pattinson autographed a guitar to be auctioned off for charity. He also volunteered for the "" in January 2010. "GQ" and "Glamour" both named him the "Best Dressed Man" of 2010, with "GQ" describing the actor as "[e]xtremely elegant and inspiring, the true essence of a contemporary man." In 2010, "People" listed Pattinson in their "World's Most Beautiful" issue.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Britain's "The Sunday Times" "Rich List" put him on its "list of young millionaires" in the UK, worth £13 million. In 2010, Pattinson was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by "Time" magazine, and was also featured on the "Forbes" Celebrity 100 list. On 14 November 2010, Pattinson received two BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards, Best Dressed and Best Actor.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2011, Pattinson was 15th on "Vanity Fair"s "Hollywood Top 40" with earnings of $27.5 million in 2010. "GQ" once again named Pattinson the "Best Dressed Man" of 2012. In October 2012, Pattinson was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by "Glamour UK".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2013, Pattinson was 2nd on "Glamour UK"s "Richest UK Celebs Under 30" with earnings of £45 million. Britain's London Evening Standard named him one of the "London's most influential people of 2013" in their "The Power 1000". In February 2014, he appeared on the cover of "World Film Locations: Toronto", a book about Toronto and the films shot in the city. A play about three mature women obsessed with Pattinson, titled "Totally Devoted", debuted at Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh on 13 August 2014. In October 2014, Pattinson was 3rd on "Heat magazine"'s "annual rich list of young British stars" with earnings of $82.89 million. London Evening Standard included him in their list of 2014's "London's 1000 most influential people".


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson interviewed fellow actor Jamie Bell for "Interview" magazine, which was published on 20 July 2015.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2020, Pattinson topped the list of "The Most Handsome Men in the World" with a Golden Ratio of 92.15%, based on the "Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi" equation devised in Ancient Greece.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson is reluctant to discuss his personal life and has expressed an aversion towards the paparazzi industry and tabloid journalism. In 2017, he opened up about suffering from anxiety, which began in his early years in the public eye.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In September 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Pattinson was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19; filming for "The Batman" was halted just three days after it resumed. While Warner Bros. declined to comment on the identity of the person who had contracted the coronavirus, multiple sources with "knowledge of the production" confirmed that the person was Pattinson.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In mid-2009, Pattinson became romantically linked to his "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart. In July 2012, Stewart was photographed with her "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, revealing an affair; the day the photos were released, Sanders, who was 19 years her senior and married at the time, issued a public apology for the affair, as did Stewart. Pattinson and Stewart split, but reconciled in October 2012. The pair eventually broke up in May 2013.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson began dating singer-songwriter FKA Twigs in September 2014. The couple, who were engaged, ended their relationship in the summer of 2017. The breakup would inspire Twigs to make her sophomore studio album "Magdalene" (2019).


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson has been in a relationship with model Suki Waterhouse since mid-2018. As of July 2020, the couple resided in London.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: Pattinson has received Best Actor award at "Strasbourg Film Festival" for his performance in "How to Be" (2009). For his work in "The Twilight Saga", he has earned two Empire Awards nominations and won eleven MTV Movie Awards, two People's Choice Awards with additional other awards and nominations including winning 2009's Hollywood Film Award for New Hollywood by Hollywood Film Festival.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In 2014, he earned nominations from Australian Academy Awards (AACTA) and Canadian Screen Awards for his performances in "The Rover" and "Maps to the Stars" respectively. He won Hollywood Rising Star Award for his performance in film "Life" from Deauville American Film Festival in 2015.


title: Robert Pattinson

text: In July 2018, Pattinson received a top award at the closing of the 53rd edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.