Whitney Houston Biography
from "WHITNEY HOUSTON" by Carole Portland

Whitney Houston was born at 9th August 1963 in East Orange, NJ, in a talented family, she was inspired and encouraged by them to develop her natural ability as a singer, and her family also provided the security and support she needed to become an international star.

Whitney's mother, Emily Drinkard (nickname Cissy), was born in 1933 in Newark. As a youngster she started singing in family gospel group, the Drinkard Sisters, who recorded for RCA Records. Cissy performed with Dionne Warwick's first group, the Gospelaires, and formed the four-piece group the Sweet Inspirations(featuring Sylvia Shemwell of Bobby& Sylvia) In 1970s Cissy worked both as a session singer and as solo artist.The first time Whitney's solo voice was heard in public was, naturally, at the New Hope Baptist Church. At the age of about 11 she sang 'Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah', and the reaction she received taught her something she would never forget."I was aware of people staring at me. No one moved. They seemed almost in trance. I just stared at the clock in the center of the church. When I finished, everyone clapped and started crying."
When Whitney decided to become a professional singer like her mother, it was not just that the clamour of applause stimulated her so strongly - although that in itself was overwhelming - it was that a career as a vocalist was the only way she could imagine truly to repay God for the gift of music. "God gave me a voice to sing with," she said. "And when you have that, what other gimmick is there?"