She went on to be listed as the most awarded
female act of all time in The Guinness Book of records in
2009.
Her list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards,
30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards
amongst 415 career awards as of 2010.
Houston was also one of the world's best selling music artists,
having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos
worldwide.
Not as well documented is Whitney’s
contribution to charity, and her work against discrimination
and oppression.
Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela
and the anti-apartheid movement.
During her modelling days, the singer refused to work with
any agencies that did business with the then-apartheid South
Africa.
On June 11, 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston
joined other musicians to perform a set at Wembley Stadium
to celebrate the 70th Birthday of the then-imprisoned Nelson
Mandela.
Over 72,000 people attended the concert, and over a billion
people tuned in worldwide as the rock concert raised over
$1 million for charities while bringing awareness to apartheid.
In 1989, she formed The Whitney Houston
Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization
that raises funds for the needs of children around the world.
The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer
or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.
In 1991 she performed The Star Spangled
Banner at Superbowl XXV and subsequently donated her share
of the proceeds of the single and video to The American
Red Cross and Gulf Crises Fund.
As a result, she was named to the Red Cross Board of
Governors
In October 1994, Houston attended and performed
at a state dinner in the White House honouring newly elected
South African president Nelson Mandela.
At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts
in South Africa to honour President Mandela, playing to
over 200,000 people. This would make the singer the first
major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid
free nation following Mandela's winning election.
The concert was 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.
|
So what went wrong?
Why did Whitney Houston turn to drugs?
Why did she allow drugs to completely destroy what
seemed to be such a charmed life and such a beautiful,
gifted and humble person? |
|
Addicts and abusers are usually trying to
fill a vacuum, or they are trying to run from a very dark
part of their psyche. And the contents of each addict's
closet is a very personal thing.
We will probably never know what demons
Whitney was struggling with, but what her death on Saturday
11 February 2012 again confirms is that money, power, fame,
talent or external gods cannot fix it.
That power lies within.
