Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born on August 9, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, to a musical family. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a gospel star, and her cousin was the renowned singer Dionne Warwick. Whitney began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child. By the age of 15, she was already providing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'.
She continued to work as a backing vocalist for various artists, including Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson, and her own mother. Whitney also modeled briefly, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981. Her exceptional vocal work with the New York-based funk band Material caught the attention of major record labels, ultimately leading her to sign with Arista in 1983.
