Editing Whitney Houston (section)

=== 1977–1984: Career beginnings ===
Houston's professional career began when she joined her mother's band as a background singer at fourteen while Cissy performed at [[Manhattan, New York|Manhattan]] cabaret clubs. Houston gave her first solo during Cissy's performance at Manhattan's [[The Town Hall (New York City)|Town Hall]] in February 1978, performing "[[Tomorrow (Annie)|Tomorrow]]" from the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical, ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'', where she received her first standing ovation.<ref name="TownHall1978">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/divatotallyunaut0000bowm/page/58/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Diva: the totally unauthorized biography of Whitney Houston |last=Bowman|first=Jeffrey |date=1994 |page=58 |publisher=Harper |isbn=9780061008535 |access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref><ref name="TownHall">{{cite web |url=https://www.thetownhall.org/event/the-voice-of-whitney |title=The Voice of Whitney |work=TheTownHall.org |accessdate=February 3, 2025}}</ref> Houston began a career as a [[session vocalist]] backing up artists like her mother, [[Michael Zager]], [[Chaka Khan]] and [[Lou Rawls]].<ref name="Bronson2003ad" /><ref name="Comp">{{cite magazine |magazine=Jet |title=Singer Whitney Houston A Model Of Success |date=July 16, 1990 |page=32 |issn=0021-5996 |access-date=September 7, 2021 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ra8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32}}</ref> Houston was the featured vocalist in Zager's [[disco]] song "Life's a Party" (1978). 

Houston became a fashion model in 1980 after being spotted at [[Carnegie Hall]] and signed first with Click Models before moving onto the [[Wilhelmina Models]] agency, where she landed the cover of ''[[Seventeen (American magazine)|Seventeen]]''.<ref name=huffpost>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Julee|title= Whitney Houston Graces Cover Of Seventeen Magazine, November 1981 (PHOTO) |work=HuffPost|date=February 13, 2012|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/whitney-houston-seventeen-cover_n_1273472}}</ref> Houston's [[girl next door]] charm helped her to land in fashion spreads for ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' and ''[[YM (magazine)|Young Miss]]''.<ref name="Comp" /> Houston continued her music career during this period, recording demos of gospel recordings.<ref name="WhitneyGospel">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/whitney-houston-gospel-songs-i-go-to-the-rock-explained-1235358504/ |title=Whitney Houston Gospel Songs from 'I Go to the Rock' Explained - The Hollywood Reporter |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Fekadu|first= Mesfin |date=March 22, 2023 |accessdate=April 26, 2023}}</ref> Houston's vocal talent made her sought after for recording deals, but were turned down by her mother, who insisted that Houston finish high school.<ref name="Bronson2003ad">{{cite book|last=Bronson|first= Fred|title=The Billboard book of number 1 hits|date=October 1, 2003|publisher=Random House Digital|isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2|page=629}}</ref><ref name="1990Company">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]] |title=Forever Daddy's Girl |date=June 1990 |page=136 |issn=0012-9011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8tMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA136 |access-date=September 7, 2021 |first=Lynn |last=Norment}}</ref>

Signing with Tara Productions in September 1981, Houston hired Gene Harvey as her manager, with Daniel Gittleman and Seymour Flics also playing part in managing her.<ref name="WhitneysManager1">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.classicwhitney.com/interview/billboard1986artistoftheyear.htm |title=Whitney Houston: The Long Road to Overnight Stardom |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=December 1986 |accessdate=April 26, 2023 |last=Scoppa |first=Bud}}</ref><ref name="Whitney1986">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-08-ca-9249-story.html |title=HOUSTON HITS: MASTER PLAN, BLIND LUCK |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 8, 1986 |last=Grein|first=Paul |accessdate=April 26, 2023}}</ref><ref name="WhitneysManager2">{{cite web |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/journal-news-independent/2012/02/14/fall-river-music-businessman-was/39512011007/ |title=Fall River music businessman was instrumental in launching Whitney Houston's early career |work=Wicked Local |last=Holtzman|first=Michael |date=February 14, 2012 |accessdate=April 26, 2023}}</ref> During 1982, Houston auditioned for both [[Elektra Records]] and [[Sony Music|CBS Records]].<ref name="whbm">{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/young-whitney-houston-never-seen-150000108.html |title=Young Whitney Houston: Never-Before Seen Photos of the 'One in a Million' Superstar Before Fame |author=Brianne Tracy |date=January 9, 2022 |work=[[Yahoo News]] |accessdate=March 27, 2025}}</ref> Houston's feature on the song "[[Memories (Hugh Hopper song)|Memories]]" from [[Material (band)|Material]]'s album ''[[One Down]]'', led to critical raves, with then-''[[The Village Voice|Village Voice]]'' critic [[Robert Christgau]] calling it "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard".<ref>{{cite web|author-link=Robert Christgau|last=Christgau|first= Robert|title=Material she was a great song writer|publisher=RobertChristgau.com|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Material|access-date=December 12, 2007}}</ref> Producer [[Paul Jabara]] later featured her on the ballad, "Eternal Love", issued off his album, ''[[Paul Jabara & Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ripol|first=Vince|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/paul-jabara-friends-mw0000096657|title=Paul Jabara & Friends Album Review|work=AllMusic|access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> 

After seeing Houston perform at the [[Seventh Avenue South (jazz club)|Seventh Avenue South]] nightclub in Manhattan, Gerry Griffith--then the [[Artists & Repertoire|A&R]] representative for [[Arista Records]]--convinced label head [[Clive Davis]] to see her perform at the Sweetwaters nightclub the following evening. Upon viewing the performance, an impressed Davis offered Houston a recording contract. Houston signed the contract on April 10, 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bp/rock-backpages-flashback-making-stellar-ascent-whitney-houston-110037870.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAYDJNST27sq9X-E3tt9EiWs-955Fb9v49y8rPIT24CE7y5U7GQMtpSYIjTsLedoHJDPFD6uVeztHSZ1y-31gDUX8zYNl816DwCu25WAqkfQMg4wrxS-Cl9omyVzYiCOjE4GEB-SJRnFAbat0fJW0NvOXLxUbA10LPxSU7S-xtqs|title=The Rock's Backpages Flashback: The Making - and Stellar Ascent - of Whitney Houston |date=February 12, 2012 |first=Barney |last=Hoskyns |access-date=January 2, 2025}}</ref><ref name="WhitneyClive">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/style/whitney-houston-clive-davis-sexuality.html |title=Production of a Lifetime: Whitney Houston and Clive Davis |work=[[New York Times]] |first=Jacob |last=Bernstein |date=September 30, 2017 |accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref> 

Houston was introduced to a national audience in June 1983, performing the song "[[Home (The Wiz song)|Home]]" from the Broadway musical ''[[The Wiz]]'' on ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]''.<ref name="Company1985">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]] |date=December 1985 |page=155 |issn=0012-9011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JtkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA155 |access-date=September 7, 2021 |title=Whitney Houston: For Talented Young Star, Singing Is A Family Tradition}}</ref><ref name="WhitneyClive"/><ref name="Merv Griffin">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6532886/ |title="The Merv Griffin Show" Episode dated 23 June 1983 (TV Episode 1983) |website=[[IMDb]] |accessdate=May 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/02/whitney-houston-dead-her-earliest-tv-appearances-video.html|title=Whitney Houston: Watch her earliest TV appearances|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 12, 2012|access-date=July 27, 2019}}</ref> During this period, Houston almost landed a role on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' before pulling out on the show due to her emerging career.<ref name="Cosby">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/whitney-houston-denise-huxtable-a-different-world-reunion-1234721126/ |title=Whitney Houston Was Almost Cast As Denise Huxtable On 'The Cosby Show' |magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |date=December 21, 2022 |author=Mya Abraham |accessdate=March 27, 2025}}</ref> Houston landed a cameo role on ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'', was featured in a [[Canada Dry]] commercial and also sang [[commercial jingle]]s, including one for the restaurant brand, [[Steak & Ale]].<ref name="WhitneyJingles">{{cite web |url=https://bennigans.com/whitney-houston-steak-ale-advert/ |title=Listen to a young Whitney Houston's stunning vocal in unearthed TV 'Steak & Ale' Advert |work=Bennigans |last=Lovejoy|first=Hannah |date=October 25, 2021 |accessdate=April 26, 2023}}</ref>

Houston did not begin work on an album immediately.<ref name="Finkelman2009">{{cite book|last=Finkelman|first=Paul|title=Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896 to the present: from the age of segregation to the twenty-first century|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-516779-5|pages=459–460}}</ref> The label wanted to make sure no other company signed her away and Davis wanted to ensure he had the right material and producers for her debut album. Some producers passed on the project because of prior commitments.<ref name="WhitneysManager2"/> After seeing her perform in New York, [[Michael Masser]] paired Houston with [[Teddy Pendergrass]], on the duet, "[[Hold Me (Teddy Pendergrass & Whitney Houston song)|Hold Me]]", which appeared on his album, ''[[Love Language (Teddy Pendergrass album)|Love Language]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wynn |first=Ron |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-language-mw0000650618#review |title=''Love Language'' Album Review |work=AllMusic}}</ref> Released in May 1984, the song gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a top-ten hit on the US [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] and [[Hot Adult Contemporary Chart|adult contemporary]] charts.<ref name="Inc.2002kui">{{cite magazine|title=Arista Aims New Houston Album at 'Core Urban' Fans|magazine=Billboard|date=December 14, 2002|page=64|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Houston also received notice in 1984 after being paired up with [[Jermaine Jackson]], with whom the duet, "Take Good Care of My Heart", was featured on Jackson's ''[[Dynamite (Jermaine Jackson album)|Dynamite]]'' album, while also appearing with Jackson performing the song and another duet, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", on an episode of ''[[As the World Turns]]''. All three songs eventually appeared on her debut album.