Whitney Houston was an iconic American singer and actress known for her record-breaking achievements, including being one of the best-selling music artists with over 200 million records sold. She significantly influenced African American women artists and made history with her debut album, which became the best-selling debut by a woman. Jennifer Hudson, inspired by Houston and other legends, gained fame from her role in 'Dreamgirls,' winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

1. Key artist case study

2. Whitney Houston

3. Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 –
February 11, 2012) was an American singer actress,
producer, and model.
She was the daughter of Army serviceman and
entertainment executive John Russell Houston, Jr. ,
and gospel singer Emily "Cissy" (Drinkard) Houston.
Houston spent some of her teenage years touring
nightclubs where her mother Cissy was performing,
and she would occasionally get on stage and
perform with her.

4. In the early 1980s, Houston started working as a
fashion model after a photographer saw her
at Carnegie Hall singing with her mother. She
appeared in Seventeen and became one of the first
women of color to grace the cover of the magazine.
Houston signed with Arista in 1983, but did not
begin work on her album immediately. The label
wanted to make sure no other label signed the
singer away. Davis wanted to ensure he had the
right material and producers for Houston's debut
album.

5. Houston was one of the world's best-selling music
artists, having sold over 200 million records
worldwide. She released six studio albums, one
holiday album and three movie soundtrack albums,
all of which have diamond, multi-platinum,
platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover
appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her
prominence on MTV, starting with her video for
"How Will I Know" influenced several African
American women artists who follow in her
footsteps.[

6. Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No.
1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. She is the second artist
behind Elton John and the only woman to have two
number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top
Pop Albums") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.
Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the
best-selling debut album by a woman in history. Rolling
Stone named it the best album of 1986, and ranked it at
number 254 on the magazine's list of the 500 Greatest
Albums of All Time. Her second studio
album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a woman
to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

7. Jennifer Hudson

8. Jennifer Hudson
Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in
Chicago, Illinois. She was raised as a Baptist in
Englewood and attended Dunbar Vocational High
School, from which she graduated in 1999. She cites
Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle
as her overall biggest influences and inspiration. At
the age of 7, she got her start in performing by
singing with the church choir and doing community
theatre with the help of her late maternal
grandmother, Julia.

9. After singing for a year on a Disney cruise ship,
Hudson auditioned for the third season of
FOX's American Idol in 2004. As a finalist, she
gained exposure and a fan base, then all but
disappeared from the limelight after she was
eliminated from the show. Controversy ensued
over her departure as she was recognized by
legions as an outstanding vocalist who could
out-sing other contestants.

10. Then, in 2005, Hudson beat out hundreds of
competitors to win the role of Effie White in
the film adaptation of the Broadway
musical Dreamgirls. Her scene-stealing
performance, including an unforgettable,
rapturous rendition of "And I Am Telling You
I’m Not Going," earned the young singer a
Golden Globe and an Oscar in the supporting
actress categories.

11. Hudson has sold 1,280,000 albums and
2,237,000 singles in the United States as
of February 2012. In 2013, she received a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame