After Dinner Speakers: Whitney Houston, Susan Hill, Russell Grant

Houston was one of the biggest female pop music stars of the 1980s and 1990s. The daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, Whitney had a modelling career in her teens and was signed by Arista Records in 1983. In 1985 she released her first album, Whitney Houston, a Grammy-winner and international hit; her second album, 1987's Whitney, debuted at #1 on the charts. Throughout the 1990s Houston continued to sell millions of records, with hit singles such as "My Love is Your Love" and a cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." Houston has also appeared in lead roles in feature films, including The Bodyguard (1992, with Kevin Costner) and The Preacher's Wife (1996, with Denzel Washington).