Before the millions of record sales, hundreds of awards and international acclaim, Whitney Houston was simply "Nippy from Newark", a naive young girl, ill prepared for fame.
A new documentary, titled "Can I Be Me", looks at how Houston, who graduated from child performer to become one of the most-famous female singers of all time, subsequently struggled with drug and alcohol issues before her death in 2012.
"She didn't know what she was going into, she was so beautiful and you can see she is just having fun," filmmaker Nick Broomfield told Reuters.
"She was portrayed as, you know, the American princess. So, actually she was from Newark. She was 'nippy' from Newark, the ghetto, worst race riots next to Los Angeles in the whole of America."
Broomfield spent two years going through archives and speaking with people close to Houston, who began singing in a gospel choir in New Jersey at the age of 11 and was discovered in a nightclub in the 1980s by record producer Clive Davis who guided her career.
She found global fame following smash hits such as "I Will Always Love You" - the theme song of what was her film acting debut in "The Bodyguard" opposite Kevin Costner in 1992 - and "The Greatest Love of All."
Houston won six Grammys and more than 400 other awards in a 25-year career that was marred by drug and alcohol problems and a turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown. She died in 2012 after drowning in a hotel bathtub. She was 48.
"She just couldn't deal with all that, she was looking after so many people and she was always being criticised and I think she just became more and more you know she withdrew into drugs. I think that's really what happened," Broomfield said.
Reuters
Sat Jun 17 2017
Singer Whitney Houston performs during the German game show "Wetten Dass" (Bet it...?) in Freiburg October 3, 2009. REUTERS/Johannes Eisele/files
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.