Whitney Houston childhood was not like any other normal childhood. She had a dream and she succeeded that dream. She could’ve done many other things, but Whitney followed her dream. Her occupation was to be a singer, and a film actress (A&E Television Networks). She had a great impact on music and people around the world. Whitney Houston influenced the world and many others in the music industry. Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey, on August 9, 1963 (A&E Television Networks). Her father, John Russell Houston Jr., was an army serviceman and entertainment exec (Marquina). Her mother, Cissy Houston, her cousin Dionne Warrick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all legendary figures in American gospel and soul music (A&E Television Networks). At the age 14, Whitney became a backup singer on the Michael Zager Band’s single “Life’s A Party!” Zager offered Whitney a recording contract but her mother rejected the offer, wanting her to finish school first (Marquina). At the age 15, Whitney was performing often with her mother …show more content…
Whitney died at the age 48. (A&E Television Networks). After Whitney died her music was still popular and out! She inspired many other actresses, singers, rappers, and mostly people in the music industry (Time Inc.), people such as; Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj, and many others (Stylist). Whitney Houston shared the stage and her light with many other artists throughout her career. Her voice was undeniable (Stylist). One of Whitney’s quotes was, “I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadow. If I fall, if I succeed, at least I’ll live as, I believe!” She also quoted, “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all!” Whitney Houston influenced and inspired many people in the world. She was and always will be a
Ella was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1917. When alled “The First Lady of Song” by some fans. She was known for having beautiful tone, extended range, and great intonation, and famous for her improvisational scat singing. Ella sang during the her most famous song was “A-tiscket A-tasket”. Fitzgerald sang in the period of swing, ballads, and bebop; she made some great albums with other great jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. She influenced countless American popular singers of the post-swing period and also international performers such as the singer Miriam Makeba. She didn’t really write any of her own songs. Instead she sang songs by other people in a new and great way. The main exception
She won a lot of awards and achieved amazing records in her musical career. The band that her family formed not only helped her find fame, but it also helped her find love in a musician named Chris Perez. (Hispanic 2) Once she rose to stardom, Selena was not corrupted by money. It appeared that her fame made her cherish her family a lot more and become less selfish by supporting charities.
You can see her influence in most of today’s art. I grew up on Janet’s music and I simply love each era of her work. To me, Janet is more than a singer, she is a true artist.
Growing up on the Mississippi River among six siblings, Mahalia Jackson knew what it was like to be racially secluded. She was reared by her father who was a minister and was singing in his choir at the age of five. In her early teen years she worked as a launderer and also as a housekeeper, but she dreamed of one day becoming a nurse ("New" 1). Mahalia began traveling throughout the Midwest to sing at different Baptist Churches. Her popularity began to soar, and she signed a record deal to become "the only Negro whom Negroes have made famous," as the African American press described her ("New" 2). She was inspired by Bessie Smith. When she worked as a servant, she said "when the old people weren’t home and I’d be scrubbin’ the floor, I’d turn on a Bessie Smith record to make the work go faster" ("New" 1). Mahalia would not stop at just being a famous gospel singer. She had her own radio program and television show that aired on CBS. She went on to manage several businesses and become involved in real estate. She preceded Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement before he gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.
In Liz Garbus’ documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?, displays the life of musician and activist Nina Simone. The documentary follows different experiences of her life that were critical to the development of Nina Simone over the years. Born in Tryon, North Carolina by the name of Eunice Waymon she aspired to be a classical pianist, but as she got older and began playing in bars she changed her focus to performing and singing. The film then describes the success of her career and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement to the very personal aspects of her life dealing with her abusive husband/manager Andrew Stroud and her continuous depression.
Her family ties to the south, her unique talent, her ability to travel and make money are similar to the Blues women movement that preceded her. It can be said that Nina Simone goes a step further the by directly attacking inequities pertaining to race and gender in her music. However, what distinguishes her is her unique musicianship and that is what ultimately garners her massive exposure and experiences than those of her past contemporaries. Like the Blues women Simone expands ideas pertaining to self-expression, identity and beauty as they relate to black women. She does this by embracing what is definitively African American and connecting that to a historical context. By doing so she is the embodiment of a political statement. Her journey which began like many entertaine...
Janet Jackson was born in Gary Indiana on May 16, 1966. She is a member of the
She started with nothing, being the poorest of poor and grew to be a media giant. She overcame poverty, neglect, sexual abuse and racism. Through it all she never gave up and this is why she will inspire others to do the same.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was one of the most famous Mexican-American singers. At a young age she was taught how to sing and perform. Her Father was apart of a group when he was younger called Los Dinos. He thought that it would be a good idea to create a singing group involving his children. At first the kids weren't sure about doing it but once they started to perform in front of people they started to get more comfortable. Their group was called Selena en Los Dinos. As Selena and her siblings got older they started to become more and more famous ever show they did. Finally Selena won many awards and she was considered one of the most famous female Mexican-American singers ever.
Whitney Houston is considered one of the greatest singers of our generation. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she holds the record of being the most rewarded female artist of all time. I chose her as my topic, because she represents resiliency and tenacity, despite her troubled experiences with drugs and her personal life. Whitney Houston comes from a family with an amazing, musical pedigree; her mother, Cissy Houston, was a successful back-up singer for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Dionne Warwick is her first cousin, and Aretha Franklin is her godmother.
Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was born on January 26, 1892 to Susan and George Coleman who had a large family in Texas. At the time of Bessie’s birth, her parents had already been married for seventeen years and already had nine children, Bessie was the tenth, and she would later have twelve brothers and sisters. Even when she was small, Bessie had to deal with issues about race. Her father was of African American and Cherokee Indian decent, and her mother was black which made it difficult from the start for her to be accepted. Her parents were sharecroppers and her life was filled with renter farms and continuous labor. Then, when Bessie was two, her father decided to move himself and his family to Waxahacie, Texas. He thought that it would offer more opportunities for work, if he were to live in a cotton town.
Whitney Houston’s career truly took off in the mid-1980s after releasing her second album, Whitney, which includes her smash hit I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is such an upbeat tune that includes a heavily edited and enhanced pop melodic line, synthesizers, and the notorious percussion and keyboard tease that begins the tune. Whitney Houston definitely brings this to life through her outstanding vocals that fully showcases her range, elastic vibrato, and precise musical abilities. Houston is most known for her voice that, in my opinion, is still considered extremely iconic and powerful. Houston’s chart-topping single also showcased the type of music that the United States enjoyed and cherished in the late 1980s. This song brings to the surface the anticipation, joy, and free-spirit that the 1980s culture presented to its people, and this hit ties in the importance of music, love, and dancing that stem from the core of Whitney’s pop-hit lyrics. The style of music portrayed in the 1980s consisted of many drum machines, synth-based styles of music, and electronic programming that twisted and manipulated the music into its reputable popular techno/rock characteristics. These characteristics are also seen in Gloria Estefan’s hit, Betcha Say That. Betcha Say That and I Wanna Dance With Somebody explicitly shows how popular energetic anthems were to the musical audience being catered back
We will look into the life of James Brown. He is known for his music. In his life, he had to face many obstacles, but through determination, he changed his life cycle. We will touch on the influences in his life, developmental stage and theories that best fit his personality.
Dr. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps she was faced with the brutality of racial discrimination, and a very traumatic incident where she, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was eight, but because of this she also developed an unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family. (Angelou)This shaped her poetry and her involvement in the arts. Where she began to sing and dance and planned to audition in professional theater but that didn’t work out well because she began working as a nightclub waitress, tangled with drugs and prostitution and danced in a strip club. In 1959, she moved to New York, became friends with prominent Harlem writers, and got involved with the civil rights movement. In 1961, she moved to Egypt with a boyfriend and edited for the Arab Observer. When she returned to the U.S., she began publishing her multivolume autobiography, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as well as several books of poetry and the third being Still I Rise in published in 1978. (Maya Angelou is born) Because of this life of hardship shaped her to who she is and was the inspiration for a lot of her poetry.
Britney Spears was born on December 2, 1981. She lived in Kentwood, Louisiana and was constantly performing in front of people and always wanted to be on 'Star Search'. Britney tried out for the New Mickey Mouse Club at age 8 and then again at 11 and made it. Then she went solo because her talent was evident and she wanted more (A & E Television Networks, 2011).