Whitney Houston ─ The Voice, the Music, the Inspiration

Whitney Houston’s voice. A voice of raw power and angelic sweetness, tremendous range, and incredible control. When the world first heard it back in 1984, a new chapter was written in the annals of popular music.

Author Narada Michael Walden sat in the cockpit alongside Whitney while her career skyrocketed, producing many of the hits that today comprise her musical legacy?among them, ?How Will I Know,” ?I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” ?Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” and ?One Moment in Time.” His intimate stories of their unforgettable times together, both inside and outside the recording studio, draw a portrait of a smart, funny, compassionate woman whose striking physical beauty was matched by her inner strength and justifiable self-confidence. As the cousin of Dionne Warwick and daughter of Cissy Houston, Whitney was able to draw on her lineage to make an unprecedented impact. And, at the same time, she and Narada enjoyed a rock-solid bond, fostered through their shared musical and spiritual backgrounds.

It is for Whitney’s legion of loving fans?several thousand of whom crowded outside the church where Narada attended her funeral service in February 2012?that he is now telling the story of the fabulously gifted artist and caring, charismatic woman he knew during her peak years. She remains the only artist to have seven consecutive U.S. chart-topping singles, and is the most awarded female act of all time.

Narada Michael Walden is an Emmy and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter for artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Wynonna Judd, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Stevie Wonder, and Tom Jones. He has earned equal acclaim as a recording and performing artist and in 2012 will release his solo album Thunder. He lives in San Rafael, CA.

The New York Times best-selling author of more than 20 works of nonfiction, Richard Buskin’s credits include biographies on Sheryl Crow, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, and Princess Diana. As a journalist specializing in pop culture, music, film, television, and sociopolitical affairs, his work has appeared in Billboard, Playboy, Spin, The New York Post, and numerous other publications around the world. He lives in Chicago.

Known as the ?Queen of Funk,” Chaka Khan is a multiple Grammy Award?winning singer-songwriter who, in addition to gaining fame as the frontwoman of the funk outfit Rufus, has enjoyed solo success with hits such as ?I’m Every Woman” and ?I Feel For You.”