A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or side-stick. They often have supplementary switches on them to control other aspects of the aircraft's flight.

Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. A popular variation of the joystick used on modern video game consoles is the analog stick. Joysticks are also used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance cameras and zero turning radius lawn mowers. Miniature finger-operated joysticks have been adopted as input devices for smaller electronic equipment such as mobile phones.

Aviation

Joysticks originated as controls for aircraft ailerons and elevators, and is first known to have been used as such on Louis Bleriot's Bleriot VIII aircraft of 1908, in combination with a foot-operated rudder bar for the yaw control surface on the tail.

The name "joystick" is thought to originate with early 20th century French pilot Robert Esnault-Pelterie. There are also competing claims on behalf of fellow pilots Robert Loraine, James Henry Joyce and A. E. George. Loraine is credited with entering the term "joystick" in his diary in 1909 when he went to Pau to learn to fly at Bleriot's school. George was a pioneer aviator who with his colleague Jobling built and flew a biplane at Newcastle in England in 1910. He is alleged to have invented the "George Stick" which became more popularly known as the joystick. The George and Jobling aircraft control column is in the collection of the Discovery Museum in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Joysticks were present in early planes, though their mechanical origins are uncertain. The coining of the term "joystick" may actually be credited to Loraine, as his is the earliest known usage of the term, although he most certainly did not invent the device.

Electronic joysticks

History

The first electrical 2-axis joystick was probably invented around 1944 in Germany. The device was developed for use as part of the Germans' ''Kehl'' radio control transmitter system used in certain German bomber aircraft, used to guide both the rocket-boosted anti-ship missile ''Henschel Hs 293'', and the unpowered pioneering precision-guided munition ''Fritz-X'', against maritime and other targets. Here, the joystick of the ''Kehl'' transmitter was used by an operator to steer the missile towards its target. This joystick had on-off switches rather than analogue sensors. Both the Hs 293 and Fritz-X used ''Straßburg'' radio receivers in them to send the ''Kehl's'' control signals to the ordnance's control surfaces.

This invention was picked up by someone in the team of scientists assembled at the ''Heeresversuchsanstalt'' in Peenemünde. Here a part of the team on the German rocket program was developing the Wasserfall missile, a variant of the V-2 rocket, the first ground-to-air missile. The Wasserfall steering equipment converted the electrical signal to radio signals and transmitted these to the missile.

In the 1960s the use of joysticks became widespread in radio-controlled model aircraft systems such as the Kwik Fly produced by Phill Kraft (1964). The now-defunct Kraft Systems firm eventually became an important OEM supplier of joysticks to the computer industry and other users. The first use of joysticks outside the radio-controlled aircraft industry may have been in the control of powered wheelchairs, such as the Permobil (1963). During this time period NASA used joysticks as control devices as part of the Apollo missions. For example, the lunar lander test models were controlled with a joystick.

In many modern airliners aircraft, for example all Airbus aircraft developed from the 1980s, the joystick has received a new lease on life for flight control in the form of a "sidestick" — a controller similar to a games joystick, but which is used to control the flight, replacing the traditional yoke. The sidestick saves weight, improves movement and visibility in the cockpit and may be safer in an accident than the traditional "control yoke".

Electronic games

Ralph H. Baer, inventor of television video games and the Magnavox Odyssey console, released in 1972, created the first video game joysticks in 1967. They were able to control the horizontal and vertical position of a spot displayed on a screen. The earliest known electronic game joystick with a fire button was released by Sega as part of their 1969 arcade game ''Missile'', a shooter simulation game that used it as part of an early dual-control scheme, where two directional buttons are used to move a motorized tank and a two-way joystick is used to shoot and steer the missile onto oncoming planes displayed on the screen; when a plane is hit, an explosion is animated on screen along with an explosion sound. In 1970, the game was released in North America as ''S.A.M.I.'' by Midway Games.

Taito released a four-way joystick as part of their arcade racing video game ''Astro Race'' in 1973, while their 1975 run and gun multi-directional shooter game ''Western Gun'' introduced dual-stick controls with one eight-way joystick for movement and the other for changing the shooting direction. In North America, it was released by Midway under the title ''Gun Fight''. In 1976, Taito released ''Interceptor'', an early first-person combat flight simulator that involved piloting a jet fighter, using an eight-way joystick to aim with a crosshair and shoot at enemy aircraft.

The Atari standard joystick, developed for the Atari 2600, released in 1977, was a digital joystick, with a single fire button, and connected via a DE-9 connector, the electrical specifications of which were for many years the ''de-facto'' standard digital joystick specification. Joysticks were commonly used as controllers in first and second generation game consoles, but they gave way to the familiar game pad with the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Master System during the mid-1980s, though joysticks — especially arcade-style ones — were and are popular after-market add-ons for any console.

In 1985, Sega's third-person arcade rail shooter game ''Space Harrier'' introduced a true analog flight stick, used for movement. Its analog joystick could register movement in any direction as well as measure the degree of push, which could move the player character at different speeds depending on how far the joystick is pushed in a certain direction.

Since the late 1990s, ''analog sticks'' (or ''thumbsticks'', due to their being controlled by one's thumbs) have become standard on video game consoles and have the ability to indicate the stick's displacement from its neutral position. This means that the software does not have to keep track of the position or estimate the speed at which the controls are moved. These devices usually use a magnetic flux detector to determine the position of the stick.

During the 1990s, joysticks such as the Gravis Phoenix, Microsoft SideWinder, Logitech WingMan, and Thrustmaster FCS were in demand with PC gamers. They were considered a prerequisite for flight simulators such as ''F-16 Fighting Falcon'' and ''LHX Attack Chopper''. Joysticks became especially popular with the mainstream success of Space flight simulator games like ''X-Wing'' and ''Wing Commander'', as well as the "Six degrees of freedom" 3D shooter ''Descent''. However since the beginning of the 21st century, these types of games have waned in popularity and are now considered a "dead" genre, and with that gaming joysticks have been reduced to niche products.

A distinct variation of an analog joystick is a positional gun, which works differently to a light gun. Instead of using light sensors, a positional gun is essentially an analog joystick mounted in a fixed location that records the position of the gun to determine where the player is aiming on the screen. It is often used for arcade gun games, with early examples including Sega's ''Sea Devil'' in 1972, Taito's ''Attack'' in 1976 and ''Cross Fire'' in 1977, and Nintendo's ''Battle Shark'' in 1978.

Arcade sticks

An arcade stick is a large-format controller for use with home consoles or computers. They use the stick-and-button configuration of some arcade cabinets, such as those with particular multi-button arrangements. For example, the six button layout of the arcade games ''Street Fighter II'' or ''Mortal Kombat'' cannot be comfortably emulated on a console joypad, so licensed home arcade sticks for these games have been manufactured for home consoles and PCs.

Technical details

Most joysticks are two-dimensional, having two axes of movement (similar to a mouse), but one and three-dimensional joysticks do exist. A joystick is generally configured so that moving the stick left or right signals movement along the X axis, and moving it forward (up) or back (down) signals movement along the Y axis. In joysticks that are configured for three-dimensional movement, twisting the stick left (counter-clockwise) or right (clockwise) signals movement along the Z axis. These three axes - X Y and Z - are, in relation to an aircraft, roll, pitch, and yaw.

An ''analog joystick'' is a joystick which has continuous states, i.e. returns an angle measure of the movement in any direction in the plane or the space (usually using potentiometers) and a ''digital joystick'' gives only on/off signals for four different directions, and mechanically possible combinations (such as up-right, down-left, etc.). (Digital joysticks were very common as game controllers for the video game consoles, arcade machines, and home computers of the 1980s.)

Additionally joysticks often have one or more ''fire buttons'', used to trigger some kind of action. These are simple on/off switches.

Some joysticks have haptic feedback capability. These are thus active devices, not just input devices. The computer can return a signal to the joystick that causes it to resist the movement with a returning force or make the joystick vibrate.

Most I/O interface cards for PCs have a joystick (game control) port. Modern joysticks mostly use a USB interface for connection to the PC.

Hat switch

A hat switch is a control on some joysticks. It is also known as a POV (point of view) switch. It allows one to look around in their virtual world, browse menus etc. For example, many flight simulators use it to switch the player's views, while other games sometimes use it as a substitute for the D-pad; while computer gamepads modelled after PlayStation DualShock controllers assign POV switch scancodes to the D-pad of it.

The term hat switch is a sanitization of the term "Coolie Hat", named for the similar-looking headgear, which may be considered offensive.

In a real aircraft, the hat switch may control things like aileron or rudder trim.

Industrial applications

In recent times, the employment of joysticks has become commonplace in many industrial and manufacturing applications, such as; cranes, assembly lines, forestry equipment, mining trucks, and excavators. In fact, the use of such joysticks is in such high demand, that it has virtually replaced the traditional mechanical control lever in nearly all modern hydraulic control systems. Additionally, most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and submersible Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) require at least one joystick to control either the vehicle, the on-board cameras, sensors and manipulators.

Due to the highly hands-on, rough nature of such applications, the industrial joystick tends to be more robust than the typical video-game controller, and able to function over a high cycle life. This led to the development and employment of Hall Effect sensing to such applications in the 1980s as a means of contactless sensing. Several companies produce joysticks for industrial applications using hall effect technology. Another technology used in joystick design is the use of strain gauges to build force transducers from which the output is proportional to the force applied rather than physical deflection. Miniature force transducers are used as additional controls on joysticks for menu selection functions.

Global manufacturers that serve the largest OEM's, like Caterpillar, John Deere, AGCO, CNH, JLG, GENIE and others, are DeltaTech Controls and Penny and Giles Controls. Penny and Giles Controls also designs and manufactures joysticks for Sauer Danfoss. Apem Apem is another such manufacturer for the global market incorporating such brands are CH Products , Oliver Control Systems and Apem own .

In North America, there are several small regional manufactures that also service the industry; OEM Controls, Otto Engineering, PQ Controls, CH Products, and BG Systems.

In Europe, there are several manufacturers that supply specialized market sectors, such as crane controls, aviation, etc.. One of the European global joystick suppliers is the Swiss company Genge & Thoma AG, supplying standard and tailor made industrial grade joysticks. In the UK Printed Motor Works have recently taken over the production of the Flightlink Controls/PML Flightlink ranges of industrial

Some larger manufactures of joysticks are able to customize joystick handles and grips specific to the OEM needs while small regional manufacture often concentrate on selling standard products at higher prices to smaller OEM's.

Assistive technology

Specialist joysticks, classed as an assistive technology pointing device, are used to replace the computer mouse for people with fairly severe physical disabilities. Rather than controlling games these joysticks plug into the USB port and control the mouse pointer. They are often useful to people with athetoid conditions, such as cerebral palsy, who find them easier to grasp than a standard mouse. Miniature joysticks are also available for people with conditions involving muscular weakness such as muscular dystrophy or motor neuron disease. They are also used on electric powered wheelchairs for control since they are simple and effective to use as a control method.

See also

Aircraft flight control system

Flight simulator

Game controller

Gamepad

Gravis PC GamePad

Kempston joystick

TAC-2

The Arcade (joystick)

References

External links

AtomicWarrior - Joysticks on Windows

Whatever happened to the joystick?

Help page for connecting old joysticks to new computers

The largest Vintage Digital Joystick Museum in the world

Category:Aircraft controls Category:Computing input devices Category:Game controllers

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name	Teddy Pendergrass
background	solo_singer
birth name	Theodore DeReese Pendergrass
alias
born	March 26, 1950Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
died	January 13, 2010Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums
genre	R&B;, soul, gospel, jazz
occupation	Singer, songwriter, composer
years active	1970–2006
label	Philadelphia InternationalAsylumElektraSurefire/Wind Up
associated acts	Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
website	}}

Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American R&B;/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade. In 1982, he was severely injured in an auto accident in Philadelphia, resulting in his being paralyzed from the waist down. After his injury, the affable entertainer founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living after his spinal cord injury with star filled event, Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. His last performance was on a PBS special at Atlantic City's Borgata Casino in November 2008.

Early life

Pendergrass was born Theodore DeReese Pendergrass at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of Jesse Pendergrass and Ida Geraldine Epps. When Pendergrass was still very young, his father left the family; Jesse Pendergrass was murdered when Teddy was 12. Pendergrass grew up in a Philadelphia slum and sang often at church. He dreamed of being a pastor and got his wish when, at 10, he was ordained a minister (according to author Robert Ewell Greene). He also took up drums during this time and was a junior deacon of his church. Pendergrass attended Thomas Edison High School for Boys in North Philadelphia (now closed). He sang with the Edison Mastersingers. He dropped out in the eleventh grade to enter the music business, recording his first song "Angel With Muddy Feet." The recording, however, was not a commercial success.

Pendergrass played drums for several local Philadelphia bands, eventually becoming the drummer of the The Cadillacs. In 1970, the singer was spotted by the Blue Notes' founder, Harold Melvin (1939–1997), who convinced Pendergrass to play drums in the group. However, during a performance, Pendergrass began singing along, and Melvin, impressed by Pendergass's vocals, made him the lead singer. Before Pendergrass joined the group, the Blue Notes had struggled to find success. That all changed when they landed a recording deal with Philadelphia International Records in 1971, thus beginning Pendergrass's successful collaboration with label founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Early career

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: 1972-1977

In 1972, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes released their first single, a slow, solemn ballad titled "I Miss You". The song was originally written for The Dells but the group passed on the song and noting how Pendergrass sounded like Dells lead singer Marvin Junior, Kenny Gamble decided to build the song with Pendergrass, then only 21 at the time of the recording of the song, singing much of the song in a raspy baritone wail that became his trademark. The song also featured Bluenotes member Lloyd Parks singing falsetto in the background and spotlighted Harold Melvin adding in a rap near the end of the song as Pendergrass kept singing, feigning tears. The song, one of Gamble and Huff's most creative productions, became a major rhythm and blues hit and put the Blue Notes on the map.

The group's follow-up single, "If You Don't Know Me by Now", brought the group to the mainstream with the song reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also reaching number-one on the soul singles chart. Like "I Miss You" before it, the song was originally intended for a different artist, fellow Philadelphian native Patti LaBelle and her group Labelle but the group couldn't record it due to scheduling conflicts. Pendergrass and LaBelle developed a close friendship that would last until Pendergrass' death.

The group rode to fame with several more releases over the years including "The Love I Lost", a song which predated the upcoming disco music scene; the ballad "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and socially conscious singles "Wake Up Everybody" and "Bad Luck", the latter song about the Watergate scandal. One of the group's important singles was their original version of the Philly soul classic, "Don't Leave Me This Way", which turned into a disco smash when Motown artist Thelma Houston released her version in 1976. By 1975, Pendergrass and Harold Melvin were at odds, mainly over monetary issues and personality conflicts. Despite the fact that Pendergrass sung all of the group's songs, Melvin was controlling the group's finances. Pendergrass discovered this while attending a party with Melvin. At one point, Pendergrass wanted the group to be renamed "Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes" because fans kept mistaking him as Melvin. Pendergrass left the group in 1977 and the Blue Notes struggled with his replacements. They eventually left Philadelphia International and by the early 1980s had disbanded for good.

Solo career

Early solo success

In 1977, Pendergrass released his self-titled album, which went platinum on the strength of the disco hit, "I Don't Love You Anymore". Its follow-up single, "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", became a top 20 R&B; hit. It was quickly followed by ''Life Is a Song Worth Singing'', in 1978. That album was even more successful with its singles including "Only You" and "Close the Door". The disco single, "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose" was popular in dance clubs. 1979 brought two successes, ''Teddy'' and the live release, ''Live Coast to Coast''. Hits off ''Teddy'' included "Come and Go With Me" and "Turn Off the Lights". His 1980 album, ''TP'', included his signature song, "Love TKO" and the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Is It Still Good to You". Between 1977 and 1981, Pendergrass landed five consecutive platinum albums, which was a then-record setting number for a rhythm and blues artist.

Pendergrass' popularity became massive at the end of 1977. With sold-out audiences packing his shows, Pendergrass' manager soon noticed that a huge number of his audience consisted of women of all races. They made up a plan for Pendergrass' next tour to have it with just female audiences only, starting a trend that continues today called "women's only concerts". With five platinum albums and two gold albums, Pendergrass was on his way to be what the media was calling him, "the black Elvis", not only in terms of his crossover popularity but also due to him buying a mansion akin to Elvis' Graceland, located just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. By early 1982, Pendergrass was the leading R&B; male artist of his day usurping competition including closest rivals Marvin Gaye and Barry White. In 1980, the Isley Brothers released "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" to compete with Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights", which sensed Pendergrass' influence on the quiet storm format of black music.

Accident

On March 18, 1982, in the East Falls section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive near Rittenhouse Street, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident. The brakes failed on his 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, causing the car to hit a guard rail, cross into the opposite traffic lane, and hit two trees. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Later solo career

Pendergrass got well-wishes from thousands of his fans during his recovery. In August 1982, his label released ''This One's for You'', which failed to chart successfully, as did 1983's ''Heaven Only Knows''. Both albums included material Pendergrass had recorded prior to his accident. The albums completed Pendergrass' contract with Philadelphia International, in which by that time Pendergrass decided to return to the studio to work on new music and struggled to find a recording deal. Eventually signing a deal and completing physical therapy, Pendergrass released ''Love Language'' in 1984. The album included the pop ballad "Hold Me", featuring a then unknown Whitney Houston.

On July 13, 1985, Pendergrass made an emotional return to the stage at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in front of a live audience of over 99,000 and 2 billion television viewers. It was the 35-year-old's first live performance following his 1982 accident. Pendergrass tearfully thanked the audience for keeping him in their well-wishes and then performed the Ashford & Simpson classic, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". In 1988, Pendergrass scored his first R&B; number-one hit in nearly a decade when the new jack swing-styled "Joy", off his album of the same name, was released. A video of the song was in heavy rotation on BET. It was also his final Hot 100 charted single, peaking at number 77. Also, Pendergrass' voice was heard on the jingles of a back then local Philadelphia radio station, WSNI-FM.

Pendergrass kept recording through the 1990s. One of the singer's final hits was the hip-hop leaning "Believe in Love", released in 1994. In 1996, he starred alongside Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with God''. In 1998, Pendergrass released his autobiography entitled, ''Truly Blessed''.

Pendergrass did a concert at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 14, 2002 entitled "The Power of Love". The concert became the album ''From Teddy, With Love'', which was released on the Razor & Tie record label later that year. It was his second (after ''Live! Coast to Coast'') and final live album. Clips of the concert, in particular his performance of his comeback song "Joy", can still be seen on YouTube. In his later years, Pendergrass' “Wake Up Everybody” has been covered by a diverse range of acts from Simply Red to Patti LaBelle and was chosen as a rallying cry during the 2004 Presidential campaign by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to mobilize voters. In addition, Little Brother, Kanye West, Cam'ron, Twista, Ghostface, Tyrese Gibson, 9th Wonder, DMX and DJ Green Lantern have utilized his works.

In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business. In 2007, he briefly returned to performing to participate in ''Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities'', a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked Pendergrass' accident date, but also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.

Personal life

Pendergrass had three children, Tisha, LaDonna and Teddy II. In 1987, he married a former Philadanco dancer named Karen Still, who had also danced in his shows. Karen was Pendergrass' primary caregiver. The couple amicably divorced in 2003. Pendergrass met Joan Williams in the spring of 2006. Pendergrass proposed to Joan after four months and they married in a private ceremony officiated by Teddy's Pastor Allyn Waller of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. A formal wedding was celebrated at The Ocean Cliff Resort in Newport, Rhode Island on September 6, 2008.

As members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Joan Pendergrass set up The Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Youth Fund in the name of Teddy Pendergrass to provide assistance and a center for Philadelphia's inner city youth.

He published his autobiography, ''Truly Blessed'', in 1992. There are plans to make a feature film biopic of Teddy's life. Tyrese Gibson is set to star as the late singer.

Death

On June 5, 2009, Pendergrass underwent successful surgery for colon cancer and recovered to return home. A few weeks later he returned to the hospital with respiratory issues. After seven months, he died of respiratory failure on January 13, 2010, at age 59 with wife Joan by his side, while hospitalized at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia. Teddy is survived by his mother Ida, wife Joan, three children; Tisha, Teddy II, LaDonna, stepdaughters Sherilla Leftrade, Jessica Avila and four grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren.

Joan Pendergrass is the executrix of The Theodore Dereese Pendergrass Estate.

Discography

Grammy Award nominations

Pendergrass received the following five nominations for Grammy Awards.

NominationNominationNominationNominationNomination

style="background-color: #BCBCBC"	Award	Year	Result	Category	Song
rowspan=5	Grammy Award	1979	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Close the Door"
1982	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"I Can't Live Without Your Love"
1989	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Joy"
1992	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
1994	|	Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance	"Voodoo"

In popular culture

In Eddie Murphy's standup comedy, ''Delirious'', Murphy does an imitation of Pendergrass singing "Only You", saying Pendergrass' masculine voice "scares the bitches into liking him". Cedric the Entertainer references Teddy in the hit movie "The Kings of Comedy"

Teddy appeared on the dance show Soul Train on a number of occasions.

Latin Legend India, also known as The Princess of Salsa Music, recorded a cover of Teddy's song "Turn off the lights" on her 2010 album, Unica. India explained in an interview that she had grown up listening to some of this music and she had decided to do a cover to this song with a more tropical/Salsa feel to it.

In the live episode of 30 Rock, Dr. Leo Spaceman (performed by Chris Parnell) says that the last good "doing it" song is "Close the Door", and claims that the lack of such songs are the direct cause of erectile dysfunction.

On the Kanye West song "Devil in a New Dress", Rick Ross raps, "Poke County, Jacksonville, write Melbourne/whole clique appetites had tape worms/spinning Teddy Pendergrass vinyl as my J burns."

At the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011, country band Lady Antebellum paid tribute to Pendergrass, performing a medley that included "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

References

External links

The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance

Teddy Pendergrass at Philly Soul Classics

Teddy Pendergrass at Discogs

Teddy Pendergrass at WhoSampled

Obituary article at Lasting Tribute

RIP Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass - Daily Telegraph obituary

talking about covering Teddy's song 'Turn Off the Lights'- Interview with Salsa's Princess and a fan of Pendergrass

Category:1950 births Category:2010 deaths Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Cancer deaths in Pennsylvania Category:Culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:People with quadriplegia Category:Philadelphia International Records artists

da:Teddy Pendergrass de:Teddy Pendergrass et:Teddy Pendergrass el:Τέντι Πέντεργκρας es:Teddy Pendergrass fr:Teddy Pendergrass it:Teddy Pendergrass nl:Teddy Pendergrass ja:テディ・ペンダーグラス no:Teddy Pendergrass pt:Teddy Pendergrass simple:Teddy Pendergrass sv:Teddy Pendergrass yo:Teddy Pendergrass

birth name	Whitney Elizabeth Houston
background	solo_singer
born	August 09, 1963Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
origin	East Orange, New Jersey
instrument	Vocals, piano
genre	R&B;, pop, dance, soul, gospel
occupation	Singer, actress, model, film producer, record producer, songwriter
years active	1977–present
label	Arista/Sony Music
associated acts	Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Brown, Kim Burrell, CeCe Winans, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross, Jermaine Jackson
website	}}

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is an American R&B;/pop singer, actress, and former fashion model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide on relatively few releases.

Inspired by several prominent soul singers in her extended family, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, as well as her godmother, Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing with New Jersey church's junior gospel choir at age 11. After she began performing alongside her mother in night clubs in the New York City area, she was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis. As of 2011, Houston has released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum, or gold certification.

Houston's 1985 debut album, ''Whitney Houston'', became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. Her second studio album, ''Whitney'' (1987), became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. 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", enabled several African-American female artists to follow in her success.

Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film ''The Bodyguard'' (1992). The movie's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. The album makes her the only female act ranked in the list of the top-10 best-selling albums, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to soundtracks, including with the films ''Waiting to Exhale'' (1995) and ''The Preacher's Wife'' (1996). Three years after the release of her fourth studio album, ''My Love Is Your Love'' (1998), she renewed her recording contract with Arista Records. She released her fifth studio album, ''Just Whitney'', in 2002, and the Christmas-themed ''One Wish: The Holiday Album'' in 2003. Amid widespread media coverage of personal and professional turmoil, Houston ended her 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown in 2006. In 2009, Houston released her seventh studio album, ''I Look To You''.

Biography

1963–76: Early life

Whitney Houston was born in what was then a middle-income neighbourhood of Newark, New Jersey, the third and youngest child of John and gospel singer Cissy Houston. She is mostly African-American, with some Native-American and Dutch ancestry. Her mother, along with cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin were all notable figures in the gospel, rhythm and blues, pop, and soul genres. Houston was raised a Baptist, but was also exposed to the Pentecostal church. After the 1967 Newark riots, the family moved to a middle class area in East Orange, New Jersey when she was four.

At the age of eleven, Houston began to follow in her mother's footsteps and started performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where she also learned to play the piano. Her first solo performance in the church was "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah".

When Houston was a teenager, she attended a Catholic girls high school, Mount Saint Dominic Academy, where she met her best friend Robyn Crawford, whom she describes as the "sister she never had." While Houston was still in school, her mother continued to teach her how to sing. In addition to her mother, Franklin, and Warwick, Houston was also exposed to the music of Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack, most of whom would have an impact on her as a singer and performer.

1977–84: Early career

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. In 1977, at age 14, she was a backup singer on the Michael Zager Band's single "Life's a Party". Zager subsequently offered to obtain a recording contract for the young singer, but Cissy declined, wanting her young daughter to finish school first. Then in 1978, at age 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan's hit single "I'm Every Woman", a song she would later turn into a larger hit for herself on her monster-selling ''The Bodyguard'' soundtrack album. She also sang back-up on albums by Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson. 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 as a lead vocalist on a Paul Jabara album, entitled ''Paul Jabara and Friends'', released by Columbia Records in 1983. She appeared in ''Seventeen'' and became one of the first women of color to grace the cover of the magazine. She was also featured in layouts in the pages ''Glamour'', ''Cosmopolitan'', ''Young Miss'' and appeared in a Canada Dry soft drink TV commercial. Her striking looks and girl-next-door charm made her one of the most sought after teen models of that time. While modeling, she continued her burgeoning recording career by working with producers Ben Dover, Bill Laswell and Martin Bisi on an album they were spearheading called ''One Down'', which was credited to the group Material. For that project, Houston contributed the ballad "Memories". Robert Christgau of ''The Village Voice'' called her contribution "one of the most gorgeous ballads you've ever heard."

Houston had previously been offered several recording agencies (Michael Zager in 1980 and Elektra Records in 1981). In 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R; representative from Arista Records saw her performing with her mother in a New York City nightclub and was impressed. He convinced Arista's head Clive Davis to make time to see Houston perform. Davis too was impressed and offered a worldwide recording contract which Houston signed. Later that year, she made her national televised debut alongside Davis on ''The Merv Griffin Show''.

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. Some producers had to pass on the project due to prior commitments. Houston first recorded a duet with Teddy Pendergrass entitled "Hold Me" which appeared on his album, ''Love Language''. The single was released in 1984 and gave Houston her first taste of success, becoming a Top 5 R&B; hit. It would also appear on her debut album in 1985.

1985–86: Rise to prominence

With production from Michael Masser, Kashif, Jermaine Jackson and Narada Michael Walden, Houston's self-titled debut album was released in February 1985. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine praised the new talent, calling her "one of the most exciting new voices in years" while ''The New York Times'' called the album "an impressive, musically conservative showcase for an exceptional vocal talent." The first single, the dance-funk "Someone For Me", failed to chart in the US and UK. The next single, "Thinking About You", reached the top ten of the US R&B; Chart, as the album sold modestly. The release of the next single, the soulful ballad "You Give Good Love", peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the R&B; Charts. As a result, the album began to sell strongly, and Houston continued promoting the album by touring nightclubs in the US. She also began performing on late-night television talk shows, which was not usually accessible to black acts. The jazzy ballad "Saving All My Love for You" was released next and it would become Houston's first #1 hit single in both the US and the UK. She was now an opening act for singer Jeffrey Osborne on his nationwide tour. At the time, MTV had received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by African-American artists while favoring rock acts. The next single, "How Will I Know", peaked at #1 and introduced Houston to the MTV audience thanks to its video. This would make the singer the second African-American female artist to receive heavy rotation on the network(Donna Summer was the first with "She Works Hard For The Money"). By 1986, a year after its initial release, ''Whitney Houston'' topped the Billboard 200 album chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks. The final single, "Greatest Love of All", became Houston's biggest hit at the time after peaking #1 and remaining there for three weeks. At the time, Houston released the best-selling debut album by a female artist. Houston then embarked on her world tour, ''Greatest Love Tour''. The album had become an international success, and was certified 13x Platinum (diamond) in the United States alone, and has sold a total of 25 million copies worldwide.

At the 1986 Grammy Awards, Houston was nominated for three awards including ''Album of the Year''. She was ineligible for the ''Best New Artist'' category due to her previous duet recording with Teddy Pendergrass in 1984. She won her first Grammy award for 'Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female' for "Saving All My Love for You". At the same award show, she performed that Grammy-winning hit; that performance later winning her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Houston won seven American Music Awards in total in 1986 and 1987, and an MTV Video Music Award. The album's popularity would also carry over to the 1987 Grammy Awards when "Greatest Love of All" would receive a ''Record of the Year'' nomination. Houston's debut album is currently listed as one of ''Rolling Stone's'' 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Definitive 200 list. Whitney Houston's grand entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to ''USA Today''. Following Houston's breakthrough, doors were opened for other African-American female artists such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker to find notable success in popular music and on MTV.

1987–91: ''Whitney'', ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' and "The Star Spangled Banner"

Houston’s second album, ''Whitney'', was released in June 1987. The album again featured production from Masser, Kashif and Walden as well as Jellybean Benitez. Many critics complained that the material was too similar to her previous album. ''Rolling Stone'' said, "the narrow channel through which this talent has been directed is frustrating." Still, the album enjoyed commercial success. Houston became the first female artist in music history to debut at number one on the US and UK album chart while also hitting number one or top ten in dozens of other countries around the world. The album's first four singles, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional," and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, which gave her a total of seven consecutive number one hits, breaking the record of six previously shared by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. ''Whitney'' has been certified 9× Platinum in the US for shipments of over 9 million copies, and has sold a total of 20 million copies worldwide.

At the Grammy Awards in 1988, Houston was nominated for three awards, including ''Album of the Year'', winning her second Grammy for ''Best Female Pop Vocal Performance'' for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Houston also won two American Music Awards in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Following the release of the album, Houston embarked on the ''Moment of Truth World Tour'' which was one of the ten highest grossing concert tours of 1987. The success of the tour and her albums ranked Houston #8 for the highest earning entertainers list according to ''Forbes Magazine''. She was the highest earning African-American woman and the third highest entertainer after Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy. The list included her concert grosses during 1986 and 1987.

Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, the singer refused to work with any agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa. In June 1988, during the European leg of her tour, Houston joined other musicians to perform a set at Wembley Stadium in London to celebrate a then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Over 72,000 people attended Wembley Stadium, and over a billion people tuned in worldwide as the rock concert raised over $1 million for charities while bringing awareness to apartheid. Houston then flew back to the US for a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August. The show was a benefit concert that raised a quarter of a million dollars for the United Negro College Fund. In the same year, she recorded a song for NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics, "One Moment in Time", which became a Top 5 hit in the US, while reaching number one in the UK and Germany. With her current world tour continuing overseas, Houston was still one of the top 20 highest earning entertainers for 1987–1988 according to ''Forbes'' magazine.

In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment. With the success of her first two albums, Houston was undoubtedly an international crossover superstar, the most prominent since Michael Jackson, appealing to all demographics. However, some black critics believed she was "selling out". They felt her singing on record lacked the soul that was present during her live concerts. At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, when Houston's name was called out for a nomination, a few in the audience jeered. Houston defended herself against the criticism, stating, "If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it." Houston took a more urban direction with her third studio album, ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'', released in November 1990. She produced and chose producers for this album and as a result, it featured production and collaborations with L.A. Reid and Babyface, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. The album showed Houston's versatility on a new batch of tough rhythmic grooves, soulful ballads and up-tempo dance tracks. Reviews were mixed. ''Rolling Stone'' felt it was her "best and most integrated album". while ''Entertainment Weekly'', at the time thought Houston's shift towards an urban direction was "superficial". The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to be certified four times platinum in America while selling twelve million total worldwide. Two of the singles released from the album reached number one in the US.

With America at war, Houston performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. VH1 listed the performance as the 12th greatest moment that rocked TV. Her recording of the song was released as a commercial single, and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude (Jose Feliciano's version reached #50 in November 1968). Houston donated all her share of the proceeds to the Red Cross. As a result, the singer was named to the Red Cross Board of Governors. Later that year, Houston put together her ''Welcome Home Heroes'' concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch. Houston's concert gave HBO its highest ratings ever. She then embarked on the I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour.

1992–94: Marriage to Bobby Brown and ''The Bodyguard''

Throughout the 1980s, Houston was romantically linked to American football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy, whom she dated. She then met R&B; singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. After a three year courtship, the two were married on July 18, 1992. Nearly a year later, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, her first and only child, his fourth. Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law, including some jail time.

With the commercial success of her albums, movie offers poured in, including offers to work with Robert De Niro, Quincy Jones, and Spike Lee; but Houston felt the time wasn't right. Houston’s first film role was in ''The Bodyguard'', released in 1992 and co-starring Kevin Costner. Houston played Rachel Marron, a star who is stalked by a crazed fan and hires a bodyguard to protect her. ''USA Today'' listed it as one of the 25 most memorable movie moments of the last 25 years. The movie is also notable for not mentioning or needing to explain its interracial aspect. Houston's mainstream appeal allowed people to look at the movie color-blind. Still, controversy arose as some felt the film's ads intentionally hid Houston's face to hide the film's interracial aspect. In an interview with ''Rolling Stone Magazine'' in 1993, the singer commented that "people know who Whitney Houston is—I'm black. You can't hide that fact." Houston received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress. ''The Washington Post'' said Houston is "doing nothing more than playing Houston, comes out largely unscathed if that is possible in so cockamamie an undertaking", and ''The New York Times'' said she lacked passion with her co-star. Despite the film's mixed reviews, it was hugely successful at the box office, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide, making it one of the top 100 grossing films in film history at its time of release, though it is no longer in the top 100.

The film's soundtrack also enjoyed success. Houston executive produced and contributed six songs for the motion picture's adjoining soundtrack album. ''Rolling Stone'' said it is "nothing more than pleasant, tasteful and urbane". The soundtrack's lead single was "I Will Always Love You", written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton in 1974. The single peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks, number one on the R&B; chart for a then-record-breaking 11 weeks, and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts for five weeks, thus becoming the first single to top those three charts simultaneously for five weeks. The song also hit number-one in many other countries. The soundtrack debuted at #1 and remained there for twenty non-consecutive weeks and became one of the fastest selling albums ever. At one point the soundtrack sold over a million copies within a week, becoming the first album to do so. With the follow-up singles "I'm Every Woman", a Chaka Khan cover, and "I Have Nothing" both peaking in the top five, Houston became the first female artist to ever have three singles in the Top 20 simultaneously. The album was certified 17× platinum in the United States with worldwide sales of 42 million, making ''The Bodyguard'' the only album by a female act on the list of the world's Top 10 best-selling albums. Houston won three Grammys for the album, including two of the Academy's highest honors, Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In addition, she won eight American Music Awards at that year's ceremony, including the Award of Merit, and a BRIT award. Following the success of the project, Houston embarked on another expansive global tour in 1993 and 1994. Her concerts, movie, and recording grosses made her the third highest earning female entertainer of 1993–1994, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand according to ''Forbes Magazine''. Houston placed in the top five of ''Entertainment Weekly's'' annual "Entertainer of the Year" ranking and was labeled by ''Premier Magazine'' as one of the 100 most powerful people in Hollywood.

In October 1994, Houston attended and performed at a state dinner in the White House honoring newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela. At the end of her world tour, Houston performed three concerts in South Africa to honor President Mandela, playing to over 200,000 people. This would make the singer the first major musician to visit the newly unified and apartheid free nation following Mandela's winning election. The concert was broadcast live on HBO with funds of the concerts being donated to various charities in South Africa. The event was considered the nation's "biggest media event since the inauguration of Nelson Mandela."

1995–97: ''Waiting to Exhale'', ''The Preacher's Wife'' and ''Cinderella''

In 1995, Houston starred alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon in her second film ''Waiting to Exhale'', a motion picture about four African-American women struggling with relationships. Houston plays the lead character Savannah Jackson, a TV producer in love with a married man. She chose the role because she saw the film as "a breakthrough for the image of black women because it presents them both as professionals and as caring mothers". After opening at number one and grossing $67 million in the US at the box office and $81 million worldwide, it proved that a movie primarily targeting a black audience can cross over to success, while paving the way for other all-black movies such as ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' and the Tyler Perry movies that have become popular in the 2000s. The film is also notable for its portrayal of black women as strong middle class citizens as opposed to stereotypes. The reviews were mainly positive for the ensemble cast. ''The New York Times'' said "Ms. Houston has shed the defensive hauteur that made her portrayal of a pop star in 'The Bodyguard' seem so distant." Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture," but lost to her co-star Bassett.

The film's accompanying soundtrack, ''Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album'', was produced by Houston and Babyface. Though Babyface originally wanted Houston to record the entire album, she declined. Instead, she "wanted it to be an album of women with vocal distinction", and thus gathered several African-American female artists for the soundtrack, to go along with the film's strong women message. As a result, the album featured a range of contemporary R&B; female recording artists along with Houston, such as Mary J Blige, Aretha Franklin, Toni Braxton, Patti Labelle, and Brandy. Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at #1, and then spent a record eleven weeks at the #2 spot and eight weeks on top of the R&B; Charts. "Count On Me", a duet with CeCe Winans, hit the US Top 10; and Houston's third contribution, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", made the Top 30. The album debuted at #1, and was certified 7× Platinum in the United States, denoting shipments of seven million copies. The soundtrack received strong reviews as ''Entertainment Weekly'' said "the album goes down easy, just as you'd expect from a package framed by Whitney Houston tracks.... the soundtrack waits to exhale, hovering in sensuous suspense" and has since ranked it as one of the 100 Best Movie Soundtracks. ''Newsday'' called it "the most significant R&B; record of the decade." Later that year, Houston's children's charity organization was awarded a VH1 Honor for all the charitable work

In 1996, Houston starred in the holiday comedy ''The Preacher's Wife'', with Denzel Washington. She plays a gospel-singing wife of a pastor (Courtney B. Vance). Houston earned $10 million for the role, making her one of the highest paid actress in Hollywood at the time and the highest earning African American actress in Hollywood. The movie, with its all African-American cast, was a moderate success, earning approximately $50 million at the U.S. box offices. The movie gave Houston her strongest reviews so far. ''The San Francisco Chronicle'' said Houston "is rather angelic herself, displaying a divine talent for being virtuous and flirtatious at the same time" and that she "exudes gentle yet spirited warmth, especially when praising the Lord in her gorgeous singing voice." Houston was again nominated for an NAACP Image Award and won for Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture.

Houston recorded and co-produced, with Mervyn Warren, the film's accompanying gospel soundtrack. ''The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album'' included six gospel songs with Georgia Mass Choir that were recorded at the Great Star Rising Baptist Church in Atlanta. Houston also duetted with gospel legend Shirley Caesar. The album sold six million copies worldwide and scored hit singles with "I Believe in You and Me" and "Step by Step", becoming the largest selling gospel album of all time. The album received mainly positive reviews. Some critics, such as that of ''USA Today'', noted the presence of her emotional depth, while ''The UK Times'' said "To hear Houston going at full throttle with the 35 piece Georgia Mass Choir struggling to keep up is to realise what her phenomenal voice was made for."

In 1997, Houston's production company changed its name to BrownHouse Productions and was joined by Debra Martin Chase. Their goal was "to show aspects of the lives of African-Americans that have not been brought to the screen before" while improving how African-Americans are portrayed in film and television. Their first project was a made-for-television remake of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ''Cinderella''. In addition to co-producing, Houston starred in the movie as the Fairy Godmother along with Brandy, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bernadette Peters. Houston was initially offered the role of Cinderella in 1993, but other projects intervened. The film is notable for its multi-racial cast and nonstereotypical message. An estimated 60 million viewers tuned into the special giving ABC its highest TV ratings in 16 years. The movie received seven Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety, Musical or Comedy, while winning Outstanding Art Direction in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special.

Houston and Chase then obtained the rights to the story of Dorothy Dandridge. Houston was to play Dandridge, who was the first African American actress to be nominated for an Oscar. She wanted the story told with dignity and honor. However, Halle Berry also had rights to the project and she got her version going first. Later that year, Houston paid tribute to her idols such as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick by performing their hits during the three-night HBO Concert ''Classic Whitney'', live from Washington, D.C. The special raised over $300,000 for the Children's Defense Fund.

1998–2000: ''My Love Is Your Love'' and ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits''

After spending much of the early and mid 1990s working on motion pictures and their adjacent soundtrack albums, Houston's first studio album in eight years, the critically acclaimed ''My Love Is Your Love'', was released in November 1998. Though originally slated to be a greatest hits album with a handful of new songs, recording sessions were so fruitful that a new full-length studio album was released. Recorded and mixed in only six weeks, it featured production from Rodney Jerkins, Wyclef Jean and Missy Elliott. The album debuted at number thirteen in the US. It had a funkier and edgier sound than past releases and saw Houston handling urban dance, hip hop, mid-tempo R&B;, reggae, torch songs, and ballads all with great dexterity. The album featured several hit singles: "When You Believe" (US #15, UK #4), a duet with Mariah Carey for 1998s The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, it also became an international hit as it peaked in the Top 10 in several countries and won an Academy Award; "Heartbreak Hotel" (US #2, UK# 25) featured Faith Evans and Kelly Price, and number one on the US R&B; chart for seven weeks; "It's Not Right But It's Okay" (US #4, UK #3) won Houston her sixth Grammy Award; "My Love Is Your Love" (US #4, UK #2); and "I Learned from the Best" (US #27, UK #19). These singles became international hits as well, and all the singles, except "When You Believe", became number one hits on the U.S. Dance/Clubplay Chart. The album sold four million copies in America (4× platinum) and a total of eleven million worldwide. The album gave Houston some of her strongest reviews ever. ''Rolling Stone'' said Houston was singing "with a bite in her voice" and ''The Village Voice'' called it "Whitney's sharpest and most satisfying so far". In 1999, Houston participated in ''VH-1's Divas’ Live '99'', alongside Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, and Cher. The same year, Houston hit the road with her 70 date ''My Love Is Your Love'' worldwide tour. The European leg was Europe's highest grossing arena tour of the year.

In May 2000, ''Whitney: The Greatest Hits'' was released. The double disc set peaked at number five in the United States and reached number one in the United Kingdom. While ballad songs were left unchanged, the album is notable for featuring house/club remixes of many of Houston's up-tempo hits, in place of their original version. Also included on the album were four new songs: "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (a duet with Enrique Iglesias), "Same Script, Different Cast" (a duet with Deborah Cox), "If I Told You That" (a duet with George Michael), and "Fine". Along with the album, an accompanying DVD was released featuring the music videos to Houston's greatest hits. The greatest hits album was certified triple platinum in the US, with worldwide sales of ten million. Houston and Chase, along with Warner Brothers, were then set to produce a remake of the 1976 film Sparkle about a 1960s singing group of three sisters in Harlem. Aaliyah, who was to star in the remake, was killed in a plane crash in 2001 before production began.

2000–05: ''Just Whitney'', drug allegations and personal struggles

Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the '80s and early '90s, by the late '90s, her behavior changed. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, and canceling concerts and talk-show appearances. With the missed performances and weight loss, rumors about Houston using drugs with her husband circulated. On January 11, 2000, airport security guards discovered marijuana in both Houston's and husband Bobby Brown's luggage at a Hawaii airport, but the two boarded the plane and departed before authorities could arrive. Charges were later dropped against her and Brown, but rumors of drug usage between the couple would continue to surface. Two months later, Clive Davis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Houston had been scheduled to perform at the event, but did not attend. Shortly thereafter, Houston was scheduled to perform at the Academy Awards but was fired from the event by musical director and long time friend Burt Bacharach. Her publicist cited throat problems as the reason for the cancellation. In his book ''The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards'', author Steve Pond revealed that "Houston's voice was shaky, she seemed distracted and jittery, and her attitude was casual, almost defiant," and that while Houston was to sing "Over the Rainbow", she would start singing a different song. Houston later admitted to having been fired. Later that year, Houston's long-time executive assistant and friend, Robyn Crawford, resigned from Houston's management company.

In August 2001, Houston signed the biggest record deal in music history with Arista/BMG. She renewed her contract for $100 million to deliver six new albums, on which she would also earn royalties. She later made an appearance on ''Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special''. Her extremely thin frame further spurred rumors of drug use. Houston's publicist said, "Whitney has been under stress due to family matters, and when she is under stress she doesn't eat." The singer was scheduled for a second performance the following night but canceled. Within weeks, Houston's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" would be re-released after the terrorist attacks of September 11. The song peaked at #6 this time on the US Hot 100, topping its previous position. Houston donated her portion of the proceeds.

In 2002, Houston became involved in a legal dispute with John Houston Enterprise. Although the company was started by her father to manage her career, it was now actually run by company president Kevin Skinner. Skinner filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit and sued for $100 million (but lost), stating that Houston owed the company previously unpaid compensation for helping to negotiate her $100 million contract with Arista Records and for sorting out legal matters. Houston stated that her 81-year-old father had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Although Skinner tried to claim otherwise, John Houston never appeared in court. Houston's father later died in February 2003. The lawsuit was dismissed on April 5, 2004, and Skinner was awarded nothing.

Also in 2002, Houston did an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote her then-upcoming album. The interview was the highest-rated television interview in history. During the prime-time special, Houston spoke on topics including rumored drug use and marriage. She was asked about the ongoing drug rumors and replied, "First of all, let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. Okay? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is wack." The line would become infamous. Houston did, however, admit to using other substances at times.

In December 2002, Houston released her fifth studio album, ''Just Whitney...''. The album included productions from then-husband Bobby Brown, as well as Missy Elliott and Babyface, and marked the first time Houston did not produce with Clive Davis as Davis had been released by top management at BMG. Upon its release, ''Just Whitney...'' received mixed reviews. The album debuted at number 9 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and it had the highest first week sales of any album Houston had ever released. The four singles released from the album, didn't fare well on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but became Hot Dance Club Play hits. ''Just Whitney...'' was certified platinum in the United States, and sold approximately three million worldwide.

In late 2003, Houston released her first Christmas album ''One Wish: The Holiday Album'', with a song listing of traditional holiday songs. Houston produced the album with Mervyn Warren and Gordon Chambers. A single titled "One Wish (for Christmas)" reached the Top 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and the album was certified gold in the US. Having always been a touring artist, Houston spent most of 2004 touring and performing in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Russia. In September 2004, she gave a surprise performance at the World Music Awards, in tribute to long time friend Clive Davis. After the show, Davis and Houston announced plans to go into studio to work on her new album.

In early 2004, husband Bobby Brown starred in his own reality TV program, ''Being Bobby Brown'' (on the Bravo network), which provided a view into the domestic goings-on in the Brown household. Though it was Brown's vehicle, Houston was a prominent figure throughout the show, receiving as much screen time as Brown. The series aired in 2005 and featured Houston in, what some would say, not her most flattering moments. The ''Hollywood Reporter'' said it was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television." Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, the series gave Bravo its highest ratings in its time slot and continued Houston's successful forays into film and television. The show was not renewed for a second season after Houston stated she would no longer appear in it, and Brown and Bravo could not come to an agreement for another season.

2006–present: Return to music, ''I Look to You'' and tour

After years of controversy and turmoil, Houston separated from Bobby Brown in September 2006, filing for divorce the next month. On February 1, 2007, Houston asked the court to fast track their divorce. The divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston granted custody of the couple's daughter. Less than a month later, Brown sued Houston in Orange County, California court in an attempt to change the terms of their custody agreement. Brown also sought child and spousal support from Houston. In the lawsuit, Brown claimed that financial and emotional problems prevented him from properly responding to Houston's divorce petition. Brown lost at his court hearing as the judge dismissed his appeal to overrule the custody terms, leaving Houston with full custody and Brown with no spousal support. In March 2007, Clive Davis of Arista Records announced that Houston would begin recording a new album. In October 2007, Arista released another compilation ''The Ultimate Collection'' outside the United States. Houston released her new album, ''I Look to You'', on August 2009. The album's first two singles are "I Look to You" and "Million Dollar Bill". The album entered the Billboard 200 at #1, with Houston's best opening-week sales of 305,000 copies, marking Houston's first number one album since '' The Bodyguard '', and Houston's first studio album to reach number one since 1987's ''Whitney''. Houston gave her first interview in seven years, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's season premiere on September 2009. The interview was billed as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade". The interview was so candid that Whitney admitted using drugs with former husband Bobby Brown describing to Oprah that she "laced marijuana with rock cocaine". Houston has also appeared on European television programs to promote the album. She performed the song "I Look to You" on the German television show ''Wetten Dass.'' Three days later, she performed the worldwide first single from I Look To You, Million Dollar Bill, on the French television show Le Grand Journal. Houston appeared as guest mentor on ''The X Factor'' in the United Kingdom. She performed "Million Dollar Bill" on the following day's results show, completing the song even as a strap in the back of her dress popped open two minutes into the performance. She later commented that she "sang [herself] out of [her] clothes". 200px|thumb|left|Whitney Houston at the [[The O2 Arena (London)|O2 Arena, April 28, 2010, as part of her Nothing but Love World Tour]] The performance was poorly received by the British media, and was variously described as "weird" and "ungracious", "shambolic" and a "flop". Despite this reception, "Million Dollar Bill" jumped to its peak from 14 to number 5 (her first UK top 5 for over a decade), and three weeks after release "I Look to You" went gold. Houston appeared on the Italian version of X Factor, performing the same song "Million Dollar Bill" to good reviews. She was awarded the Gold Certificate for achieving over 50,000 CD sales of "I Look To You" in Italy. In November, Houston performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" at the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Two days later, Houston performed both songs on the Dancing With The Stars season 9 finale. As of December 2009, "I Look to You" has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than one million copies in the United States. On January 26, 2010, her debut album, was re-released in a special edition entitled ''Whitney Houston – The Deluxe Anniversary Edition''.

Houston later embarked on a world tour, entitled the Nothing But Love Tour. It was her first world tour in over ten years and was announced as a triumphant comeback. However, some poor reviews and rescheduled concerts brought some negative media attention. Houston canceled some concerts due to illness and received widespread negative reviews from fans who were disappointed in the quality of her voice and performance. Some fans reportedly walked out of her concerts.

In January 2010, Houston was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, one for Best Female Artist and one for Best Music Video. She won the award for Best Music Video for her single "I Look to You." On January 16, she received the BET Honors Award for Entertainer citing her lifetime achievements spanning over 25 years in the industry. The 2010 BET Honors was held at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC and aired February 1, 2010. Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell performed in honor of her, garnering positive reviews. Houston also received a nomination from the Echo Awards, Germany's version of the Grammys, for Best International Artist. In April 2010, the UK newspaper ''The Mirror'' reported that Houston was thinking about recording her eighth studio album and would like to collaborate with will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), her first choice for a collaboration. Houston also performed the song "I Look to You," on the 2011 BET ''Celebration of Gospel'', with gospel–jazz singer Kim Burrell, held at the Staple Center, Los Angeles. The performance aired on January 30, 2011. Early in 2011, she gave an uneven performance in tribute to cousin Dionne Warwick at music mogul Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy gala. In May 2011, Houston enrolled in rehabilitation center again, as an out-patient, citing drug and alcohol problems. A representative for Houston said that it was a part of Houston's "longstanding recovery process."

Legacy

Voice

Houston is a mezzo-soprano. Her vocal range extends from G below middle C (G₃) to high B-flat (B₅); she can belt out to treble F (F₅). She came in third on MTV's 22 Greatest Voices, and sixth on ''Online Magazine COVE''s list of the 100 Best Pop Vocalists with a score of 48.5/50. In 2008, ''Rolling Stone'' listed Houston as the thirty-fourth of the 100 greatest singers of all time, stating "Her voice is a mammoth, coruscating cry: Few vocalists could get away with opening a song with 45 unaccompanied seconds of singing, but Houston's powerhouse version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is a tour de force." Describing Houston's voice, Mariah Carey states "[She] has a really rich, strong mid-belt that very few people have. She sounds really good, really strong." While in her review of ''I Look To You'', music critic Ann Powers of ''Los Angeles Times'' writes, "[Houston's voice] stands like monuments upon the landscape of 20th century pop, defining the architecture of their times, sheltering the dreams of millions and inspiring the climbing careers of countless imitators," adding "When she was at her best, nothing could match her huge, clean, cool mezzo-soprano."

Houston's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry. She has been called the "Queen of Pop" for her influence during the 1990s, commercially rivaling Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. Stephen Holden from ''The New York Times'', in his review of Houston's Radio City Music Hall concert on July 20, 1993, praised her attitude as a singer highly, writing "Whitney Houston is one of the few contemporary pop stars of whom it might be said: the voice suffices. While almost every performer whose albums sell in the millions calls upon an entertainer's bag of tricks, from telling jokes to dancing to circus pyrotechnics, Ms. Houston would rather just stand there and sing." He added the comments on her singing style: "Her [Houston's] stylistic trademarks―shivery melismas that ripple up in the middle of a song, twirling embellishments at the ends of phrases that suggest an almost breathless exhilaration―infuse her interpretations with flashes of musical and emotional lightning." Elysa Gardner of ''Los Angeles Times'' in her review for ''The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack'' praised highly for Houston's vocal ability, commenting "She is first and foremost a pop diva―at that, the best one we have. No other female pop star―not Mariah Carey, not Celine Dion, not Barbra Streisand―quite rivals Houston in her exquisite vocal fluidity and purity of tone, and her ability to infuse a lyric with mesmerizing melodrama." Houston is commonly referred to as "The Voice", in reference to her exceptional vocal talent.

Influence

During the 1980s, MTV was coming into its own and received harsh criticism for not playing enough videos by black artists. With Michael Jackson breaking down the color barrier for black male artists, Houston did the same for black female artists. She became one of the few black female artists to receive heavy rotation on the network following the success of the "How Will I Know" video. Following Houston's breakthrough, other African-American female artists, such as Janet Jackson and Anita Baker, were successful in popular music. Baker commented that "Because of what Whitney and Sade did, there was an opening for me... For radio stations, black women singers aren't taboo anymore." Allmusic also noted her contribution to success of black artists on the pop scene, commenting "Houston was able to handle big adult contemporary ballads, effervescent, stylish dance-pop, and slick urban contemporary soul with equal dexterity; the result was an across-the-board appeal that was matched by scant few artists of her era, and helped her become one of the first black artists to find success on MTV in Michael Jackson's wake." ''The New York Times'' stated that "Houston was a major catalyst for a movement within black music that recognized the continuity of soul, pop, jazz and gospel vocal traditions". Richard Corliss of ''TIME'' magazine commented about her first success breaking various barriers as follows; "Of her first album's ten cuts, six were ballads. This chanteuse [Houston] had to fight for air play with hard rockers. The young lady had to stand uncowed in the locker room of macho rock. The soul strutter had to seduce a music audience that anointed few black artists with superstardom. [...] She was a phenomenon waiting to happen, a canny tapping of the listener's yen for a return to the musical middle. And because every new star creates her own genre, her success has helped other blacks, other women, other smooth singers find an avid reception in the pop marketplace." Mary J. Blige said that Houston's inviting her onstage during VH1's ''Divas Live'' show in 1999 "opened doors for [her] all over the world."

According to ''The New York Times'', Houston has "revitalized the tradition of strong gospel-oriented pop-soul singing". Ann Powers of the ''Los Angeles Times'' referred to the singer as a "national treasure". She is what many consider to be a "singer's singer" who has influenced countless other vocalists, both female and male. Similarly, Steve Huey from Allmusic wrote that the shadow of Houston's prodigious technique still looms large over nearly every pop diva and smooth urban soul singer - male or female - in her wake, and spawned a legion of imitators. ''Rolling Stone,'' on her biography, stated that Houston "redefined the image of a female soul icon and inspired singers ranging from Mariah Carey to Rihanna." ''Essence'' ranked Houston the fifth on their list of 50 Most Influential R&B; Stars of all time, calling her "the diva to end all divas."

A number of artists have acknowledged Houston as an influence. Mariah Carey, who was often compared to Houston, said, "Houston has been a big influence on me." She later told ''USA Today'' that "none of us would sound the same if Aretha Franklin hadn't ever put out a record, or Whitney Houston hadn't." Brandy stated "The first Whitney Houston CD was genius. That CD introduced the world to her angelic yet powerful voice. Without Whitney half of this generation of singers wouldn't be singing," picking Houston's first album as a work of inspired. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson cites Houston as her biggest musical influence. She told ''Newsday'' that she learned from Houston the "difference between being able to sing and knowing how to sing". Leona Lewis, who has been called the New Whitney Houston, also cites her as an influence. Lewis stated that she idolized her as a little girl. Kelly Rowland, in an ''Ebony'''s feature articles for celebrationg black music in June 2006, recalled that "[I] wanted to be a singer after I saw Whitney Houston on TV singing 'Greatest Love of All'. I wanted to sing like Whitney Houston in that red dress." She added that "And I have never, ever forgotten that song[Greatest Love of All]. I learned it backward, forward, sideways. The video still brings chills to me. When you wish and pray for something as a kid, you never know what blessings God will give you." Beyoncé Knowles told the ''Globe and Mail'' that Houston "inspired [her] to get up there and do what [she] did." Alicia Keys, in the interview on her new studio album with the ''Billboard'' magazine, also said "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl." American recording artist Lady Gaga said that Houston has been one of her "vocal idols" for years. In an interview with IBN Live Gaga revealed that she used to listen Houston's version of The Star Spangled Banner over and over again. At the 2011 Grammys, Gaga gave a shout-out to Houston, and said that she wrote the song "Born This Way" thinking about Houston's vocals.

Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Ciara, P!nk, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Hudson, Amerie, Destiny's Child, Regine Velasquez, Lady Gaga, and Charice have all cited Houston as a musical inspiration.

Awards and achievements

Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records, with 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 29 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She holds the all-time record for the most AMAs of any female artist and shares the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year (1994) with 8 wins. Houston won a record 11 Billboard Music Awards at its 4th ceremony in 1993. She also has the record for the most WMAs won in a single year, winning five Awards at the 6th World Music Awards in 1994. In May 2003, Houston placed at number three on VH1's list of "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era," behind Madonna and Janet Jackson. She was also ranked at number 116 on their list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time." In 2008, ''Billboard'' magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, ranking Houston at number nine. Similarly, she is ranked as one of the Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by VH1 in September 2010. In November 2010, ''Billboard'' released its "Top 50 R&B; / Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" list and ranked Houston at number three whom not only went on to earn eight No. 1 singles on the R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but also landed five No. 1s on R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums.

Houston's debut is currently listed as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine and is on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 list. In 2004, ''Billboard'' picked the success of her first release on the charts as one of 110 Musical Milestones in its history. Houston's entrance into the music industry is considered one of the 25 musical milestones of the last 25 years, according to ''USA Today'' in 2007. It stated that she paved the way for Mariah Carey’s chart-topping vocal gymnastics. In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange, New Jersey was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts. In 2001, Houston was the first artist ever to be given a BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

Houston is also one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. Although she has released relatively few albums, she is ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 55 million certified albums sold in the US alone.

She holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University, Louisiana.

Discography

''Whitney Houston'' (1985)

''Whitney'' (1987)

''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990)

''My Love Is Your Love'' (1998)

''Just Whitney'' (2002)

''One Wish: The Holiday Album'' (2003)

''I Look to You'' (2009)

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes and awards
1992	''The Bodyguard''	Rachel Marron(Main role)	Nominated — 1993 MTV Movie Award for Best Female PerformanceNominated — 1993 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceNominated — 1993 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo with co-star Kevin CostnerNominated — 1992 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress
1995	''Waiting to Exhale''	Savannah Jackson(Main role)
1996	''The Preacher's Wife''	Julia Biggs(Main role)	Won — 1997 NAACP Image Award for
Television
Year	Title	Network	Role	Notes
	''[[Gimme a Break!">NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Television
Year	Title	Network	Role	Notes
	''[[Gimme a Break!''	NBC	Rita	"Katie's College" (Season 3, Episode 20)
	''Silver Spoons''	NBC	As herself	"Head Over Heels" (Season 4, Episode 1, Air date: September 15, 1985)She performed the edit version of "Saving All My Love for You," changing some of the words—"making love the whole night through" was changed to "holding each other the whole night through"—for the censors on the episode.
			Fairy Godmother
	''Boston Public''	Fox	As herself	She performed her current hit Try it On My Own from the 2002 studio album, Just Whitney.

TV Commercial
Year	Company	Promoting	Country	Notes
	''Dr Pepper/Seven Up''	Canada Dry(soft drink beverage)	United States		* Houston appeared in this commercial before debut as a professional singer and sang the praises of sugar free Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
	''Coca-Cola''	Diet Coke(soft drink beverage)	United States		* Houston sang the Diet Coke theme song, "Just for the taste of it." (see the commercial)
	''Coca-Cola''	Diet Coke(soft drink beverage)	United States		* Houston sang the other version of the Diet Coke advertising slogan at the time, "Just for the taste of it." (see the commercial)	* Outside the United States, the second version of advertising was released, in which "Greatest Love of All" was used as background music. (see the commercial)	1989 MTV Video Music Awards#Video of the Year>Video of the Year winning "This Note's for You" by Neil Young, parodied parts of this advertising to criticize pop/rock stars who make commercial endorsements, most notably Michael Jackson for Pepsi and Houston for Diet Coke, using look-alike for them.
		Electronics(the stereo, TV)	Japan		Keith Thomas (producer)>Keith Thomas. It was released as a CD single in Japan and included in Japanese edition of ''I'm Your Baby Tonight.''
	''AT&T;''	Telephone services	United States		* Houston sang its theme song, "True Voice." (see the commercial)

Production
Year	Title	Director	Notes and awards
1997		Robert Iscove	Executive producerNominated — 50th Primetime Emmy Awards
2001		[[Garry Marshall	ProducerWon — 2002 Young Artist Award for Best Family Feature Film - ComedyNominated — 2002 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film (Live Action) Nominated — 2002 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Family FilmNominated — 2002 Teen Choice Award for Film - Choice Movie, Comedy
2003		Oz Scott	Producer
2004	''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''	Garry Marshall	Producer
2006		Kenny Ortega	Co-executive producer

Tours and concerts

;World tours

''Greatest Love World Tour'' (1986)

''Moment of Truth World Tour'' (1987–88)

''I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour'' (1991)

''The Bodyguard World Tour'' (1993–94)

''My Love Is Your Love World Tour'' (1999)

''Nothing But Love World Tour'' (2010)

;Regional tours

''Feels So Right Tour'' (1990)

''The Pacific Rim Tour'' (1997)

''The European Tour'' (1998)

''Soul Divas Tour'' (2004)

;Notable concerts

''Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute'' 1988

''Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston'' 1991

''Super Bowl XXV'' 1991

''The Concert for a New South Africa'' 1994

''Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.'' 1997

Further reading

See also

Whitney Houston chart records and achievements

Grammy nominations for Whitney Houston

American Music Award nominations for Whitney Houston

List of best-selling music artists

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

Honorific nicknames in popular music

Melisma

References

External links

Whitney Houston at ''Whitney Info''

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:1963 births Category:African American actors Category:African American female singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American dance musicians Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:Arista Records artists Category:Baptists from the United States Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Newark, New Jersey

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name	Lucinda Williams
background	solo_singer
born	January 26, 1953
origin	Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
instrument	vocals, guitar
genre	Americana, Folk rock, Country rock, Alternative country, Heartland rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	1978–present
label	Lost HighwayChameleonFolkwaysRough Trade
associated acts	Buick 6Elvis CostelloM. Ward
website	LucindaWilliams.com }}

Lucinda Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album, ''Lucinda Williams''. This release featured "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter which garnered Lucinda her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Lucinda recorded and released only one other album in the next several years (''Sweet Old World'' in 1992) before her greatest success came in 1998 with ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''. This album presented a broader scope of songs that fused rock, blues, country, and Americana into a more distinctive style that still managed to remain consistent and commercial in sound. It went gold and earned Lucinda another Grammy while being universally acclaimed by critics. Since ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'', she has released a string of albums that have also been critically acclaimed, though none have sold in the numbers of her 1998 breakthrough. She was also named "America's best songwriter" by ''TIME'' magazine in 2002.

Early life

Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the daughter of poet and literature professor Miller Williams and an amateur pianist. Her parents divorced in the mid-1960s with Williams' father gaining custody of her and her younger brother and sister. Her father worked as a visiting professor in Mexico and different parts of the American South including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi, and Utah before settling at the University of Arkansas. His daughter started writing when she was 6 years old and showed an affinity for music at an early age, and was playing guitar at 12. Williams's first live performance was in Mexico City at 17, as part of a duo with her friend, a banjo player named Clark Jones.

Career

Early years

By her early 20s, Williams was playing publicly in Austin and Houston, Texas, concentrating on a folk-rock-country blend. She moved to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1978 to record her first album, for Smithsonian/Folkways Records. Titled ''Ramblin''', it was a collection of country and blues covers. She followed it up in 1980 with ''Happy Woman Blues'', which consisted of her own material. Neither album received much attention.

In the 1980s, Williams moved to Los Angeles, California (before finally settling in Nashville, Tennessee), where, both backed by a rock band and performing in acoustic settings, she developed a following and a critical reputation. While based in Los Angeles, she was briefly married to Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders, whom she had met in a club. In 1988 Rough Trade Records released the self-titled ''Lucinda Williams'', which was produced by Gurf Morlix. The single "Changed the Locks," about a broken relationship, received radio play around the country and gained fans among music insiders, including Tom Petty, who would later cover the song.

Its follow-up, ''Sweet Old World'' (Chameleon, 1992), also produced by Morlix, was a melancholy album dealing with themes of suicide and death. Williams' biggest success during the early 1990s was as a songwriter. Mary Chapin Carpenter recorded a cover of "Passionate Kisses" (from ''Lucinda Williams'') in 1992, and the song became a smash country hit for which Williams received the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994 (Chapin also received a Grammy for her performance of the song). She duetted with Steve Earle on the song "You're Still Standin' There" from his album ''I Feel Alright''. In 1991, the song "Lucinda Williams" appeared on Vic Chesnutt's album ''West of Rome''.

Williams had garnered considerable critical acclaim, but her commercial success was moderate. Emmylou Harris said of Williams, "She is an example of the best of what country at least says it is, but, for some reason, she's completely out of the loop and I feel strongly that that's country music's loss." Harris recorded the title track from Williams's ''Sweet Old World'' for her career-redefining 1995 album, ''Wrecking Ball''.

Williams also gained a reputation as a perfectionist and slow worker when it came to recording; six years would pass before her next album release, though she appeared as a guest on other artists' albums and contributed to several tribute compilations during this period.

''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''

The long-awaited release, 1998's ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'', was Williams' breakthrough into the mainstream and received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Containing the single "Still I Long for Your Kiss" from the Robert Redford film ''The Horse Whisperer'', the album received wide critical notice and soon went gold. The single "Can't Let Go" also enjoyed considerable crossover radio play. Williams toured with Bob Dylan and on her own in support of the album. An expanded edition of the album, including three additional studio recordings and a second CD documenting a 1998 concert, was released in 2006.

In 1999, Williams appeared on ''Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons'', duetting with David Crosby on the title track of the tribute album.

Williams followed up the success of ''Car Wheels'' with ''Essence'' (2001). This release featured a less produced, more down-tuned approach both musically and lyrically, and moved Williams further from the country music establishment while winning fans in the alternative music world. She won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "Get Right With God", an atypically uptempo gospel-rock tune from the otherwise rather low-key release. The title track includes a contribution on Hammond organ by alternative country musician Ryan Adams.

Her seventh album, ''World Without Tears'', was released in 2003. A musically adventurous though lyrically downbeat album, this release found Williams experimenting with talking blues stylings and electric blues.

Recent work

In 2006, Williams recorded a version of the John Hartford classic "Gentle On My Mind", which played over the closing credits of the Will Ferrell film ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''.

Williams was a guest vocalist on the song "Factory Girls" from Irish punk-folk band Flogging Molly's 2004 album, "Within a Mile of Home", and appeared on Elvis Costello's ''The Delivery Man''. She sings with folk legend Ramblin' Jack Elliott on the track "Careless Darling" from his 2006 release "I Stand Alone".

In 2007, Williams released ''West'', for which she wrote more than 27 songs. The album was released on February 13, 2007. It addresses her mother's death and a tumultuous relationship break-up. ''Vanity Fair'' praised it, saying "Lucinda Williams has made the record of a lifetime – part Hank Williams, part Bob Dylan, part Keith Richards circa ''Exile on Main St.'' ..."

In the fall of 2007, Williams announced a series of shows in Los Angeles and New York. Playing five nights in each city, she performed her entire catalog on consecutive nights. These albums include the self titled ''Lucinda Williams'', ''Sweet Old World'', ''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road'', ''Essence'', and ''World Without Tears''. Each night also featured a second set with special guest stars. Some of the many special guests included Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Mike Campbell, Greg Dulli, E, Ann Wilson, Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, David Johansen, Yo La Tengo, John Doe, Chuck Prophet, Jim Lauderdale and Shelby Lynne. In addition, each night's album set was recorded and made available to the attendees that night. These live recordings are currently available on her website and at her shows.

The next album from Lucinda Williams wrapped recording in March 2008. Titled ''Little Honey'', it was released on October 14 of that year. It includes 13 songs - among them, "Real Love" and "Little Rock Star," the latter inspired by music celebrities in the press, like Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse. "Little Honey" also includes a cover of AC/DC's "Long Way to the Top" and "Rarity," inspired by singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd.

In July 2008, though "Little Honey" had yet to be released, ''Paste'' magazine.com listened to an advance copy and rated the duet between Williams and Elvis Costello on the song "Jailhouse Tears" as the #5 all time greatest country/rock duets.

Williams released a cover of Shel Silverstein's famous song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" in June 2010 as part of the ''Twistable, Turnable Man'' tribute album.

Her 2008 concert appearance at the Catalyst, Santa Cruz, contained an announcement by the city's mayor that September 6 would henceforth be Lucinda Williams Day.

On March 1, 2011, Williams released a new album, ''Blessed''.

Engagement and Marriage

In 2006, Williams announced her engagement to former Universal Music Group/Fontana Distribution music executive Tom Overby. Although she first told reporters the marriage would take place that year, she still described Overby as her fiancé in 2008. Professionally, Overby became her manager in May 2007. Overby also co-produced ''Little Honey''.

On September 18, 2009, Williams performed at First Avenue in Minneapolis and married Overby on stage in front of her fans before her encore.

On September 19–20, 2010, Williams performed at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her father Miller Williams was in attendance and opened the September 19th show with remarks and poetry. The reason for the special shows, announced just days before, is unknown. The show dates do correspond to the one-year anniversary of her reported marriage.

David Lee Powell petition

Williams's website featured a petition by Amnesty International to stop the execution of David Lee Powell in Texas. Powell was convicted in 1978 for the shooting death of 26-year-old Austin police officer Ralph Ablanedo during a traffic stop. He was tried twice since the death penalty came in to effect and was sentenced to death both times, in 1991 and 1999. Powell was executed by lethal injection on June 15, 2010. Williams's website stated it was cruel and unusual punishment for Powell to serve a life sentence and be executed afterwards. She wrote a song in honor of Ablanedo and stated that the proceeds would be donated to Ablanedo's family.

Discography

Charted songs

! Year	! Song	! width="60"	! width="60"	! Album
2003	"Righteously"			''World Without Tears''
2008	"Real Love"			''Little Honey''

Albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions
		! width="45"	CAN Country	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
1979	''Ramblin'''
1980	''Happy Woman Blues''
1988
1992	''Sweet Old World''A
1998	''Car Wheels on a Gravel Road''
2001
2003	''World Without Tears''
2005	''Live @ The Fillmore''
2007
2008	''Little Honey''
2011

^A Reached position 25 on the Top Heatseekers chart.

DVD

2005 - ''Lucinda Williams - Live from Austin, TX''

11 Nov 2008 ''Lucinda Williams—Live From Austin TX ’89'': her 13 Oct 1989 appearance on ''Austin City Limits'' (65 minutes):

(all songs composed by Williams except as noted) 1. Big Red Sun Blues 2. Wild and Blue [John Sherrill] 3. Am I Too Blue 4. Crescent City 5. Nothing in Rambling [Memphis Minnie] 6. The Night's Too Long 7. Abandoned 8.I Just Want To See You So Bad 9. Side of the Road 10. Price to Pay 11. Disgusted [Lil' Son Jackson] 12. Something About What Happens When We Talk 13. Passionate Kisses 14. Changed the Locks 15. Happy Woman Blues

Guest appearances

1988 - Various Artists -- "Dark Side of Life" on ''A Town South of Bakersfield, Vols. 1 & 2''

1990 - Various Artists -- "Which Will" on ''True Voices''

1990 - The Band of Blacky Ranchette -- "Burning Desire" on ''Sage Advice''

1992 - David Rodriguez -- "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" on ''The True Cross''

1993 - Various Artists -- "Pancakes" on ''Born to Choose''

1993 - Various Artists -- "Main Road" on ''Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams''

1993 - Jimmie Dale Gilmore -- "Reunion" on ''Spinning Around the Sun''

1993 - Michael Fracasso -- "Door #1" on ''Love & Trust''

1994 - Various Artists -- "You Don't Have Very Far to Go" on ''Tulare Dust: A Songwriter's Tribute to Merle Haggard''

1994 - Various Artists -- "Positively 4th Street" on ''In Their Own Words, Vol. 1 - Live Performances from the Bottom Line, New York City''

1994 - Julian Dawson -- "How Can I Sleep Without You" on ''How Human Hearts Behave''

1994 - Lisa Mednick -- "A Different Sky" on ''Artifacts Of Love''

1995 - Terry Allen -- "Room to Room" and "Black to Black" from ''Human Remains''

1995 - Kieran Kane -- "This Dirty Little Town" on ''Dead Rekoning''

1995 - Chris Gaffney -- "Cowboys to Girls" on ''Loser's Paradise''

1996 - Various Artists -- "The Night's Too Long" on ''Lone Star: Original Soundtrack from the Film''

1996 - Steve Earle -- "You're Still Standing There" on ''I Feel Alright''

1997 - RB Morris -- "Glory Dreams" on ''Take That Ride''

1997 - Ray Wylie Hubbard -- "The Ballad of the Crimson Kings" on ''Dangerous Spirits''

1997 - Donnie Fritts -- "Breakfast in Bed" on ''Everybody's Got a Song''

1997 - Bo Ramsey -- "Desert Flower" on ''In the Weeds''

1998 - Hayseed -- "Precious Memories" and "Credo" on ''Melic''

1998 - Robbie Fulks -- "Pretty Little Poison" on ''Let's Kill Saturday Night''

1998 - Various Artists -- "Here in California" on ''Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf''

1998 - Nanci Griffith -- "Wings of a Dove" on ''Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)''

1998 - Various Artists -- "Come to Me Baby" on ''Wolf Tracks: A Tribute to Howlin' Wolf''

1999 - Leftover Salmon -- "Lines Around Your Eyes" on ''The Nashville Sessions''

1999 - Various Artists -- "Return of the Grievous Angel" with David Crosby on ''Return of the Grievous Angel: Tribute to Gram Parsons''

1999 - John Prine -- "Wedding Bells"/"Let's Turn Back The Years" on ''In Spite of Ourselves''

1999 - Little Milton -- "Love Hurts" on ''Welcome to Little Milton''

1999 - Evie Sands -- "Cool Blues Story" on ''Women in Prison''

1999 - Chip Taylor -- "Through Their Mother's Eyes" and "If I Don't Know Love" on ''Seven Days in May...a love story''

1999 - Bonepony -- "Sweet Bye and Bye" on ''Traveler's Companion''

2000 - Sue Foley -- "Empty Cup" (harmony vocals) on ''Love Comin' Down''

2000 - Kevin Gordon -- "Down to the Well'' on ''Down to the Well''

2000 - Chip Taylor -- "Head First", "Annie on Your Mind" and "The Ghost of Phil Sinclair" on ''The London Sessions Bootleg''

2001 - Kasey Chambers -- "On a Bad Day" on ''Barricades & Brickwalls''

2001 - Matthew Ryan -- "Devastation" on ''Concussion''

2001 - Various Artists -- "Cold, Cold Heart" on ''Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute''

2001 - Ralph Stanley and Friends -- "Farther Along" on ''Clinch Mountain Sweethearts''

2001 - Various Artists -- "Nothin'" on ''A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt''

2001 - Chip Taylor -- "Could I Live with This" and "The Ship" on ''Black and Blue America''

2001 - Various Artists -- "Angels Laid Him Away" on ''Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt''

2002 - Various Artists -- "Lately" on ''Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown''

2003 - Various Artists -- "Hang Down Your Head" on ''Crossing Jordan - Original Soundtrack''

2003 - Terri Binion -- "GayleAnne" (harmony vocal) on ''Fool''

2003 - Various Artists -- "Hard Times Killing Floor Blues" on ''Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Soul of a Man''

2003 - Colin Linden -- "Don't Tell Me" on ''Big Mouth''

2004 - Graham Parker -- ''Your Country''

2004 - Flogging Molly -- "Factory Girls" on ''Within a Mile of Home''

2004 - Elvis Costello -- "There's a Story in Your Voice" on ''The Delivery Man''

2004 - Willie Nelson -- "Overtime" on ''It Always Will Be''

2004 - Various Artists -- "Pyramid of Tears" on ''Por Vida - A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo''

2004 - Various Artists -- "Down to the Well" with Kevin Gordon on ''No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 1''

2004 - Tony Joe White -- "Closing In on the Fire" on ''The Heroines''

2005 - North Mississippi Allstars -- "Hurry Up Sunrise" on ''Electric Blue Watermelon''

2006 - Tim Easton -- "Back to the Pain" on ''Ammunition''

2006 - Ramblin' Jack Elliott -- "Careless Darling" on ''I Stand Alone''

2006 - P.F. Sloan -- "Sins of a Family" on ''Sailover''

2006 - John Brannen -- "A Cut So Deep" on ''Twilight Tattoo''

2006 - Anne McCue -- ''Koala Motel''

2006 - Various Artists -- "Bonnie Portmore" on ''Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys''

2006 - Doug Pettibone -- "Two of Us" and "She Belongs to Me" on ''The West Gate''

2007 - Various Artists -- "Honey Chile" on ''Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino''

2007 - John Platania -- "In Memory of Zapata" on ''Blues, Waltzes & Badland Borders''

2008 - Various Artists -- "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" on ''The Imus Ranch Record''

2008 - Carrie Rodriguez -- ''Mask Of Moses'' on "She Ain't Me"

2009 - Susan Marshall -- "Don't Let Me Down" on ''Little Red''

2009 - Various Artists -- "Positively 4th Street" on ''The Village: A Celebration Of The Music Of Greenwich Village''

2009 - M. Ward -- "Oh Lonesome Me" on ''Hold Time''

2010 - Various Artists -- "Kiss Like Your Kiss" w/ Elvis Costello on ''True Blood - Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 2 [Soundtrack]''

2010 - Various Artists -- "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" on ''Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein''

2010 - Ray Davies -- "Long Way From Home" on ''See My Friends (album)''

2010 - Jimmy Webb -- "Galveston" on ''Just Across The River''*2010 - Various Artists -- Performed on the song "Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)" from Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn (2010).

2011 - Over the Rhine (band) -- "Undamned" on ''The Long Surrender''

2011 - Michael Monroe -- "Gone, Baby Gone" on ''Sensory Overdrive''

2011 - Amos Lee -- "Clear Blue Eyes" on ''Mission Bell''

2011 - Blackie & The Rodeo Kings -- "If I Can't Have You" on ''Kings & Queens''

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the record industry. Williams has received three awards from 14 nominations.

|- | align="center"|1993 || Passionate Kisses (songwriter - performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter) || Best Country Song || |- | align="center" rowspan=2|1999 || "Can't Let Go" || Best Female Rock Vocal Performance || |- | Car Wheels on a Gravel Road || Best Contemporary Folk Album || |- | align="center" rowspan=4|2002 || "Essence" || Best Female Pop Vocal Performance || |- | "Get Right With God" || Best Female Rock Vocal Performance || |- | "Cold, Cold Heart" || Best Female Country Vocal Performance || |- | Essence || Best Contemporary Folk Album || |- | align="center"|2003 || "Lately" (from ''Going Driftless - An Artists' Tribute to Greg Brown'') || Best Female Country Vocal Performance || |- | align="center" rowspan=2|2004 || "Righteously" || Best Female Rock Vocal Performance || |- | World Without Tears ||Best Contemporary Folk Album || |- | align="center" rowspan=2|2008 || rowspan="2" | "Come On" || Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance || |- | Best Rock Song || |- | align="center"|2010 || Little Honey || Best Americana Album || |- |align="center"|2011 || "Kiss Like Your Kiss" (From ''True Blood'') || Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media ||

See also

Music of Austin

References

External links

Lucinda Williams official site

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:People from Lake Charles, Louisiana Category:American female singers Category:American country guitarists Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American alternative country singers Category:American female guitarists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Lost Highway Records artists

ca:Lucinda Williams da:Lucinda Williams de:Lucinda Williams es:Lucinda Williams fr:Lucinda Williams it:Lucinda Williams nl:Lucinda Williams no:Lucinda Williams nn:Lucinda Williams fi:Lucinda Williams sv:Lucinda Williams

:''For the TV channel see Psychic Television''

name	Psychic TV
background	group_or_band
alias	Psychic TV & Genesis P-Orridge, Psychick Television, Psychick TV, Deep Fry, ESsence, Griselda, Homeboy Posse, Jack The Tab, King Cut Groovers, The, King Tubby, Love In Life, M.E.S.H., Nobody Uninc, Over Thee Brink, Pearl Necklace, Safe, Too See Bee, White Dove, Wolves Of The Sun, Ecstacy Boys, PTV3
origin	London, England
genre	Experimental, psychedelic,post-punk, industrial, acid house, performance art
years active	1982–present
label	Temple Records, TVT Records
current members	Genesis Breyer P-Orridge
past members	Alex Fergusson, Paula P-Orridge, Fred Giannelli, Matthew Best, Craig Ellenwood, John Balance, Dave Ball, David Tibet, Douglas Rushkoff, Drew McDowell, Rose McDowell, Gini Ball, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Hugo Longden, John Gosling, Jordi Valls, Isaiah Singer, Larry Thrasher, Michael Campagna, Scott Breadman, Monte Cazazza, Mouse, Peter Christopherson, Philipp Erb, Richard Schiessl, Sean Maher, William Breeze, Billy Goodrum, Dave Martin,Chandra Shukla, Scott Nobody, Caresse P-Orridge, Genesse P-Orridge, Daniel Black, Max Prior, Julian Zanetti, Paula Whitewolf, Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge
contributing artists	Alex Fergusson, Paula P-Orridge, Fred Giannelli, Matthew Best, Alex Russell, Marc Almond, Andy Chatterley, Craig Ellenwood, Clean Sadness, Danny Hyde, John Balance, Dave Ball, David Tibet, Matthew Best, Douglas Rushkoff, Drew McDowell, Rose McDowell, Gini Ball, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Hugo Longden, John Gosling, Jordi Valls, Isaiah Singer, Ken Thomas, Larry Thrasher, Michael Campagna, Scott Breadman, Monte Cazazza, Mouse, Peter Christopherson, Philipp Erb, Richard Norris, Richard Schiessl, Sean Maher, William Breeze, Billy Goodrum, Dave Martin, Chandra Shukla, Scott Nobody, Conrad Black, Stephen Kent, Daniel Ash, Daniel Black, Max, Julian Zanetti, Paula Whitewolf, "Gamal", Z'EV, Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge
notable instruments	}}

Psychic TV (sometimes spelled Psychick TV) or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music. The band was formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and video director Peter Christopherson (after the breakup of Throbbing Gristle) with Alex Fergusson, musician and producer (a key member of Alternative TV for whom P-Orridge had played percussion).

The band began publishing a monthly series of 23 live albums in 1986, but stopped without explanation after only 17. The tenth, a picture disk most commonly referred to as ''Album 10'', could only be obtained by submitting tokens contained in each of the previous nine releases. The band subsequently earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for most records released in one year.

Contributors to Psychic TV have included artists such as Coil, Current 93, Hafler Trio, The Cult, White Stains, Soft Cell, Fred Giannelli, XKP, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Matthew Best, Daniel Simon Black, Bill Breeze, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Derek Jarman, John Gosling, Timothy Leary, Rose McDowall, Stephen Kent, Vagina Dentata Organ, Andrew Weatherall, Larry Thrasher, Z'EV, Zef Noi$e, and many others.

Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (aka T.O.P.Y.), was formed as an organisation at the same time as the band. T.O.P.Y. was intended to be the philosophical wing of Psychic TV, but also presented an image of being a cult-like fanclub for the group. P-Orridge left it in 1991.

Psychic TV released early albums of acid house music in (1988) as fake compilations, such as ''Jack The Tab'' and ''Tekno Acid Beat''. After breaking up in 1999, Psychic TV reformed as PTV3 with a new line-up in 2003.

History of the band

Since Genesis P-Orridge primarily wrote the lyrics instead of the music, he would assemble different groups of musicians together to create the music. This accounts for the changing musical nature of PTV. Thus the history of Psychic TV can be broken up into the periods of the main songwriter that was working with him at the time.

1981-1987: Alexander Fergusson period

Psychic TV was formed with the core membership of Genesis P-Orridge and Alex Fergusson in 1981. Alexander Fergusson was a member of the punk outfit Alternative TV, upon whose 1978 album ''Vibing Up The Senile Man (Part One)'' had played percussion, and contributed the latter half of the name Psychic TV . Peter Christopherson got involved in 1982 and claimed that the 'TV' component of the name was intended to focus on the visual elements of the outfit.

P-Orridge once claimed that "Psychic TV is a video group who does music unlike a music group which makes music videos". Similarities can be seen in the artwork for Alternative TV and early Psychic TV releases, with a recurring pastiche on the 'as seen on TV' marketing style.

In the earliest live performances, Psychic TV maintained much of the noisy atmosphere as P-Orridge's previous band, Throbbing Gristle, although now with an increased use of exotic acoustic drums and other instruments. Psychic TV were signed to WEA Records and subsequently CBS based on the infamy of Throbbing Gristle.

Their first albums ''Force The Hand Of Chance'' and ''Dreams Less Sweet'' featured high production values, catchy pop songs written by Fergusson (with barbershop quartet vocals arranged by Andrew Pearson), and sound experiments primarily created by Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton, a.k.a. John Balance - foreshadowing the pair's later work as Coil. Marc Almond was also involved.

The live shows continued to bear improvised noise elements until Peter Christopherson left the group and Fergusson implemented musicians capable of improvisational pop music, known as hyperdelic, such as that featured on the singles ''Godstar'' and ''Roman P''. This led to an intended series of 23 live show recordings being released, which dominated most of Psychic TV's output until 1988. In the event only 17 were released. Towards the end of this period Fergusson/P-Orridge completed their third proper studio album ''Allegory and Self: Thee Starlit Mire''. It was at this point that P-Orridge became interested in acid house and techno. Alex Fergusson left and was replaced with techno artist Fred Giannelli.

1988-1992: Fred Giannelli period

During this period Fred Giannelli, Dave Ball from Soft Cell, Richard Norris who later formed the Grid with Dave Ball, John Gosling, engineer Richard Evans and other techno artists released music not only as Psychic TV, but also a variety of 'fake' names. The idea behind this was to release 'compilations' of these imaginary artists, creating a sense that a healthy acid house scene existed in the UK. The key studio albums of this period were ''Jack The Tab'', ''Tekno Acid Beat'', ''Towards Thee Infinite Beat'' and ''Beyond Thee Infinite Beat'' (2x12" remixes which could be played at 33 or 45 rpm), as almost all of the live shows in this period were based around the songs on these albums. From '88-90 PTV was very stable as a live unit and did more gigs and touring than any other version of PTV before or after. A long tour of the USA and UK in 1988, Europe in 1989 and another long tour of the USA in 1990.

In 1990, Psychic TV released the song "I.C. Water" as a 7" and 12" single on the 10 year anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis. The sleeve was a hand drawn image of Ian Curtis derived from a famous photograph. The song was from the album "Towards Thee Infinite Beat".

In the early 1990s, Vice-President of Elektra Records, Howard Thompson took an interest in signing Psychic TV. He explained that he was going to take a one year sabbatical from the music industry and he had been asked to run a major independent record label and he wanted to sign Psychic TV to that label. The label was in fact, Herb Alpert's and Jerry Moss's new imprint Almo Sounds, after the sale of A & M Records. Studio time was booked and Genesis P-Orridge, Fred Giannelli and Matthew Best went in to Brilliant Studios in San Francisco to record demos. Four tracks were recorded and rough mixes delivered and were rejected by Almo Sounds. The songs were entitled: "Snowflake", "Intoxication", "E-Lusive" and "Avatar".

1992-1993: Exile

P-Orridge claimed initially that he was deported, although later admitted that he decided not to return to England from Kathmandu, where he and his family had been on holiday after selling an Austin Osman Spare painting to Chris Stein from Blondie for $10,000 US dollars which financed the trip. They also spent some time with Tibetan refugees, and instead of returning to the UK chose to go into "self-imposed exile". This was after a video he had created was falsely presented as evidence of Satanic ritual abuse in an edition of Channel 4 TV's ''Dispatches''. The programme was later discredited, though not before his house was raided by the police and the allegations had been repeated in the tabloid press. He said that he felt he would not get a fair hearing if he returned to England, so the family moved to California.

Shortly after moving to the US, P-Orridge underwent a divorce which traumatized him immensely. Most of the output during this period was made up of re-releases of earlier albums, especially by industrial music record labels who released the albums as a "paying of respects" to the founder of industrial music.

1993-1999: Larry Thrasher period

In 1992 Kim Cascone (founder of Silent Records) introduced P-Orridge to Larry Thrasher, co-founder of the mid 80's San Francisco experimental noise band Thessalonians. This began a new period with Psychic TV returning to its psychedelic pop roots with Thrasher co-producing and co-writing the critically acclaimed ''Trip/Reset'' as well as the album "Cold Blue Torch" and new experimental explorations which centered around the spoken word poetry of P-orridge in releases like "Thee Fractured Garden" and "Breathe". "Thee Fractured Garden" was a seminal example of this period where Psychic TV blended ambient music, samples and sound collages with spoken word. This eventually led P-Orridge and Thrasher to the create several offshoot groups Splinter Test and later Thee Majesty, which focused on the spoken word and sonic experiments.

Other notable releases upon which P-Orridge collaborated with Thrasher were the Electric Newspapers, a series of open source sample releases that blurred the sampling CD concept with a stream of consciousness listening experience. Material from the Electric Newspaper series of releases (there are six in total, but only four have been released) is mostly taken from the CDs PTV released with Thrasher along with contributors such as Skinny Puppy and other notable musical allies of this time.

The original motivation for the Electric Newspaper series was to ensure that the PTV sample files were archived after the loss of the entire PTV sampling library in the dramatic five alarm fire at the Houdini Mansion on Laurel Canyon in Hollywood. This fire, which burned down the mansion, left P-Orridge in the intensive care unit at Cedar Sinai hospital with life-threatening injuries after he (along with members of the band Love and Rockets ) jumped from their bedroom windows to escape the flames. Results of this event sent P-Orridge on a two-year health sabbatical to recover, during which he was involved in a million dollar lawsuit against Rick Rubin, who owned the Houdini Mansion. P-Orridge won the case, but was left with a metal plate and eight screws in his permanently disabled and reconstructed arm.

In 1998 P-Orridge announced that he primarily wanted to move into spoken word, which is when Campagna left the band to pursue his own projects, and turned to focus on Thee Majesty with musical lineup of Larry Thrasher and Bryin Dall. Thee Majesty continues to perform to large halls and galleries in Europe playing improvised sound sculpture to mostly improvised spoken word and they released a CD called "Time's Up" up 1999.

In 2005, the Voiceprint record label in England re-released several older Psychic TV and Genesis P-Orridge albums under the name Thee Majesty, and also a new album recorded with the band Cotton Ferox. Also, a 2005 release "Mary Never Wanted Jesus" credited to Genesis P-Orridge & Thee Majesty featured archive PTV material alongside new Thee Majesty recordings. PTV, as a rock entity, had a "final show" in 1999 at The Royal Festival Hall in London. This show also marked the end of P-Orridge's exile from the UK.

2003-present: PTV3, Eddie O'Dowd Period

With encouragement from drummer Eddie O'Dowd (Toilet Boys), Genesis reformed Psychic TV with an all new lineup, returning to the stage in 2003 with a concert in New York under the guise of PTV3. The concert featured video projections by Sam Zimmerman (Crash Worship). In September 2004, an extensive tour of Europe (covering 16 countries) and North America was launched. 2005 saw the band return to the studio, recording their first album in over 10 years (P-Orridge also spent 2005 working with Throbbing Gristle on their first album in over 25 years). Additionally, a few more dates were performed in Europe throughout the year. In January 2006, the new PTV album was announced by P-Orridge on his website. ''Hell is Invisible...Heaven is Her/E'', the album, was recorded in New York and features Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers) guesting on some tracks. P-Orridge describes it as "''The Dark Side of the Moon'' for the 21st century". Released in 2007 (Northern Hemisphere). In February 2007 Side-Line announced the news that the Fee Lee record label released a Psychic TV live album, "Live in Russia".

Concerts in 2006 included Sheffield, Birmingham and London, UK, as well as Brussels, Amsterdam and Moscow.

The 2006 line up:

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge – Vocals / Noise bass

Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge - Samples

Eddie O'Dowd aka. Morrison Edley (Toilet Boys) – Drums

Alice Genese (Candy Ass / Pretty Boys) – Bass

David Max (HIT) – Guitars.

Markus Aurelius Cirkus Maximus Dangerous Fabulous Persson – Keyboards

Zef Noi$e – Electric Violin

The 2006 shows included an 'all new video light show' by Sterile Cowboys & Co. (a.k.a. Nicolas Jenkins) – three screens of heavily overlaid video with the middle screen overlaid by yet another layer of "analog" projections including moiréd overlays and liquid/oil effects performed by "something human" aka Caleigh Fisher a friend from the TOPY years. Videos from the upcoming album and DVDs were previewed as works in process. Much of the video work revolves around Breyer P-Orridges exploration of the 'pandrogyne'.

In 2007 Psychic TV played at the ZXZW festival.

Lady Jaye died suddenly on Tuesday 9 October 2007 at home in Brooklyn, New York from a previously undiagnosed heart condition which is thought to have been connected with her long-term battle with stomach cancer. Lady Jaye collapsed and died in the arms of her heartbroken love Genesis Breyer P-Orridge.

Psychic TV's current incarnation, PTV3, has recently released the new CD/DVD set, Mr. Alien Brain vs. The Skinwalkers. The album, which was released on December 9, 2008, was the first full length release since the death of Genesis' "other half," Jaye Breyer (best known as Lady Jaye), due to heart failure. The two had previously embarked on a years-long pursuit of pandrogyny, undergoing painful plastic surgery procedures in order to become gender-neutral human beings that looked like each other.

Psychic TV on the radio

P-Orridge and Mo Edley performed a DJ set and were interviewed on New York's station WNYU on Tuesday September 5, 2006. PTV3 performed several songs on WFMU in Jersey City on Thursday September 7. The band were interviewed as well. This was the first time ever Psychic TV had played live on air.

To inaugurate the release of HELL IS INVISIBLE...HEAVEN IS HER/E, PTV3 hosted a five night residency in September 2006 at Galapagos Art Space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, USA, followed by the above mentioned tour.

Psychic TV live

Psychic TV have performed countless times in their live career with an ever-changing and eclectic selection of musicians. Live releases account for about half of Psychic TV's discography and with one series of live releases they released fourteen live albums in eighteen months, enough to earn them a record in the Guinness Book of World Records.

On November 4, 2009 Genesis P-Orridge announced via his website, "Genesis Breyer P-Orridge is retiring from touring in any and all bands including TG to concentrate on art, writing and music."

Discography

See also

Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth

Thee Majesty

Splinter Test

Throbbing Gristle

Coil

References

Discogs page:

External links

Genesis P-orridge.com

Psychic TV History

Master Musicians of Jajouka

Alex Fergusson

Official Psychic TV myspace

Freenoise – Promoter

Fred Giannelli

Fred Giannelli

Category:TVT Records artists Category:British rock music groups Category:British electronic music groups Category:British house music groups Category:British techno music groups Category:Acid house groups Category:British industrial music groups Category:British experimental musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1982

de:Psychic TV es:Psychic TV fr:Psychic TV it:Psychic TV ja:サイキックTV ru:Psychic TV sl:Psychic TV sv:Psychic TV