Whitney Houston 2, 2003), and gospel singer Emily "Cissy" (Drinkard) Houston. Her elder brother Michael is a singer, and her elder half-brother is former basketball player Gary Garland. Her parents were both African American. Through her mother, Houston was a first cousin of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. Her godmother was Darlene Love and her honorary aunt was Aretha Franklin, whom she met at age 8 or 9 when her mother took her to a recording studio. Houston was raised a Baptist, but was also exposed to the Pentecostal church. After the 1967 Newark riots, the family moved to a
Whitney Houston Wife" (1996). The theme song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" became her eleventh and final number-one single on the Hot 100 chart, while "The Preacher Wife's" soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history. Following the critical and commercial success of "My Love Is Your Love" (1998), Houston signed a $100 million contract with Arista Records. However, her personal struggles began overshadowing her career, and her album "Just Whitney" (2002) became a commercial disappointment. Her drug use and tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown were widely publicized in media. After a six-year break, Houston returned to the top of the "Billboard" 200 chart