Whitney Houston was blessed with an astonishing vocal range and extraordinary technical skill, but what truly made her a great singer was her ability to connect with a song and drive home its drama and emotion with incredible precision.

Two days before her death on February 9, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica with Clive Davis during their rehearsals for the music executive's party on February 11. Later that day, Houston made her last public performance singing "Jesus Loves Me" on stage with Kelly Price in Hollywood at a pre-Grammys party.

Best live performances of all time

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Her ability to connect with audiences set dozens of industry records. She was the first artist to have seven consecutive #1 hits and the first woman to enter the Billboard 200 at #1 with her album, Whitney. She earned the longest reigning #1 single on the Hot 100 with “I Will Always Love You.”

Houston influenced many singers in popular music, and was known for her powerful, soulful vocals, vocal improvisation skills, and use of gospel singing techniques in pop music. She had 11 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the chart.

But obviously, we now know that clearly she was not [sober].” Later that night, Houston gave an impromptu performance of “Jesus Loves Me” at Kelly Price's For the Love of R&B pre-Grammy event held at Tru Hollywood nightclub. It would turn out to be the last time she ever sang in public.

Whitney Houston holds the Guinness World Record as the most awarded female artist of all time, with more than 400 career awards.

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Last weekend we asked our readers to vote for their favorite live acts of all time.
2. The Rolling Stones.
3. The Who.
4. Pink Floyd.
5. Led Zeppelin.
6. U2.
7. Queen.
8. Pearl Jam.

Live performance may refer to: A play (theatre) or musical. A concert, a live performance (typically of music) before an audience. A concert performance of opera or musical theatre without theatrical staging.

The 200 greatest singers of all time according to Rolling Stone as of January 2023

Most-followed artists American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande is the most-followed female artist on Spotify. As of October 2023, English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is the most-followed artist on Spotify, while American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande is the most-followed female artist.