Save All Your Love For Our Whitney Houston Quiz

The U.S. was just 10 days into the Persian Gulf War when Houston stepped onto the field in Tampa on Jan. 27, 1991, to perform the national anthem before Super Bowl XXV. While it was later revealed to have been taped in advance (a standard precaution for high-profile events), her flawless vocals — recorded in one take — electrified the 74,000 fans in attendance and the millions watching on TV. And we’re still talking about it. On the 30th anniversary of that iconic performance in 2021,  Esquire noted that “coming up with a worthy contender to topple Houston’s cover is nearly impossible” and “her influence finds new life in every soulful interpretation of ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’ ”

Houston starred in The Bodyguard as an actor and pop singer whose manager responds to a stalker’s death threats by hiring a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner, 70) to serve as her bodyguard. The romantic action thriller grossed $121.9 million in the U.S. and made Houston a bankable Hollywood star.

In 2002, Saddam Hussein was up for “election” for another term as president of Iraq. Despite running unopposed and garnering 100 percent of the vote, Hussein conducted an elaborate PR campaign that included Syrian pop star Mayyada Bselees’ version of "I Will Always Love You," Houston’s mega-hit from  The Bodyguard soundtrack that spent 14 weeks at #1 on the  Billboard Hot 100. (Country superstar Dolly Parton, 79, wrote and recorded the original version of the song way back in 1973.)

Houston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her portrayal of Savannah “Vannah” Jackson, a TV producer who is involved in a long-term affair with a married man, in  Waiting to Exhale. She also sang on three songs on the soundtrack, including the No. 1 hit “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).”

Houston played the titular role in The Preacher’s Wife, which also starred Denzel Washington, 70, and Courtney B. Vance, 64. Additionally, she performed all the songs on the gospel-themed soundtrack, which sold more than 6 million copies.