Preview
  • Whitney Houston!

  • The Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall of the Woman Whose Voice Inspired a Generation
  • By: Mark Bego
  • Narrated by: Alex Barrett
  • Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (23 ratings)

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Whitney Houston!

By: Mark Bego
Narrated by: Alex Barrett
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Publisher's summary

The definitive biography of an American music legend.

Whitney Houston (1963-2012) was a superstar. Few in the world of show business reach the career heights that she attained with what seemed such ease. Her megastardom peaked in 1992 with the release of the hit movie The Bodyguard and the international number-one hit "I Will Always Love You". The movie soundtrack still stands as one of the best-selling albums of all time. She won six Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, thirty Billboard Music Awards, and twenty-two American Music Awards, and amassed a vast fortune. Her death has shocked the entertainment world and her fans.

Whitney Houston! traces the life of this American icon. Here is her childhood in Newark, New Jersey, growing up in a family with a strong musical legacy. Her mother, Cissy, sang professionally with such stars as Aretha Franklin. Her cousin was Dionne Warwick. Share the joy as Whitney signs with Arista Records and the legendary Clive Davis and becomes an international star. Here superstar biographer Mark Bego offers a unique look at her family and immense talent, the secrets behind her years of erratic behavior, the truth about her tumultuous marriage to bad boy Bobby Brown, her mother’s desperate attempt to control her, her dynamic final film role in Sparkle (which will be released posthumously), and the events that led up to her tragic death.

Whitney Houston! will stand as a singular tribute to, and a revealing look at, one of the great superstars of our time.

©2012 Mark Bego (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

Whitney Houston reached the highest levels of fame thanks to her ambition, her remarkable voice, and her incomparable performances. For Mark Bego this begs the question: "Didn’t she have it all?" But for all her accomplishments she was a complex and troubled person.

Alex Barett’s soft, well-tempered, and slightly throaty voice is perfectly suited to this singer’s affecting story. Houston’s work is a vital part of the popular music cannon and Barrett's delivery pays testament to that fact. This audiobook takes a look at Houston's often triumphant and frequently sorrowful life, which will be of interest to any fan of Whitney, music history, or modern celebrity.

What listeners say about Whitney Houston!

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Mark Bego. You really done Your homework.

Wow, what in-depth look at the life of the World's beloved Icon Whitney Houston. Know matter is said about her will never take away from that fact.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Disappointed in narrator

The narrator mispronounced names like Arista and totally butchered Leslie Uggam's name. Obviously she didn't know much about music or the entertainment industry.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fan

I got a lot out this bio it spoke the truth. But so hard to believe that the drugs was the way she medicate her self.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

God's gift to us

whitney was definitely a lady who will forever be an influence to those in the music business and those of us in the everyday life struggles. what a woman

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Tabloid Sources?

Would you ever listen to anything by Mark Bego again?

No

Any additional comments?

Are you kidding a big percentage of his informational sources were The Globe and The National Enquirer. What a wasted credit ... Falls short, very little of the book covers the time immediately leading to her death (less then 15 min of a 7 hr book) ... Falls short and written in a very mean sprit.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Based on tabloids, reads like a tabloid.

What would have made Whitney Houston! better?

The sources are mainly unnamed. The bulk of the time is spent repeating critic reviews on Houston's performances; without them, this audiobook would probably last two hours at best. And the narrator is fairly boring.

What could Mark Bego have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It would depend on the subject of his work.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Alex Barrett?

I don't know; just anybody but Alex. Maybe she just wasn't that into the book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

If anything, it shows in detail what Whitney Houston had to deal with for years, from her own issues, those close to her, Bobby Brown, and obviously, critics with an axe to grind... such as this writer's book.

Any additional comments?

There had already been a review on this book, and the reviewer summed it up. I should have taken heed. If you love the Enquirer, Globe, or E!, here's a book for you.

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2 people found this helpful