Whitney Houston Becomes The First Black Artist To Have Three Diamond-Certified Albums

The late Whitney Houston has engraved her name in history books by becoming the first Black artist to earn three diamond-certified albums.

Houston’s second studio album, entitled “Whitney,” has reached the diamond status recently, per the Associated Press. It means that the album, which was released in 1987, has sold 10 million copies in the United States, making Houston the first Black artist to have three Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) diamond certifications.

The “I Will Always Love You” hitmaker’s debut album, entitled “Whitney Houston,” was the first album to receive the diamond status as it sold more than 13 million units in the U.S. while the 1992 “The Bodyguard” soundtrack sold 18 million units in the country.

The record for having the most number of diamond-certified albums belongs to country singer Garth Brooks. He has nine albums with diamond certification. Other artists to have three or more diamond albums include The Beatles, Shania Twain, Led Zeppelin, and The Eagles.

“Whitney” is considered to be one of the most successful albums of all time as produced five Top 10 singles, per Billboard. Songs like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” went on to claim the number one position on the Billboard charts. In the process, Houston became the first female musician ever to earn four consecutive number 1 tracks on Billboard Hot 100.

Michael Jackson, 2Pac, and Mariah Carey are the only three Black artists to have more than one diamond-certified albums.

Houston won eight Grammys during her illustrious career, including two Grammy Hall of Fame awards. The musician, whose hits included “The Greatest Love of All,” died in 2012. According to the coroner’s report, Houston died of coronary heart disease. Traces of cocaine and other illegal drugs were also found in her body.

On the other hand, it was recently reported that a new biopic on the life of the legendary musician is in the works.

The biopic, entitled “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” will be directed by Stella Meghie. Meghie is known for directing the critically-acclaimed movie “The Photographer” and multiple episodes of HBO’s blockbuster hit series “Insecure.”

Houston will also be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later this year. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Nov. 7.