Whitney Houston is a powerhouse vocalist who shines all on her own, but even she was known to share the spotlight with her fellow singers every now and again. Throughout her illustrious career, Houston went toe to toe with the likes of Mariah Carey, gospel greats BeBe and Cece Winans and more. Daring to cross genres, Houston proved to be a natural no matter who she was singing with. Check out five of the icon’s best duets below.
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[RELATED: 10 Iconic Moments From Whitney Houston’s Career]
1. “When You Believe” by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston
When you get two divas together, there’s no telling what heights they can reach with their voices. This is true for Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, who teamed up in 1998 to sing “When You Believe” for the animated film, The Prince of Egypt. Written and composed by Stephen Schwartz, the power ballad allows both powerhouse singers’ voices to soar as the end credits roll. “When You Believe” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999.
2. “Heartbreak Hotel” by Whitney Houston ft. Faith Evans and Kelly Price
Houston brought all the girl power when she teamed up with R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price on this smooth jam off Houston’s 1998 album, My Love is Your Love. Though her voice is known for its glass-shattering capabilities, Houston showed restraint on “Heartbreak Hotel,” allowing Evans and Price’s voices to shine alongside her own. The Grammy-nominated track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
3. “Could I Have This Kiss Forever” by Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias struck gold when he got the legendary Houston as a duet partner on his debut self-titled album. “Could I Have This Kiss Forever” was written by songwriting maestro Diane Warren and brought to life by Houston and Iglesias’ distinct voices. The Latin-infused melody and singers’ intoxicating voices, matched with such romantic lyrics as, Over and over/I look in your eyes/You are all I desire/You have captured me/I want to hold you, I want to be close to you/I never want to let go, makes for a standout duet in both their catalogs and for a memorable duet.
4. “Hold Up the Light” by BeBe & CeCe Winans
Whitney Houston went back to her gospel roots when she collaborated with gospel brother-sister duo BeBe & CeCe Winans on “Hold Up the Light” featured on the Winans’ 1988 album, Heaven. Their three voices together are out of this world on the uplifting song that features such lyrics as, Hold up the light/Save the world from darkness/Hold up the light/Won’t you please America. The three singers deliver this anthemic song with passion, making for one of Houston’s best duets. The superstar also provided background vocals on “Celebrate New Life,” another track on Heaven.
5. “It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be” by Aretha Franklin
Seeing as they are two of the greatest voices of all time, it was only a matter of time before Aretha Franklin and Houston joined forces. That finally happened in 1989 with “It Isn’t, It Wasn’t, It Ain’t Never Gonna Be.” The disco-esque song is an ’80s jam about two women battling over the heart of the same man. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns
