Grammy Museum opens Whitney Houston exhibit in her hometown

A new exhibition honoring the life and work of Whitney Houston has opened at the Grammy Museum at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the R&B star’s hometown.

Curated by the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in cooperation with the Houston estate, the show, “Whitney!,” features personal artifacts, photographs and footage provided by the singer’s family.

Items on view include dazzling outfits Houston wore over the years, her own faded bible and several awards. A wall of magazine pages showcases her early modeling career, while videos take visitors back to her momentous performances.

The exhibition opened on Oct. 19, the anniversary of the opening of the Grammy Museum’s East Coast location. It will be on view until June 30, 2019.

“Whitney Houston’s dynamic and illustrious career remains one of the most decorated in music history and her connection and impact on the city of Newark will forever be celebrated,” said Hugh Weber, president of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Prudential Center.

Other shows on view at the museum spotlight Wyclef Jean, Taylor Swift and groundbreaking artists who put the Garden State on the map.

Houston’s career took off after the release of her self-titled debut album in 1985, which featured hits like “Saving All My Love for You” and “Greatest Love of All.” Her soaring vocals would soon dominate the airwaves.

In 1992, she landed her most memorable film role, opposite Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard.” In 2006, Houston won the Guinness World Record for most consecutive No. 1 singles in the United States. The accolade came as the superstar struggled with cocaine use and an abusive marriage.

Houston died after accidentally drowning in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2012. Her only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown, died in July 2015.