This is a difficult question to answer, if you are asking about her entire life: she began singing in church when she was a child, and also sang with her mother, a well-respected gospel vocalist. We may assume she knew how to sing many songs, having grown up around music throughout her childhood and youth.
But if you are talking about her professional career, from 1985 through 2009, she released ten albums that charted on the Billboard Magazine top 100. One of those albums, the soundtrack from "The Bodyguard," won a Grammy award. And after she died in 2012, her greatest hits album was reissued and became a big seller all over again.
As for songs she sang before getting signed to a contract as a solo artist, we do know that in 1979, while still in high school, she sang backing vocals for "Life's A Party" by the Michael Zager Band. In 1983, she also sang on the Teddy Pendergrass single "Hold Me," which reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1984. Whitney's own recordings, under her own name, were first issued after she was signed to Arista Records. Her first hit single was "You Give Good Love" (1985). From that time through the end of 2009, she had more than forty songs that charted in the top 100, including several collaborations with other artists (Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Faith Evans & Kelly Price). This total does not include songs she knew how to sing or sang live in concert but did not record, or songs she recorded that did not chart. But it would be safe to say she had hundreds of songs in her repertoire.
Taylor Swift can sing 1-1.5 octaves.
She has less than average singing capability (2.5), so Swift is often seen going off key during live performances.
sing
Whitney Houston first started singing in a gospel choir at age 11
"The Star Bangled Banner"
whitney houston
luther van dross
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Whitney Houston first started singing in a gospel choir at age 11
Whitney Houston & Miriah Carey
She sang a medley of Whitney's songs as a tribute.
"The Star Bangled Banner"
whitney houston
"I'm Every Woman" by Whitney Houston :)