Whitney's Rendition Of 'Star-Spangled Banner Is Hottest-Selling Single In Nation

Jet, Oct 29, 2001

Superstar singer Whitney Houston can make a hit record even when she's not in the studio. Her unforgettable 1991 version of The Star-Spangled Banner, which was recently re-released, was the biggest-selling single in the country, according to Sound-scan, at JET press time.

Arista Records reissued Houston's soaring rendition of the song following the terrorist attacks on America on Sept. 11 (JET, Oct. 8).

Houston, her Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, Inc., and Arista will donate proceeds from the sale of the commercial single CD to the New York Firefighters Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police.

"This anthem has always been the musical symbol for the United States of America," Houston said in a statement. "I am proud to be able to participate in this way."

The CD, which couples the national anthem with her version of America the Beautiful, has already raised more than $1 million dollars and has been certified platinum.

Houston first recorded the song during her Super Bowl XXV performance on Jan. 27, 1991. The song ended up becoming a unifying song for Americans during the Gulf War.