Whitney Houston was a fashion model before becoming a singer.  While Whitney was developing her vocal talents, her extraordinary looks made her a sought-after fashion model, with covers and photo spreads in such publications as Galmour, Seventeen, Young Miss and Cosmopolitan. Whitney described her modeling image back in 1984 as “young, kind of innocent, but sexy”. Whitney was even in a print champagne for the cosmetic firm Revlon, Max Factor makeup and Scope toothpaste. Further she could be seen in a TV commercial for Canada Dry. She sung  jingles for Steak & Ale restaurants.

Whitney in her own words about  becoming a model: “My mother and I were in the Carnegie Hall building. A man walked over to me – he looked like a photographer, he had a camera on. He said ‘You should go to the new modeling agency upstairs. They are looking for young ladies just like you.’ I said, ‘Yeah, right.’ But my mother said, ‘Well hey, let’s go. If it’s not legit, I’ll know it.’ We went, it was legit, and they signed me. It was just like, okay, why not? The money is good.”

So Whitney was signed to the small model agency Click in 1980. The owner of the Agency, Frances Gill, has also confirmed Whitney’s story. Later Whitney was signed with Wilhelmina Models in New York.