What was the name of Whitney Houston's first national television appearance in 1983?

Whitney Houston’s first national television appearance in 1983 was on The Merv Griffin Show. She appeared on the program on June 23, 1983, at age 19, shortly after signing with Arista Records.

Arista founder Clive Davis helped introduce Houston to the national audience. During the appearance, she performed “Home” from The Wiz and joined her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, for a medley that included soul standards such as “Ain’t No Way” and “You Send Me.” Host Merv Griffin famously predicted that viewers would remember her name.

This appearance is sometimes confused with later performances on Soul Train or other major music programs, but those were not her first national television exposure. The Merv Griffin Show came before Houston’s debut album and before her breakthrough singles, making it an important early milestone in the career that soon turned her into an international pop and R&B star.