.. By the end of 1987, the album had sold over 13million copies. But a lot had happened in the meantime... Whitney did her first national "warm-up" tour in the summer of 1985, performing as an opening act in support of headliner Jeffrey Osborne. She got plenty of exposure and the critics were learning to love her. Cashbox magazine said, 'Her poise and confidence on stage are readily apparent.' Her talent, though still raw captivated her audience. And many concert-goers only bought the album after they had seen Whitney perform in person..