His Florida Atlantic University students may call him professor, but the music industry knows Michael Zager as a platinum-record producing Hall of Famer.

In the 1970’s, it was Zager who took a chance on a 14-year-old girl named Whitney Houston.

He was in New York at the time producing music with the Michael Zager Band and working with Whitney’s mom, Cissy.

Zager said one day Cissy told him a back-up singer couldn’t make the taping and suggested that her daughter fill-in.

Whitney was still wearing her school uniform. Shy and sweet, Zager decided to see what she can do.

Her voice blew him away. It wasn’t long before Zager decided to give the teenager the lead female vocal on a singled called, “Life’s a Party”.

LISTEN: "Life's a Party"