Whitney Houston’s Birthday: 10 Facts About the Late Songstress

Last year, the iconic Whitney Houston unexpectedly passed way at the age of 48. Her death on the eve of the Grammys was a shock to the music world that the "I Will Always Love You" singer once reigned over as queen of pop. Though plagued over the years by drug use and drama from her marriage to Bobby Brown, her majestic voice will always mark her as a regal figure within the music world.

On what would've been her 49th birthday (Aug. 9), The BoomBox celebrates all things Whitney by featuring 10 little known facts about the singing diva. Who knew we had Kevin Costner to thank for the use of "I Will Always Love You" in "The Bodyguard"?

1. Of all the artists to blow up on the Billboard charts, Whitney Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Top 100 Singles.

2. Before she started her career as a singer and actress, she was a teen model. Houston was one of the first African-Americans to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine at the tender age of 17.

3. The singer's tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown constantly put them in the spotlight for less than favorable reasons. However, looking back at their wedding reveals an over-the-top event to rival those of today. Whitney's favorite color was purple so the entire bridal party wore attire in the hue. Groomsmen even wore purple tuxedos with matching custom-made alligator dress shoes.

4. Just like anyone else, she had her particular preferences. Her favorite actress was Jessica Lange and her favorite cereal was the sugary sweet Fruity Pebbles.

5. Supposedly Robert DeNiro had a major crush on the lovely Ms. Houston in the late '80s. "She's the sexiest woman I have ever seen. She is gorgeous. I want her by my side," he is rumored to have said. If only Whitney had chosen Robert over Bobby.

6. She shares a birthday with three famous people: NBA star Derek Fisher, actor Sam Elliott, and "Working Girl" star Melanie Griffith.

7. Whitney Houston was the definition of a triple threat. She's in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only artist with at least one Grammy, Emmy, MTV Video Music Award, MTV Movie Award, People's Choice Award and Billboard Music Award. This makes her officially the "The Most Awarded Female Artist of All Time."

8. Although offered a role on "The Cosby Show" playing Sondra Huxtable, the "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" singer turned it down. She told director Jay Sandrich she needed to be free to tour, even though she didn't have a record deal yet.

9. The movie star wasn't set to sing "I Will Always Love You" as the closing song for "The Bodyguard." The tune that was supposed to be used was a cover of "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted" but when her co-star Kevin Costner found out that song was being used in the film "Fried Green Tomatoes," he searched for the Dolly Parton original for Houston to sing. It was also his idea for Whitney to perform it a cappella.

10. In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston was asked to look 10 years into the future and paint a picture of what her perfect life would be. In Whitney's words, if she was alive today, she would be "retired, siitting, looking at my daughter grow up, become a great woman of God, grandchildren."