As America lays their fallen songbird to rest, let’s take a look at five aspects of Whitney Houston’s life that never really hit the headlines:

She wanted to be a model before she was a musician

As a willowy teenager, Houston was one of the first African-American girls to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine, as well as appearing later in Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Young Miss – all as a model, not for her musical talents.

She kept it all in the family

During her career as a singer, Whitney preferred to stay at home, shy of the intense celebrity spotlight and invasion of her privacy. To that end, most of the people she kept closest, including her actual bodyguard and manager, were all family members – her brother and sister-in-law, respectively. Her brother Michael wrote several of her most successful songs with her.

Where did she think she’d be in 2012?

In 2002, American journalist Barbara Walters conducted an interview with Houston, and asked her where she wanted to be in ten years. Her answer:

Retired. Sitting, looking at my daughter grow up, become a great woman of God, grandchildren.

Well, she got her first wish.

She appeared on a soap opera, but turned down “The Cosby Show”

In August 1984, Houston appeared on American soap “As the World Turns” with Jermaine Jackson. They sang two duets, “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” and “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful,” from his album. She also successfully auditioned for hit 80’s sitcom, “The Cosby Show” but turned down the role to pursue her music career.

She was almost a teacher, and then a vet

Young Whitney’s dreams did not immediately turn to music megastardom. Originally, she wanted to be a teacher, and later a vet,

 I wanted to be a teacher. I love children, so I wanted to deal with children. Then I wanted to be a veterinarian. But by the age of 10 or 11, when I opened my mouth and said, ‘Oh, God, what’s this?’ I kind of knew teaching and being a veterinarian were gonna have to wait. What’s in your soul is in your soul.

This from the woman who turned down a duet with Michael Jackson. Rest in Peace, Whitney.

[Source: ABC News]