Whitney Houston was considered by many to be the queen of soul-pop in the 1980s, and she passed away on Feb. 11, 2012 of heart failure caused by drug abuse. 

Houston, who shone with the perfect combination of physical presence, charm and a majestic voice, knew how to break records and win accolades, but also had to face a difficult life journey.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of her death, here are 10 things you maybe didn't know. 

A woman of records 

As confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records, Houston is the most awarded singer in history, with 600 in total. She is also one of the best-selling artist of all time, with 170 million copies of her work sold. In addition, she surpassed the record of The Beatles and Bee Gees by placing seven consecutive songs at the top of Billboard's Top 100 Songs chart.

Afro model 

Before becoming the renowned singer she was, Houston was a teenage model. She was the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine. She also appeared in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and in a Canada Dry commercial.

Her daughter died a similar death 

Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, was found unconscious three years after her mother's death. She was kept in an induced coma for six months until she died in palliative care on July 26, 2015, at the age of 22.

Like her mother, Bobbi was found in a bathtub, and the cause of her death was related to drug and medication use.

She was anti-apartheid 

Whitney Houston was in favor of the anti-apartheid movement and Nelson Mandela. 

During her modeling career, Houston refused to work with any agency that did business with South Africa. 

In 1988, she sang at London's Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 70th birthday of Mandela, who was still imprisoned at the time.

She sang from a young age 

Whitney Houston's prodigious voice was showcased publicly starting at the age of 15. At that age, the artist sang with her mother to sell her songs without the support of a record label.

Billboard chart rankings 

In 1985, the singer released her first album, and the production was so successful that it reached the top of the Billboard Top 200, where it remained for 14 consecutive weeks.

"I Will Always Love You"

Houston's most iconic song is the ballad "I Will Always Love You," which achieved great popularity in the movie The Bodyguard. It was not composed by the artist, but by country music singer Dolly Parton.

"Memories"

The first song she recorded was titled "Memories." The single is found on the album One Down by Material, but it is very difficult to obtain these days.

A unique voice 

Whitney had a mezzo-soprano voice and was referred to as 'The Voice.' It was outstanding. The singer's vocal range extended from 'C3' to 'C#6' and 'F6 in altissimo.'

Her greatest hits 

Her most recognized songs were "I Will Always Love You," "Saving All My Love For You" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It is estimated that throughout her career, she sold 170 million copies worldwide.