Singer Whitney Houston, whose reign atop the pop charts was derailed by drug use and a tumultuous high-profile marriage, has died at the age of 48.
Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, confirmed the singer's death on Saturday evening, but did not reveal the cause.
Houston was pronounced dead in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel at 3:35 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Mark Rosen of Beverly Hills police told reporters. Attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful.
There were no obvious signs of foul play and a coroner has been called in to investigate along with detectives, Rosen said.
Houston was reportedly at the hotel with a large entourage. Just two days ago, she performed at a pre-Grammy party with singer Kelly Price.
Houston's death came on the eve of the biggest night in music -- Sunday's Grammy Awards. She was expected to attend an annual pre-Grammy concert and dinner Saturday night hosted by her mentor, legendary producer Clive Davis.
A spokesperson for the gala said the show would go on.
"I just can't talk about it now," Houston's godmother, Aretha Franklin, said in a short statement issued late Saturday. "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."
The Rev. Al Sharpton said he would offer prayers for Houston during a Sunday morning service at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, hailed Houston as "one of the world's greatest pop singers of all time," in a statement released Saturday evening.
"Her powerful voice graced many memorable and award-winning songs," Portnow said. "A light has been dimmed in our music community today, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, fans and all who have been touched by her beautiful voice."
Legendary music producer Quincy Jones said he was "heartbroken" by the news of Houston's death.
"I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her," Jones said in a statement. "She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."
Tributes to Houston were pouring in on social media networks Saturday night. Mariah Carey, who has called Houston a role model, tweeted: "She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth."
Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Justin Bieber were also among the celebrities expressing shock and sadness over Houston's death on Twitter.
The Associated Press reported that Houston attended Grammy rehearsals Thursday, where she looked disheveled and was sweating profusely, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous.
Drugs, divorce took a toll
Widely praised for her powerful, gospel-trained voice, Houston was a global star and a bestselling recording artist in the 1980s and 1990s until her image was tainted by drug addiction and erratic behaviour.
In interviews, she confessed to abusing cocaine, among other drugs, and tried to defend her troubled marriage to bad-boy singer Bobby Brown. The divorced couple has a 19-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.
Many of Houston's fans were shocked by the union between America's princess and a music-industry bad boy.
But Houston said the two were not as different as the public believed.
"When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place," she told Rolling Stone in 1993.
"You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy."
Brown was scheduled to perform Saturday night in Southaven, Miss., as part of a reunion tour with his former group New Edition. He did not immediately comment on his ex-wife's death.
Nevertheless, Houston influenced a generation of younger singers and future stars. No one could ignore her past successes, including multi-platinum albums and her smash single, ‘I Will Always Love You.'
Houston was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin. Many said she was born into greatness.
She sold more than 55 million records in the United States alone and received accolades for her roles in movies ‘The Bodyguard' and ‘Waiting to Exhale.'
Over the years, Houston's rise and fall became a cautionary tale for all fame-seekers.
The drugs -- cocaine, marijuana, prescription pills -- took a toll on her voice, which became raspy and hoarse. She was no longer able to hit the high notes that made her famous. Her stints in rehab, arrests and public meltdowns turned into punch lines on late-night talk shows.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told TV journalist Diane Sawyer in a 2002 interview.
Houston's singing career began in church, where she performed with family members as a child. As a teenager, she was a backup singer for Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson.
Her lean body, good looks and smooth skin also landed her modeling gigs.
Clive Davis first saw Houston perform in a club as part of her mother's act. He later said Houston had a "stunning impact" on him.
Her 1985 debut album, ‘Whitney Houston' spawned numerous hits, including ‘Saving All My Love for You,' for which she earned her first Grammy.
She followed that up with other bestselling albums and numerous worldwide hits before her demons took over.
In recent years, Houston struggled to make a comeback. She released ‘I Look to You,' her first studio album in seven years, in 2009. Although it reached No. 1 on the charts, she failed to reclaim her status in the music world. A subsequent tour was met with mixed reviews.
Houston's No.1 hits include:
‘I Will Always Love You' – 1992
‘I'm Your Baby Tonight' – 1990
‘All the Man That I Need' – 1990
‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go?' – 1988
‘Didn't We Almost Have It All?' – 1987
‘So Emotional' – 1987
‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)' – 1987
‘Greatest Love Of All' – 1986
‘How Will I Know' – 1985
‘Saving All My Love For You' – 1985
