Singer Whitney Houston dies at 48

Updated Feb. 12, 2012, 1:56 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died Saturday. She was 48.

Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen told reporters outside the Beverly Hilton that Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. in her room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Her body remained there and Beverly Hills detectives were investigating.

"There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent at this time," Rosen said.

Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the cause of her death was unknown.

Rosen said police received a 911 call from hotel security about Houston at 3:43 p.m. Saturday. Paramedics who were already at the hotel because of a Grammy party unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the singer, he said.

Beverly Hills Police Department later issued a statement:""Whitney Houston was pronounced dead that the scene by members of her entourage which included friends, co-workers, and family. Ms. Houston's daughter and mother were notified of here death."

The statement also added that "the investigation is currently being conducted" and that "there is no additional information at this time."

"The actual cause of death will be determined by the L.A. Co. Coroner's Office," it said.

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Houston's death came on the eve of music's biggest night -- the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to cast a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony.

Her longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday, and a representative of the show said it would proceed.

Houston was supposed to appear at the gala, and Davis had told The Associated Press that she would perhaps perform: "It's her favorite night of the year ... (so) who knows by the end of the evening," he said.

Producer Jimmy Jam, who had worked with Houston, said he anticipated the evening would become a tribute to her, and he expected there to be one at the Grammys as well.

Video: Whitney Houston's ups and downs

60 Photos

Whitney Houston 1963-2012

Houston had been at rehearsals for the show Thursday, coaching singers Brandy and Monica, according to a person who was at the event but was not authorized to speak publicly about it. The person said Houston looked disheveled, was sweating profusely and liquor and cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.

Two days ago, she performed at a pre-Grammy party with singer Kelly Price. Singer Kenny Lattimore hosted the event, and said Houston sang the gospel classic "Jesus Loves Me" with Price, her voice registering softly, not with the same power it had at its height.

Lattimore said Houston was gregarious and was in a good mood, surrounded by friends and family, including daughter Bobbi Kristina.

"She just seemed like she was having a great night that night," said Lattimore, who said he was in shock over her death.

"I just can't talk about it now," Houston's godmother, Aretha Franklin, said in a short statement. "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 call for a national prayer Sunday morning during a service at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

"The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird," Sharpton said in a written statement.

In a statement, Recording Academy President and CEO Neil Portnow said Houston "was one of the world's greatest pop singers of all time who leaves behind a robust musical soundtrack spanning the past three decades."

"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."

CBS News has learned that singer Jennifer Hudson will do a tribute to Houston by singing her songs during the Grammys.

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

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[StevenRoyJohnson]

I believe Whitney Houston died from neuro-phone-annoya and pain inducing ultraviolet and infrared technology. That, drove her to scorch herself with hot water and overdose on pain pills. The only proof I have of this is my witness of such technologies used on me. That, also, drove me to scorch myself with a bath of scalding water. And, a Full-Spectrum Camera Captured Photograph of this technology at work on me.

[night2job]

Bye Whitney. Enjoyed listening to your music in your day, a wonderful voice and a bright star. Your performance recently passed was a magic thing, ups and downs and a reminder we are all human. Your legacy in your music will last on. http://night2job.com or http://xn--42ca4cb6dc5kd3ibdb2gg.com
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[dresia]

The Devil is out to seek, destroy and kill. He had done this with people, Len Bias, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and many others who turn to things that eventually has or will destroy their life including drugs and or alcohol. What a beautiful, and golden soul gone from us too soon. I will miss Whitney Houston but her music will live forever in my mind and heart.

[AlCourts]

There are some people who believe that they are law abiding citizens and they are fair people. Yet, they are quick to deny a group or individual the right to express their belief. The Constitution gives everyone the right of expression and freedom of religion. We believe that our message comes from God. Those who deny us this right will have to answer to God in this world and on the Judgment Day and they might have to deal with a lawsuit because our attorneys are looking at the responses when people deny us the right to present our belief.

Whitney Houston presents in her life that she was a child of God, yet people who serve God in the Bible never spent their time entertaining the people of the world. They spent their time defending God's Word because the devil is trying to destroy the truth of God by setting up people in false religions who are saying they are the people of God. All we want to do is to give people an opportunity to see things in a spiritual way.

Check out our website www.Hear-The-Truth.com

[hayseedbears]

I am very sorry this happened. No one deserves to die young because of a disease OR an adiction. And it is sad when it does. Family and friends are so often left shattered.
But really?! Do we have to dedicate hours of news programming to discuss in detail and pay homage ad nauseum because she died. I mean, nearly the entire episode of CBS This Morning was about her. I really do think more went on in the world than to take up that much time on a morning news program. Pleeeaaase!

[amyjohnston]

Maybe, just maybe Bobby had kept her alive through addiction and now without him around there was no one to watch over her.

What did we really expect though: We blamed him, so she got divorced. We wanted her to come back and when she wasnt what we wanted to hear we booed her, told her in front of the media that she was no good anymore. What did we think she would do?

Then step in the good doctors who peddle drugs that look better than illegal drugs and can be just as deadly, if not more so because of the the "safety" of being prescribed. If she had died from cocaine we would be on a manhunt to find and convict the person who had given her the drug. But not a drug company that knows what havac these drugs are doing to families across this country? I think its time for the drug comps. to be just as liable as a street dealer. 10 billion dollars a year in sales should come with some accountability.

She is more than an another "drug" story. Her life deserves to be much more than just another "cautionary" tale. The gifts she had, the joy she brought, and the lives she was able to help should be remembered much more than what is being done to her.

[drantoniohowell]

Whitney as left us too soon. As great as she was she had the potential to give the world so much more.

Amid the rash of sub-par US national anthem music performances we have heard lately there is one performance that stands out like a beacon in the sky. Whitney Houston 1991 rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during the opening ceremonies of Super Bowl XXV. I forget who played that year but I cannot forget how I felt after listening to Whitney sing. (Whitney Houston Star Spangled Banner Performance). That was the magic of Whitney Houston. Her gift could turn an ordinary tune into a masterpiece.

Whitney Houston burst out of nowhere in 1985 to dominate the music industry. The richness, beauty and strength of her voice had no equal. But just as impressive was her fall from the top. Whitney lost it all. Her voice, her status, her family life and now her own life.

The are many lessons to be learned - Do not wait to live, to love and be loved for no one is promised tomorrow. Lead the life that you were meant to live starting right now. And never be shackled with addiction.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes we waited and hoped for her comeback to music from the destructive spiral that had engulfed her life. We waited and waited and it never came. Now we weep and hope that she will find in rest what had escaped her in life. Peace.

Rest in peace Whitney Houston, your fans will always love you.

[Alexisnexus]

God Bless Whitney and lets hope that her daughter follows your advice above

[CarineCh]

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[maximo269]

to think where it all began! B O B B Y B R O W N he is what made her! a lost soul he is the one that introduced her to the demons.

[train99]

I think so. Think of it, she was with that pig from 1993-2007. By then, she was wrecked and only her memories of greatness left to torture her and that's basically why she died.

[smittyc]

Just a crackhead from the ghetto.