Pop superstar Whitney Houston dead at 48

LOS ANGELES (NEWS1130) – Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, has died. 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.

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 favourite night of the year … (so) who knows by the end of the evening,” he said.

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.

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

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.

At her peak in the 1980s and ’90s, Houston the golden girl of the music industry and one of the world’s bestselling artists.

Among her hits were “How Will I Know,” ”Saving All My Love for You” and ”I Will Always Love You.” She won multiple Grammys including album and record of the year.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies like “The Bodyguard.”

But by the end of her career, drug use took its toll as her record sales plummeted and her voice became raspy and hoarse.

News1130 entertainment reporter Rudy Blair is in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy’s. He said the news has absolutely rocked the entertainment community with less than 24 hours to go before music’s biggest night.

“I’m staying at the Omni Hotel here in Los Angeles. As soon as I heard it I immediately ran down to the lobby to speak to people about this, and they just looked at me like I was the biggest liar on the planet,” he said.

“They were shocked. Their jaws dropped to the floor. They kept saying over and over again, ‘Is this true? Is this true? Is this true?’ And I had to explain to them, yes, it was true. It’s just so much shock… having a six-time Grammy Award-winner, a legend like Whitney Houston, who has influenced many of the artists who are nominees, or who are going to be winners, is such a tragedy.”

Blair said Houston’s body was found by R&B singer Ray J (brother of R&B singer Brandy) around 4 p.m. She was supposed to be attending a Grammy party Saturday night set to be hosted by her longtime mentor Clive Davis.

Houston’s connections as much as her talent make her pop royalty, Blair said.

“Her mother is a gospel singer, Cissy Houston. Her cousin is Dionne Warwick, one of the greatest singers of all time. Her godmother is Aretha Franklin. When you look at all that, there is just no way that Whitney Houston would not be a star,” he said.

The Recording Academy has already posted a tribute to Houston on the Grammy Awards website with all the moments of her biggest wins. Watch it here.