Beverly Hills News
Music Icon Whitney Houston Dead At 48
By LaDale Anderson
Feb 12, 2012 - 7:44:28 PM

Whitney Houston winning her first Grammy for "Saving All My Love for You."

BEVERLY HILLS—The music industry has lost a legend, as powerhouse vocalist Whitney Houston died on Saturday, February 11 at the age of 48.  She was found in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Her publicist Kristen Foster confirmed the singer’s death in a statement. Houston was in town to perform at Clive Davis’ annual Pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton set to take place Saturday evening. Authorities have not released a cause of death for the singer. 

“At approximately 3:43 p.m. the Beverly Hills Police Department received a 911 call to respond to the Beverly Hilton Hotel regarding a medical emergency. Police and Fire personnel were immediately dispatched.  Upon arrival, first responders discovered Whitney Houston unresponsive,” stated a press release from The Beverly Hills Police Department. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:55 p.m. The press release further states that Houston was positively identified by members of her entourage, friends and co-workers.

Houston comes from a family of singers that include her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, her cousin Dionne Warwick and her godmother, Queen of Soul icon Aretha Franklin. Many considered the pop singer to have one of the greatest voices of all time. She won her first Grammy in 1986 for her hit single “Saving All My Love for You.” 

Her second album “Whitney” spawned pop hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.” Her rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the 1991 Super Bowl wowed audiences worldwide and further solidified her as a singer with unspeakable range.

Her rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” from the soundtrack of “The Bodyguard” became Houston’s biggest selling single of all time and broke records on the music charts.  The song went on to win Record of the Year at the 1994 Grammy ceremony.  

She made headlines when she married R&B singer Bobby Brown back in 1992. The couple had a tumultuous relationship that involved drugs and domestic abuse; the couple eventually divorced in 2007.  From that marriage they had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 19 who some saw as Houston’s shining light. 

She also had roles in the films “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” After a long hiatus from the big screen, Houston recently began working on a remake to the 1970s classic “Sparkle” alongside “American Idol’ winner Jordin Sparks. Her impact on the music industry is undeniable as artists like Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion paid tribute to Whitney for shaping their careers. After years of battling drug abuse, Houston made a comeback with her 2009 album “I Look to You” which included the single “Million Dollar Bill” and debuted #1 on the Billboard charts.

Stars shocked by Houston’s sudden death took to Twitter with their thoughts. Khloe Kardashian stated “I will always love you Whitney Houston.” Jennifer Lopez wrote, “Such a loss. One of the greatest voices of our time. Sending out prayers to her family #R.I.P. Whitney.” 

Mariah Carey tweeted, “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.” 

LA Reid tweeted, “I am completely devastated by the loss of the greatest voice of all time! R.I.P. Whitney Houston. I will always love you!” Christina Aguilera wrote, “We have lost another legend. Love and prayers to Whitney’s family. She will be missed.” 

At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, on Sunday, February 12 many at the ceremony paid tribute to the singing legend. The cause of Houston’s death will be determined by the LA County Coroner’s Office.