Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston died Saturday at the age of 48 in a Los Angeles hotel room, setting off an avalanche of tributes.
Police say she was pronounced dead late Saturday afternoon in her fourth floor room of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Investigators say an attempt was made to resuscitate Houston after emergency personnel rushed to her room. Police say the cause of her death has not been determined.
Houston's death comes on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, where the six-time Grammy winner had gathered with hundreds of artists for Sunday's program.
The executive producer of the Grammys, Ken Ehrlich, told CNN Grammy award winning singer Jennifer Hudson will pay tribute to Houston during Sunday's broadcast.
Reactions to Houston's death continue to pour in, with legendary singer Tony Bennett telling CNN that Houston was the "greatest singer I ever heard."
Another legendary singer, Smokey Robinson, told the cable network, Houston was "one of the greatest singers to ever open her mouth."
Condolences and reactions from celebrities and everyday fans are also pouring in to social network sites.
Houston sold over 170 million albums and singles, making her one of the world's best-selling artists. Her self-titled debut album, released in 1985, sold 25 million copies worldwide.
Her talent took her from music to movies, where she starred in hits like The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.
In recent years, she struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
She was married to singer Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007. They have a daughter. Houston often blamed her troubled marriage on her husband, who was charged with domestic abuse in 1993.
Whitney Houston's musical prowess was not fluke. She was inspired by a host of singers, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousin Dionne Warwick, and Houston's godmother Aretha Franklin, who expressed shock at Whitney Houston's death.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
