After Houston’s unexpected death yesterday afternoon in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Grammy producers immediately reached out to Jennifer Hudson and Chaka to perform a tribute to Houston. Though she initially agreed, after careful consideration Khan issued the following statement via Twitter:

“As I grieve the loss of my friend and ‘little sister,’ I don’t feel it appropriate to perform at this time. Continue to pray for the family.”

Hudson is still scheduled to perform “I Will Always Love You.” Those with access to rehearsals say that the singer, who received her Grammy from Houston and is a life-long fan, is struggling through tears and emotions trying to sing the song that Houston made a classic in the 1992 classic, “The Bodyguard.”

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Coroner’s officials say they will not release any information on Houston’s autopsy at the request of police detectives investigating the singer’s death. Capt. John Kades says an autopsy was scheduled Sunday, but that a security hold prevents him from releasing any details on its status or whether any probable cause of death has been established.

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said that his agency may release more details Monday about Houston’s death, but it will depend on whether detectives feel comfortable releasing any information. A member of Houston’s entourage found the 48-year-old singer unresponsive in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, just hours before she was supposed to appear at a pre-Grammy gala.

Houston’s body arrived at the morgue early Sunday. An official determination of her cause of death will likely take weeks while investigators await the results of toxicology tests.

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were no signs of foul play when Houston was found by a member of her entourage. Paramedics worked to revive Houston, but were unsuccessful and the singer was pronounced dead shortly before 4 p.m. He said he could not comment on the condition of Houston’s room or where she had been found.

Meanwhile, Houston’s daughter was transported by ambulance to a Los Angeles hospital Sunday morning and later released. A source close to the family who did not want to speak given the sensitivity of the matter said she was treated and released for stress and anxiety. Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, who is Houston’s daughter from her marriage to singer Bobby Brown, had accompanied her mother to several pre-Grammy Awards events last week.

“At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi Kristina,” Bobby Brown wrote in a statement released about an hour after she was transported from the hotel. “I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time.”

Sunday’s Grammys were to feature a musical tribute to Houston by Jennifer Hudson, and the show is likely to feature remembrances from fellow musicians on the red carpet and during the live telecast. During a show Saturday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Elton John called Houston an “angel” and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He then performed his melancholy classic “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”

Houston herself won six Grammys and had been expected to perform at the pre-awards gala Saturday night thrown by music impresario Clive Davis, her longtime mentor.

Davis went ahead with his annual party and concert, which were held at the same hotel where Houston’s body was found – and where it remained for most of Saturday night. He dedicated the evening to her and asked for a moment of silence.

The singer seemed fine

Houston had been at rehearsals for the Davis concert on 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. It was the latest of countless stories about the decline of a uniquely gifted and beautiful artist, once the golden girl of the music industry.

The Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Houston while preaching Sunday morning at the Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

“Yes, she had an outstanding range,” he said. “Yes, she could hit notes no one else could reach. But what made her different was she was born and bred in the bosom of the black church.”

The congregation applauded and answered him with shouts of “Amen” and “Tell it!”

“A lot of artists can hit notes but they don’t hit us. Say words but they have no meaning. Have gifts and talent but no anointing. Something about Whitney that would reach in you and make you feel,” Sharpton said.

A sensation from her very first album, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. She awed millions with soaring, but disciplined vocals rooted in gospel and polished for the masses, a bridge between the earthy passion of her godmother, Aretha Franklin, and the bouncy pop of her cousin, Dionne Warwick.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she became a rare black actress with box office appeal, starring in such hits as “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.” Bishop T.D. Jakes, a Texas minister and producer on Houston’s final film project, a re-make of the 1970s release “Sparkle,” said he saw no signs she was having any substance issues. He said Houston was a complete professional and moved the cast and crew to tears two months ago when she sang the gospel hymn “Her Eyes on the Sparrow” for a scene shot in Detroit.

“There was no evidence in working with her on `Sparkle’ that there was any struggle in her life,” Jakes said Sunday. “She just left a deep impression on everybody.”

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: gorgeous, but wholesome; grounded, but un-loving. And 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 couldn’t tell the difference.

But by the end of her career, Houston had become a stunning and heartbreaking cautionary tale. 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 precious voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes of 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.

Seemingly born into greatness, she first started singing at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., as a child. At the church on Sunday morning, a couple of sympathy cards were tied to a fence post. “To the greatest songstress ever,” one said, and tied next to it was a small bouquet of fresh flowers.

The pastor asked for strength for Houston’s family, said churchgoer Shawn Cooper, 32, of Newark. He said he hadn’t regularly attended church but felt compelled to go on this Sunday.

“The Houston family means a lot to this community, they have done a lot for this community, and being there for them is the best thing we can do as a community,” he said.

In her teens, Houston sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. Clive Davis, who as head of Arista Records had already signed up Warwick and Franklin, was instantly smitten by the statuesque young singer.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought the singer her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” “You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to Brown, the former New Edition member and soul crooner, as an attempt to toughen her image. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image and already had children of his own. (The couple had one daughter, Bobbi Kristina, born in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges including DUI and failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have 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.”

Houston once told Oprah Winfrey that she used drugs because of her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2009. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public.

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Houston died on the eve of the Grammys at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she was preparing to attend a pre-Grammy party. Her death cast a huge shadow over the event.

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Whitney Houston Dead at 48

As the pre-telecast awards ceremony began, co-host Dave Koz acknowledged the tragedy, noting the “great legacy of Miss Whitney Houston. She’s in our hearts and our minds.”

A tribute to Houston featuring Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan was to take place during the main ceremony later Sunday.

Before the death of one of pop music’s most important figures, the Grammy buzz focused on whether Adele, 2011′s top-selling artist and set to make her first public performance on the show since having vocal cord surgery, would be the queen of the Grammys. Although Kanye West leads all nominees with seven and Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters tied Adele with six nominations, she was favored to sweep all of her categories.

But as show time neared, the focus remained on Houston’s death.

Grammy show producer Ken Ehrlich was quick to announce Hudson’s tribute. “It’s too fresh in everyone’s memory to do more at this time,” he said late Saturday, “but we would be remiss if we didn’t recognize Whitney’s remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years.”

More Houston tributes from nominees and presenters are expected during the three-and-a-half hour Staples Center show, which was to feature the Foo Fighters, Mars, Nicki Minaj, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown and Rihanna.

It will mark the first time Rihanna and Brown have appeared at the same awards show since his attack on her three years ago also on the eve of the Grammys forced both to drop out of the show and led to an assault conviction for Brown. It almost derailed his career, but 2011 marked a huge comeback, and he was rewarded with a Grammy performance slot on Sunday night’s CBS broadcast.

Rihanna is also a nominee, up for album of the year. She is competing with Adele’s “21,” Mars’ “Doo-Woops & Hooligans,” the Foo Fighters “Wasting Light” and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.”

Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” is nominated for record and song of the year. Both categories also include Bon Iver’s “Holocene,” Mumford & Sons “The Cave,” and Mars’ “Grenade.” Katy Perry’s “Firework” is up for record of the year but instead of that song, West’s “All of the Lights” takes the remaining position in the song of the year category.

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According to a press release sent to ABC News:

Bobbi Kristina was transported from the hotel at 10:26 a.m. local time to Cedars-Sinai Hospital and was “awake and alert” at the time.

That song used to always give me a lift. Houston’s voice sounded rich and soulful. The beat was perfect. Houston was singing about the type of day we all love to have.

One of those days
When the sun is shining bright
And my life is going right
And the simple things are not wasted

One of those days
When you’re cruising in your car
And you’re out to see the stars
And it’s warm outside and beautiful

And then Houston’s signature song “I Will Always Love You” came on. There was no DJ talking or a commercial. It just faded from one song to another– the same way the music flowed when the news of Michael Jackson’s death shocked the world. I turned to my wife and told her to check her iPhone.

I was pretty sure Houston was dead.

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My wife dismissed me as the skeptical, always thinking about the worst case scenario journalist that I can be but she checked her phone anyway.

“OH MY GOD!” she yelled.

The news reports of Whitney’s death that my wife read off of her phone focused on her admitted drug abuse and her difficult marriage to Bobby Brown. It was sad to read about the life difficulties of someone who was blessed with a voice that probably made hundreds of millions of people smile over the last three decades. If Michael Jackson is the “King of Pop,” Houston certainly was its “Queen.”

But despite her difficulties, it was hard to get Houston’s “One of Those Days” out of my head. It wasn’t even her best song but I still remembered it all these years later. Before I knew she had died, her voice had lifted my spirits. That’s why we need to take some time to think about what Houston added to this world and not completely focus on the very public struggles that she went through.

Her troubles are fair game and an accurate representation of the things that happened in her life. As a woman who sold over 50 million albums in the United States and used the media attention to her benefit, reporting about her struggles is expected. It’s safe to say that her troubles should be used as a cautionary tale for others. Houston acknowledged her troubles in a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer and a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told  Sawyer.

“I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself,” she told Winfrey about her drug use.

But think about it. When you die, would you want the people you leave behind to highlight the low points in your life? No. And guess what? They probably won’t.

“The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement.

The reverend’s sentiments are spot on. It’s certainly worth noting all the amazing things Houston did in her life and career, including being a mom, winning six Grammys and acting in several movies. She was one of the world’s best selling artists for more than a decade and was also considered one of its most beautiful women.

Her voice was unquestionably enchanting. When I got home I listened to a clip of her singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in 1991. The rendition gives you goosebumps. She was smiling and waving her arms in the air. She crushed the song. Some thought it was pre-recorded, but it was so good that it was released as a single.

Other superstar versions of the song popped up alongside Houston’s. Everyone from Beyonce to Mariah Carey have performed the national anthem during sporting events. They were all good, but Houston’s version was still the best. She turned out the Super Bowl by singing the national anthem.

For Houston, that must have been “One of Those Days.” And thinking about all the joy her music has brought to the world, we have to make sure those  “simple things are not wasted.”

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Here are five things that all of us can learn from the amazing life and tragic death of the great Whitney Houston:

1)      Never assume you’re always going to be on top: Even when you’re out kicking butt, taking names and making money hand-over-fist, things can always start heading south.  When we get on top of the world, we sometimes think that the good times will never stop and that the future is going to be just as shiny as the present.  I am willing to guess that in the 1980s, when Houston was the most popular singer in the United States, she never would have guessed that she’d go out in this way.   Success can make us complacent.

2)      Who you choose to spend your life with is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make: I’m not sure if the chicken or the egg came first when it comes to how Whitney and Bobby ruined each other’s lives.  Some say Bobby turned her into the person she became, but others are saying that Whitney was already that woman when Bobby met her.  What we do know, however, is that they were not good for each other and likely enabled the poor choices of their partner.  The lesson?  Think carefully about who you choose to date or marry, for this can literally determine how you go to your grave.

3)      Say no, no, no to drugs and perhaps even alcohol: As a college professor, I’ve seen drugs and alcohol ruin countless lives over the years.  It’s painful to watch incoming freshmen become influenced by the excitement of campus parties that may put them into an early grave or rehab center later on down the road.   There is nothing good about illegal (or many legal) drugs, and I argue that even the liquor bottle can be left to the side.  Anything that alters your brain chemistry, makes you feel like you’ve been poisoned the next day and causes you to do things that you aren’t going to remember is not good for your body, mind, soul or your life.  Find your happiness elsewhere.

4)      Think about how our actions impact our children: I don’t know much about little Bobbi Christina, the daughter of Bobby and Whitney.  But when I read stories about Bobbi getting into trouble at an early age, my heart weeps for this poor child.  It could not have been easy for her to grow up watching her parents do things that made people shake their heads and I hope that we are not witnessing an intergenerational pattern of poor choices.  We should all realize that we are passing a lot of ideas, choices and habits onto our children, and they may not always be good.

5)      It’s never too late for a comeback: When Whitney died, she was on her way back.  Like a phoenix rising slowly (and a bit clumsily) from the ashes, Whitney had committed herself to becoming the woman that she could have been.   As the female musical Mike Tyson, Houston saw the greatness that she took for granted and was working to make things right again.  Unfortunately, time ran out and I speculate that Whitney’s poor choices of the past played a role in her death.  Either way, she went out of the world loved and missed by millions, in large part because we saw her confronting her struggle head-on.  We were saving all our love for Whitney’s comeback and she almost got there at the end.

God bless you Whitney Houston.  May the Pearly Gates light up on your arrival.  With yourself, Etta James, Don Cornelius and Michael Jackson all making sweet music in the afterlife, I have no doubt that heaven is going to have one heck of a party.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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WATCH VIDEO HERE.

FULL COVERAGE OF WHITNEY’S LAST MOMENTS:
Whitney Houston’s Last 24 Hours [PHOTOS]

Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview [VIDEO]

Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview [VIDEO]

Whitney Houston Dead At 48

But, in the interim, NewsOne has put together some of Whitney’s best and worst moments. Let’s kick it off with some of her better times!

Super Bowl XXV National Anthem 1991
Perhaps the best rendition of the National Anthem ever. Nuff said!

The Bodyguard (1990s Interracial Romance)
Interracial relationships depicted on the big screen are either so hyper-exaggerated or poorly performed that the essence of how two people from different races can see past societal ignorance to find love in each other is often missed. But Whitney’s performance in “The Bodyguard” was right on point and paved the way for more sophisticated films on interracial romance to follow. Though few have yet to match it, here is a scene from the film below.

And here is Whitney during her not-so-best moments….

Diane Sawyer Interview
“Crack is whack!” Need we say more?

Australian 2010 Performance
When you pay more than $150 to see someone sing, you want a show! But when Whitney sang in Australia in 2010, she was a disaster! And the folks who paid top dollar to see her said as much….

Read below for public reactions:

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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: “Her music inspired millions and the power of her voice was hard to match in its depth and crystalline beauty.”

Cory Booker: “RIP Whitney Houston, a Legend and great American artist. And always, one of Newark’s and New Jersey’s treasured daughters.”

Rev. Al Sharpton: “I am stunned at the passing of Whitney Houston whom I have known since the late 1980′s. I have known her mother, the great gospel singer Cissy, and her aunt Dionne Warwick, down through the years, and the world is saddened by this great loss. Tomorrow Morning at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles I will call for a national prayer for her family and the memory of Whitney Houston. The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird.”

Quincy Jones: ”I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing.  Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her.  She was a true original and a talent beyond compare.  I will miss her terribly.”

Mariah Carey: “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.”

Filmmaker Spike Lee: “God Bless The Dead. Whitney Houston R.I.P. She Was Only 48 Years Young.”

Sherri Shepherd: “Praying for Whitney Houston’s family. Especially her daughter Bobbi Kristina Whitney I hope you found the peace in Heaven that you could never seem to find down here. RIP Ms. Houston “where do broken hearts go” and “#WhitneyHouston dead at 48 … I can’t believe it… I’m sitting here absolutely in shock… hard to breathe right now #senseless #death”

Russell Simmons: “R.I.P. Whitney Houston, really can’t believe this.”

Katy Perry: “So devastating. We will always love you Whitney, R.I.P.”

Mariah Carey: “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy: “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.”

Smokey Robinson: “I’ve know Whitney since she was a little girl and I loved her. She was like family to me. I will miss her.”

Aretha Franklin: “I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy (Houston’s mother), her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown).”

Check out the video here. Courtesy of KissRichmond.com

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Whitney Houston Dead At 48

Whitney Houston’s Final Performance [VIDEO]

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View video here.

View footage and photos of Whitney Houston and others at Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For the Love of R&B Red Carpet here.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the  cause and the location of her death were unclear. She was 48.

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Read Also: Can Bobbi Kristina Sing Like Her Mother Whitney? [VIDEO]

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RELATED: Whitney Houston Dead At 48

1) Whitney Houston, born on August 9, 1963, came from music business royalty. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a backup singer for the likes of Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin. Whitney’s cousin, Dionne Warwick, is an internationally recognized singing star. Whitney’s Godmother is Aretha Franklin. [Source: Wikipedia]

2) Houston is the most awarded female recording artist of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Houston’s awards include: 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards. [Source: Wikipedia]

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Whitney Houston’s Best And Worst Moments

Public Reaction To Whitney’s Death

3) Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Saving All My Love for You”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional”, and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”). [Source: Wikipedia]

4) Houston’s 1985 debut album, “Whitney Houston,” became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. [Source: Wikipedia]

5) In 1978, at the age of 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan’s hit single “I’m Every Woman,” which she ironically later re-recorded and turned into an even bigger hit on “The Bodyguard” soundtrack album. [Source: Wikipedia]

6) Before she was a recording artist, Whitney Houston was one of the most in-demand teen models of all time. She was the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine. She also appeared in the pages of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Young Miss, and a Canada Dry ginger ale TV commercial.[Source: Wikipedia]

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Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview

Our Favorite Whitney Houston Songs

7) Whitney Houston was a stalwart supporter the anti-apartheid movement and Nelson Mandela. During her days as a model, Houston refused to work with any agencies who did business with South Africa. In 1988, Houston performed a set at Wembley Stadium in London to celebrate  Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday, who was still in prison at the time.[Source: Wikipedia]

8) Houston was actually booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, because many Black fans at the time believed that she had “sold out” with her crossover success. When Houston’s name was called for nomination, audible jeers could be heard in the audience. Houston later defended herself: “If you’re gonna have a long career, there’s a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I’m not ashamed of it.”[Source: Wikipedia]

9) Before she married R&B singer Bobby Brown in 1992, Whitney Houston dated  football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy. [Source: Wikipedia]

10) Whitney Houston’s international smash, “I Will Always Love You,” was actually a remake of a Dolly Parton song. [Source: Wikipedia]

11) Whitney Houston’s 2002 conversation with Diane Sawyer was the highest-rated television interview in history. [Source: Wikipedia]

12) Whitney Houston gave conflicting statements about her crack use. In the 2002 Sawyer interview, Whitney denied using the drug, saying:  “First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight. Okay? We don’t do crack. We don’t do that. Crack is wack.” But in her next televised interview, with Oprah in 2009, Houston admitted using drugs with former husband Bobby Brown, telling Oprah that she “laced marijuana with rock cocaine.” [Source: Wikipedia]

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UPDATE: 12:33 P.M. EST

TMZ is reporting that Whitney Houston was found in the bathtub of a Beverly Hills hotel yesterday with her face underwater:

According to our sources, her stylist, hairdresser and two bodyguards were among the people in the room at the time. We’re told they became worried about Whitney because she had been in the bathroom for over an hour and it was time to start getting ready for the Clive Davis party.

Our sources say they began to knock on the door and there was no answer. We’re told the hairdresser, who is female, went in to check on Whitney. She immediately screamed and, according to our sources, one of the bodyguards came running in and pulled her out of the tub.

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UPDATE: 9:50 A.M. EST

According to Beverly Hills police officers, various prescription drugs — and no sign of illegal ones — were present in Whitney’s room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton hotel and she could have possibly drowned in the bathtub. EMTs on the scene said that her body had already been removed from the water so an autopsy will be needed to determine exact cause of death, reports TMZ.

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UPDATE: 9:29 A.M. EST

Whitney Houston’s body was removed from the Beverly Hilton Hotel early Sunday morning, reports ABC. Bobby Kristina came to see her mother before her body was taken to the morgue for autopsy.

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UPDATE: 1:00 A.M. EST

@ peoplemag : Clive Davis opens w/ tribute and moment of silence: “#Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on”

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UPDATE: 12:54 A.M. EST

Beverly Hilton hotel employees tell TMZ that Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her room.

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UPDATE: 12: 37 A.M. EST

CNN is reporting that fans have gathered outside of the Beverly Hilton Hotel singing Whitney Houston songs.

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UPDATE: 12: 13 A.M. EST

Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan will perform a tribute at Sunday’s Grammy Awards in honor of Whitney Houston, reports the New York Post.

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UPDATE: 12:05 A.M. EST

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Houston’s behavior was erratic in the hours preceding her death:

The visibly bloated singer displayed erratic behavior throughout the afternoon — flailing her hands frenetically as she spoke to Brandy and Monica, skipping around the ballroom in a child-like fashion and wandering aimlessly about the lobby. It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool.

After leaving rehearsals, Houston returned to the ballroom — with her teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina in tow — as camera crews set up for interviews. The singer smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. A Grammy staffer said that during the interviews with Brandy, Monica and Clive, Houston was dancing just off camera to make the singers and Davis laugh. Grammy personnel expressed concern that she’d be caught on camera, and that reporters would write about her behavior.

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UPDATE: 11:55 P.M. EST

Bobby Brown pays tribute to Whitney before his concert with New Edition in Southhaven, Mississippi:

“First of all, I want to tell you that I love you all. Second, I would like to say, I love you Whitney. The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage.”

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UPDATE: 11:00 P.M. EST

Clive Davis has decided to move forward with his annual Grammy party and concert at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to TMZ. Davis is not yet in attendance. He is reportedly at his home surrounded by family and friends.

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UPDATE: 10:50 EST P.M.

From Global Grind.com:

Bobby Brown is distraught and “in and out of crying fits” … after getting the news that Whitney Houston is dead – but his New Edition band mates are by his side trying to console him.

New Edition has a concert tonight in Mississippi — and believe it or not sources close to the group tell TMZ … not only will New Edition go on as scheduled, but as of now Bobby is also planning to perform.

We’re told Bobby is going to try to get through the entire show.

Bobby and Whitney had an infamously tumultuous 15 year marriage.

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UPDATE 10:10 P.M. EST

Whitney Houston’s friend and mentor, Clive Davis, has cancelled his annual pre-Grammy party after learning of the super-star’s tragic death. “He’s not having it anymore,” Davis’ label confirmed to Just Jared. “It’s been canceled. Very unfortunate.”

Houston was expected to be in attendance tonight at the party of the man who kick-started her career. She performed at last year’s event, where she sang “Walk On By”, “I Say A Little Prayer For You” and “That’s What Friends Are For”.

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UPDATE: 9:18 P.M. EST

According to CNN, Whitney Houston, 48, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said:

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were “no obvious signs of criminal intent” and that the cause of her death is being investigated.

Houston’s bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva.

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UPDATE: 8:57 P.M EST

According to various media sources, including MSNBC, singer Ray J, allegedly found Houston dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It is unclear at this time if her long-time friend and mentor, Clive Davis, will move forward with his annual pre-Grammy Awards concert and dinner that was scheduled for Saturday night.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who reigned 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, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

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At her peak, Houston 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 he 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.

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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.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” “You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multi-platinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

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The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have 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.”

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

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Whitney’s fortune is gone,” the source said. “Music industry heavy hitters are supporting her and her label is fronting her cash against her next album, but no one knows when that will be released.  She might be homeless if not for people saving her.  She is as broke as a joke, the source added.

In August 2001, Houston signed a mega-recording deal with Arista/BMG, which was monumental at the time.   She agreed to do six albums over an eight-year period for a reported $100 million. The last album  was released in 2009.  Now, the source reveals:

She called someone to ask for $100. It is so sad. She should have Mariah Carey money, and she’s flat broke.

After a tumultuous marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown, including allegations of physical abuse and years of drug use, the Grammy award-winning Houston has seen more bad days than good in recent years.  In addition to her being ravaged by drugs, there have been reports of alcoholic binges, eating disorders, family stress, evictions, over-spending, and career stalls.

And to add to the turmoil, Houston’s much-hyped return to concert performances have shown that years of near self-destruction have taken a toll on her once-golden vocal chords as disappointed concert-goers witnessed her strugging to sing crowd-pleasing numbers.

Now, Houston will attempt to hit the screen again, playing the character of “Emma,” Jordan Sparks‘ mother, in the upcoming remake “Sparkle.”  Houston has not acted since the 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife.”

As far as the rumors about Houston’s alleged financial dire straits, her spokesperson told the UK’s Daily Mail:

That is ridiculous and not true! She stars in ‘Sparkle’ out in August, which she also exec produced. She just wrapped the film.

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According to a family source, Herbert Brown — known affectionately as Pop —  had been ill of quite a while. He was 82.

Pop was seen often on the reality show “Being Bobby Brown.”
Read the full story at TMZ.

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Who knew you can have people banned from your shows?

Well Prince had reportedly done just that after Whitney was reportedly bombarding him with ticket requests and behaving erratically at his shows.

But the “Purple One” has now spoken saying his reps banned her and not him.

He released a statement saying she is always welcome at his shows.

Read more at NYDailyNews

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From Yahoo.com:

Whitney Houston’s return to the stage has been plagued with sub-par vocals since her performance on Good Morning America in August to promote her latest album, I Look To You.

Unfortunately, the singer once praised for her exceptional vocal talent was still struggling with singing live Monday when she opened her “Nothing But Love” world tour in Australia.

Text continues after gallery…

Click here to read more.

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WATCH Houston anger fans:

Whitney Houston took drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, with ex-husband Bobby Brown, who was emotionally abusive during their marriage and at one point spit on her, the singer said during an interview that aired Monday on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“I had so much money and so much access to what I wanted,” Houston told Winfrey. “I didn’t think about the singing part anymore. I was looking for my young womanhood.”

After a long absence from music, Houston is staging a career comeback with a new album “I Look to You” released last month and a two-part appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Houston is one of the best-selling artists of all time, but her career stalled as she grappled with drug problems and a troubled marriage to Brown.

The couple married in 1992 and were divorced in 2007. During their marriage, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs. She has custody of their teenage daughter.

Houston told Winfrey that Brown wasn’t physically abusive but “he slapped me once but he got hit on the head three times by me.”

A phone message left Monday with Brown’s attorney in Atlanta seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Houston said she was attracted to Brown because he took control of their relationship and had “a sweet, gentle tenderness.”

“At home, he was very much the father, he was very much the man,” Houston said. “He was very much in control. I liked that. When he said something, I listened. I was very interested in having someone have that kind of control over me. It was refreshing.”

She described an episode after a birthday party for Brown that left her “horrified. He spit on me, in my face.” She said their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, witnessed the incident, which left Houston “very hurt, very angry.”

Houston also said Brown would smash and break things at their home.

The 46-year-old singer described her drug use, saying it became “heavy” after her 1992 movie “The Bodyguard.” She said she would take marijuana combined with rock cocaine.
“You put your marijuana, you lace it, you roll it up and you smoke it,” Houston explained to Winfrey.

During a 2002 ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston admitted dabbling in drugs but denied using crack, then uttered the now-famous phrase: “Crack is wack.”

“He was my drug,” Houston told Winfrey of Brown. “I didn’t do anything without him. I wasn’t getting high by myself. It was me and him together. We were partners.”

Houston said she stuck with Brown because she took her marriage vows seriously. She said she told her daughter about her drug use and took her with her to an Atlanta drug rehab for mothers and children.

“I didn’t lie to her,” Houston said.

Her mother also tried to intervene, the singer said, and at one point came to Houston’s home with police.

The singer prayed for help, asking God to give her strength, she said.

“I was so weak to him,” Houston said. “I was so weak to the love.”

It was one moment in time that she just wasn’t ready for.

Whitney Houston cut short her much-hyped comeback performance on “Good Morning America” Tuesday after apparently losing her voice.

The Grammy-winning diva got through just three songs from her new album “I Look to You” before apologizing to the 5,000-person crowd for overusing her famous pipes.

“I’m so sorry. I did ‘Oprah.’ I’ve been talking for so long. … I talked so much, my voice,” she said, trailing off.

“I shouldn’t be talking. I should be singing,” she said before breaking into her final, crowd-pleasing number, “I’m Every Woman.”

Read The Whole Story

Watch Whitney’s Performance

From ChicagoSunTimes.com:

Queen of the night Whitney Houston is kicking off her music comeback by giving her first interview in seven years to the queen of daytime television.

The Grammy-award winner and pop icon sits down in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sept. 14 to kick off the 24th season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Houston — who’s sold over 170 million albums worldwide and has won six Grammys — is slated to release her new highly-anticipated album “I Look To You” on Aug. 31.

Click here for full story.