US singer Whitney Houston is dead at the age of 48 as announced by her publicist Kristen Foster. The cause of her death is not known.
Police investigations are ongoing and it may take days or even weeks for tests to return with conclusive answers.
TMZ website reported that Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her hotel room.
She died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she had been staying as a guest, the police reported.
“She has been positively identified by friends and family that were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified,” Lieutenant Mark Rosen told reporters.
She won two Emmys, six Grammy awards and 22 American Music awards and 30 Billboard awards as her successful career spanned three decades.
Among her hits were How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You and I Will Always Love You.
Her success carried her beyond music and she starred in movies, including most famously, The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner.
The soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy for Album of the Year.
But for many years Houston struggled with drug addiction and financial problems.
She admitted using marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs.
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 US alone.
Reaction to her death has been pouring in from friends and fans.
