Whitney Houston has been found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room.
The news was announced by her publicist, and later confirmed by police.
The cause of the singer's death is currently unclear.
Houston, 48, was pronounced dead in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton at 3.55pm (local time) on Saturday afternoon. It is thought she was found by her bodyguard and could not be resuscitated.
Lieutenant Mark Rosen of Beverly Hills Police told reporters: "She has been positively identified by friends and family that were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified."
The death is not being treated as suspicious but the cause is being investigated.
On Thursday night the star was pictured looking dishevelled and worse for wear as she attended a pre-Grammy party in Hollywood, but earlier in the evening she had received a standing ovation for her duet with host Kelly Price.
Houston died hours before she was expected to perform at her long-time mentor, record producer Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party, which is held at the Beverly Hilton.
Whitney was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, who tweeted: "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, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby."
She is survived by her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.
By Cat Collins
Leave your tribute to Whitney on the Sky Living Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter or sign up to our daily newsletter for the latest news.
