Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

US singer Whitney Houston dies

Updated at 5:00 am on 13 February 2012

American singer and actress Whitney Houston has died in Los Angeles at the age of 48.

Police said she died in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she had been staying as a guest.

Houston was one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, with hits including I Will Always Love You and Saving All My Love For You.

But her later career was overshadowed by substance abuse and her turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

Ms Houston died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

She had been due to attend a pre-awards party in the Beverly Hilton Hotel organised by her long-time mentor and record industry executive Clive Davis on Saturday evening.

The hotel was already teeming with reporters and celebrities when police received an emergency call from hotel security at 15.43 local time, Beverly Hills police spokesman Mark Rosen told the BBC.

Police were despatched, but paramedics, already at the hotel because of the party, attempted to resuscitate her, without success. She was pronounced dead at 15.55.

Mr Rosen said Ms Houston's entourage - comprising family members, friends and co-workers - had taken over much of the fourth floor of the hotel.

"There were a number of people on scene who were able to positively identify Ms Houston for us," he said, adding that her next of kin have been informed of her death.

He said police investigators were at the scene trying to determine the cause of her death, but said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".

Mr Davis went ahead with the party, holding a minute's silence and telling the audience he was "personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years".

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