thedailywhat:

RIP: Whitney Houston, pop superstar known for her hits as much as for her troubles with substance abuse, passed away today at 48.

Details concerning cause of death remain unknown at this time, but Houston is believed to have been found in her Beverly Hilton hotel room by her bodyguard. Paramedics who arrived at the scene found Houston unresponsive. All efforts to resuscitate the singer failed and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM local time.

No foul play is suspected at this time; an investigation has been launched. BBC Correspondent Alastair Leithead reports that she may have been under the influence “of substances” at the time of her death.

Houston leaves behind a musical legacy that spans multiple decades. She was the recipient of 415 awards throughout her storied career — the most ever by a female singer — including two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards.

She also leaves behind a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, whom she had with then-husband Bobby Brown.

[usatoday / tmz.]