Musical Icon Whitney Houston passed away earlier today.

Houston’s publicist confirmed that the singer died to The AP.

While the cause and location of the singer’s death remain unconfirmed, early reports suggest Houston was found dead in her room at the Beverley Hilton Hotel, where she was preparing for a pre-Grammy award party.

Paramedics were called, but she was unresponsive and pronounced dead on the scene at 3.55pm on February 11.

News of her death comes after the singer was said to have been looking “worse for wear” after celebrating at another pre-Grammy party the night before.

Houston is recognized as the most awarded female act of all time by Guinness World Records, having won two Emmys, six Grammys, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards. She was recognized as a true queen of pop during her heyday, commanding a powerful voice that set a high bar for all those she influenced, including the likes of Christina Aguleria and Mariah Carey.

From her rise to prominence in 1985 through to the late 1990s, she wowed captivated audiences with her powerful, effortless, and gospel-influenced vocals. To this day, she remains one of the best-selling female artists, having sold over 200 million records worldwide, with her debut album ‘Whitney’ serving as the first female album to ever debut at No.1 on the Billboard Album Charts.

Later in her career, she carried her success into movies starring alongside Kevin Costner in 1992’s ‘The Bodyguard’, and 1995 hit romance film ‘Waiting to Exhale’, directed by Forest Whitaker.

Her meteoric success would become marred later in her career by drug use and a rocky marriage with New Edition ‘bad-boy’ Bobby Brown. Houston confessed to the habitual use of cocaine, marijuana, and prescription medication, which caused her behavior to become erratic, and left her voice raspy and unable to hit the powerful high notes she was once known for.

On hearing the news, Mariah Carey tweeted: “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.”

We will keep you updated as we get more information.

Watch the music video for Whitney Houston’s ‘I Have Nothing’ below: