Singing legend Houston, 48, found dead in hotel bath tub

The death of the Grammy award-winning star, who was one of the world’s best-selling artists in the 1980s and 1990s, left the entertainment industry and fans around the world in shock.

Los Angeles police said the troubled singer, who had battled with drug addiction, was found in her hotel room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton. Detectives said paramedics unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the singer.

Paramedics said they took Houston’s daughter to a Los Angeles hospital yesterday morning for unspecified reasons.

The Beverly Hills Fire Department says Bobbi Kristina Brown was taken from the Beverly Hills Hilton around 10:30 am yesterday, less than a day after her mother died. The 18-year-old’s condition was not immediately known.

Police said there were no “obvious signs” of any criminal intent in relation to the singer’s death but there have been widespread reports that the singer had drowned in her bathtub, with prescription drugs said to have been found nearby.

Houston’s death came just hours before she was due to perform at a party hosted ahead of last night’s Grammy Awards.

The award show organisers were said to be frantically arranging a tribute to the late star, set to be fronted by Jennifer Hudson.

Houston had last performed just three days ago at a pre-Grammy party with singer Kelly Price.

Singer Kenny Lattimore, who hosted the event, said Houston sang with a voice lacking the same power it had at the height of her career but that she had been in a good mood.

During rehearsals on Thursday night the star was widely reported to have been looking dishevelled, sweating profusely and smelling of alcohol.

Houston herself had won multiple Grammys, including album and record of the year, and sold millions of albums and singles worldwide during her career.

Best known for hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody she also enjoyed acting success, most notably in The Bodyguard.

However, her career was derailed by a long-standing battle with drug addiction and sales of her records began to decline as her once revered voice began to fail.

A series of comebacks were poorly received. She played a world tour in 2010 but the UK leg was beset by cancellations.