Whitney Houston's Tragic Death

DRUGS not drowning

The golden girl of the music industry from the middle 1980s to the late 1990s Whitney Houston, 48, was found dead under the bath water in luxury suite number 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday afternoon, which is said to have been littered with bottles of prescription pills.

Reports say that Houston died from mixing a cocktail of Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol. Bottles of Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax and a sleeping medication were found in the hotel room, it has been declared.

The drugs were believed to have acted as sedatives, causing her to fall asleep in the bathtub once they had been mixed with alcohol from the previous evenings. Paramedics battled to revive the singer but she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm, hours before she had been due to perform at a pre-Grammys party at the same hotel.

Los Angeles Coroner's office has officially refused to comment on rumors that water was found on her lungs, indicating she had drowned. But the gossip website TMZ has reported otherwise, saying Houston’s family has allegedly been told by Los Angeles County Coroner officials there was not enough water in her lungs to conclude she had drowned in her luxury hotel bathtub and in fact died before her head went under water.

Reports vary who found her. Some suggest her aunt Mary Jones discovered her body, while others say it was her hairdresser Tiffanie Dixon. At first it was thought that singer and reality TV star Ray-J, her on/off boyfriend who at 17 years younger dated her between 2007 and 2009 and was believed to have rekindled the romance, found the star.

But the brother of pop star Brandy later released a statement saying he 'was nowhere near the scene but no less distraught'.  He added that he had received 'missed calls' from his ex, and said: 'We all gotta live with that.'

The surprises come as it emerged that Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18, allegedly fell asleep in a bathtub in the same Beverly Hilton hotel just 24 hours before her mother died. TMZ claims security was called to unlock the door and to help the 18-year-old on that occasion.

Now Bobbi Kristina’s relatives fear that she has become suicidal after she was rushed in the hospital twice in 24 hours following the discovery of her mother’s death.

Family and Friends Condolences

Bobby Brown, Houston’s ex-husband with whom she had an infamously turbulent 14-year relationship questioned with drug use, was in Nashville at the time of her death and his daughter's trips to the hospital.

Brown said, “I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston. At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi-Kristina. I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time.”

Houston's family also released a statement expressing their grief, “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends.”

Celebrities, from singers and rappers to television personalities and business leaders, took to Twitter to express their sadness at the news and praises for her undoubted talent.

'Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston,' said Mariah Carey.

'Shocked we've lost the immensely talented Whitney Houston!' wrote fellow singer Gloria Estefan and Rihanna tweeted, 'No words! Just tears. I honestly can't think of anything else!!! Feels so strange being at the Grammy rehearsal right now!!'

A 'devastated' Mitch Winehouse, the father of late Amy Winehouse who died last year after a public battle with class A drugs, paid tribute on Twitter, writing, “Amy, Etta, Whitney. Their music will NEVER die. What a great girl group in heaven.”

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb added his condolences, saying, “In my estimation we have lost one of the greatest voices in popular music today...but as we always learn too late...we never cherish it until it's gone. My thoughts are with her family.”

Former Boyzone star Ronan Keating said the severity of the singer's problems had become apparent two years ago at the start of her comeback. He told Sky, ”I'm devastated. I cannot believe it. It's hard to believe she's gone. Another legend, we've lost another singer, probably the greatest singer the world has ever seen.

It's very sad to see the tough times in her life. I saw her two years ago when she was trying to make her comeback and I could see that she was weathered and you could see that she had been through tough time but you could see the voice was still there and she was trying.”

A performer with undoubted talent

It was a very tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

Houston seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

But by the end of her career, Houston became a dramatic cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales crashed down and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanors and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

However, Whitney Houston is a legend and her songs will continue to reign even though she is forever gone. In the hearts and minds of people who love and idolize her, she is still the golden girl of the music industry; forever remembered and forever will remain.

Click the link to watch Whitney's last performance!

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S LAST PERFORMANCE