Beverly Hills police officer Mark Rosen told reporters outside the Beverly Hilton that Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm Saturday (local time) in her room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Her body remained there and Beverly Hills detectives were investigating. "There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent,'' Rosen said. Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said the cause of death was unknown.

Rosen said police received an emergency call from hotel security about Houston at 3:43pm Saturday. Paramedics who were already at the hotel because of a Grammy party unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the singer, he said.

Houston's end came on the eve of music's biggest night the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to cast a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony.

Article sourced from NZ HERALD - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10785074