RIP Whitney Houston

Singer, actress Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48 as confirmed by her publicist earlier today. There is no word on the cause of death at this time. A full investigation is currently being conducted.

Whitney was scheduled to make an appearance at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party this evening.

The daughter of singer Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, two musical powerhouses in their own right, Whitney began singing in the church before she caught the attention of Clive Davis. Known for her distinct soaring, powerful voice, she had many, many hits including "Saving All My Love For You", "Greatest Love Of All", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", "So Emotional", "I Will Always Love You", and "It's Not Right But It's Okay." Her signature song is "I Will Always Love You" from the movie The Bodyguard, in which she also acted with co-star Kevin Costner. Despite her nearly quarter of a century career, she released only 6 proper studio albums (7 if her Holiday album One Wish were to be included).

In addition to The Bodyguard, she acted in Waiting To Exhale, The Preacher's Wife, and the forthcoming Sparkle due this Summer. Filming for the movie was completed late last year. Whitney also made contributions to the soundtracks for the first three. She was also heading into the studio to record some new music for the movie or for a new album in recent weeks.

In recent years, Whitney's personal life became tabloid fodder as she was involved in a tumultuous relationship with singer Bobby Brown and had a very public drug addiction. She eventually sought treatment and had appeared to overcome her addiction.

She made a brief musical comeback in 2009 with the release of her I Look To You album and accompanying concert tour. However, reviews were mixed as many noticed Whitney's voice had changed dramatically, most likely a result of years of substance abuse.

Whitney leaves behind a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 19.