Whitney Houston, whose sublime voice carried her to the pinnacle of the music world before drug abuse sent her into a tragic tailspin, died Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel. She was 48. Houston was declared dead at 3:55 p.m. in a fourth-floor room of the Beverly Hilton after paramedics spent nearly 30 minutes trying to revive her, authorities said.

The cause of her death was unknown. Houston was in town for music executive Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party, one of Hollywood's hottest events of the year. In a creepy twist, the swanky shindig went on early Sunday with Houston's body still upstairs. Davis, in an address to the numb crowd, spoke of Houston's "unspeakable passing." "Whitney would have wanted the music to go on," Davis added.

Houston appeared belligerent and disheveled Thursday at the rehearsals for Davis' annual gala a couple of days before. Her hair wet and her clothes mismatched, the visibly bloated singer flitted erratically around the ballroom, the Los Angeles Times reported. Many worried about alcohol and drug abuse, despite the star's admant claim that "crack is whack" in her Diane Sawyer interview years before. Her marriage to singer Bobby Brown initiated this life of abuse, but many thought her to be on the road to recovery.

Her mother, Cissy Houston and her cousin, Dionne Warwick, reportedly spoke to the troubled singer over the phone Saturday and had no indication anything was wrong.

Her death casts a pall on Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremonies and she was fit into the schedule and honored in a musical tribute by Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Kahn.

Her life was one of a legend; from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she ranked as one of the world's best selling artists. She took home six Grammy Awards and was nominated 26 times. Houston'stalent and influence was not confined to pop music. She also became a movie star and an inspiration for dozens of future musical icons, including Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey, but her life and career ended in tatters, drug and alcohol abuse stripping her of her voice and her beautiful looks. Her death prompted a flood of tributes.

"I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney's passing," music producer Quincy Jones said in a written statement. "I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly."

"She used to sing me to sleep when I was growing up," laments Alayna Padilla (12) on the passing of the star "It's a horrible loss." Whitney Houston has inspired millions with her one-of-a-kind angelic voice. Her passing has affected the music world in ways that will assure her memory is never forgotten, even as the last wavering note of her most famous song "I Will Always Love You," filters out.