On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, of causes not immediately known. According to TMZ, Houston was running late to get ready for the pre-Grammy Awards party being held four floors down in the hotel by her mentor, Clive Davis. After her stylists and bodyguards became concerned that Houston was in the bathroom for over an hour, they knocked on the door but Houston did not answer back. A female hairdresser went to check on Houston and quickly screamed as she discovered Houston in the bathtub. A bodyguard came in and quickly pulled Houston out of the bathtub. It was reported that Houston's face was underwater and her legs were up like she had slid down the back of the bathtub. Her body was reported to be very cold as her bodyguard attempted to perform unsuccessful CPR before alerting hotel security. Beverly Hills paramedics arrived shortly after and found the singer unresponsive and performed CPR for about 20 minutes before declaring her dead at 3:55 p.m. PST.Local police said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent". Although no illegal drugs were found, about a half dozen pill bottles were removed from the scene including, Xanax. Authorities speculate that a combination of Xanax and alcohol could have fatally sedated Houston and she may have fallen asleep or lapsed into unconsciousness in the bathtub and drowned although nothing has been confirmed and it is too early to tell the actual cause of death. An autopsy is scheduled for February 12, 2012, although any results will be deferred pending a toxicology report.
On the Thursday before her death, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica, together with Clive Davis, at their rehearsals for Davis' pre-Grammy Awards party. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times reported that Houston was reeking of alcohol and looked very bloated and disheveled, wearing mismatched clothing with her hair dripping of either water or sweat. During the two singers' rehearsal, Houston was seen skipping around the lobby or wandering aimlessly around the hotel ground. At one point guests of the hotel became so concerned that they reported her behavior to security after she was seen doing handstands by the hotel pool. Houston attended a party that evening held by Kelly Price at Tru nightclub in Hollywood, California. A scuffle was narrowly avoided with singer Stacy Francis. Reports say that Houston got belligerent and her boyfriend Ray J was forced to step in, although he defended Francis. Houston attempted to raise her hand, but was calmed down. Later in the evening, Houston gave what is now her final onstage performance when she took to the stage along with Price for a one minute performance of "Jesus Loves Me". Houston was photographed leaving the club clearly intoxicated with scratches and blood stains on her legs, although it is unknown where those came from.
The Clive Davis party that Houston was expected to attend and which featured many of the biggest names in music and movies, went on as scheduled though was quickly turned into a tribute to Houston. Davis spoke to those attending the party about Houston's passing by saying at evening's start, "By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney’s passing. I don't have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn't scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on."
Tony Bennett spoke of Houston's passing before performing at Davis' party by saying "First it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston. I'd like every person in this room to campaign to legalize drugs. Let's legalize drugs like they did in Amsterdam. No one's hiding or sneaking around corners to get it. They go to a doctor to get it." Bennett, who battled drug addiction in the 1970s, went on to perform "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" in honor of Houston and her long battle with drug addiction. "This is a song Frank Sinatra asked me to sing," Bennett told the crowd. "I'd like to dedicate it to Whitney. When I first heard her, I called (producer) Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life.'"
Several other celebrities released statements responding to Houston's death. Dolly Parton, whose song "I Will Always Love You" was covered by Houston, said, "I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, 'Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed'." Houston's godmotherAretha Franklin said, "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."
Moments after news of her death leaked out, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all broke from their reguarly scheduled programming to dedicate non-stop cover of Houston's passing. All three featured live interviews with people who knew Houston including those that have worked with her, interviewed her along with some of her peers in the music industry. Saturday Night Live displayed a still photo (pictured) in silent reverence of a smiling and beautiful Houston, alongside Molly Shannon, from her 1996 appearance. MTV and VH-1 interrupted their reguarly scheduled programming on Sunday February 12 to air many of Houston's classic videos with MTV often airing news segments inbetween and featuring various reactions from fans and celebrities.
Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, was reported to be "in and out of crying fits" since receiving the news. He did not cancel a scheduled performance and within hours of his ex-wife's sudden death, an audience in Mississippi observed as Brown blew kisses skyward, tearfully saying: "I love you, Whitney".
Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the 54th Grammy Awards announced that Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan would perform a tribute to Houston at the February 12, 2012, awards. He said "event organizers believed Hudson — an Academy Award-winning actress and Grammy Award-winning artist — could perform a respectful musical tribute to Houston". Ehrlich went on to say: "It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years".
FROM WIKIPEDIA
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