Overdose Suspected In Death Of Whitney Houston

The Associated Press has reported that singer Whitney Houston has died. Publicist Kristen Foster has confirmed the singers death to the AP.

Houston had been scheduled to appear Saturday night at the annual Grammy party hosted by record executive Clive Davis, the man who discovered her.   Houston was seen on Thursday at another pre-Grammy party and the Hollywood Reporter says she was described as acting "belligerent."  On Friday, news broke that she was being approached for a seat on the judges' panel on The X Factor. A source close to Clive Davis told the Hollywood Reporter, "This is a sad day and it will be a sad Grammys weekend."

In her storied career, Houston sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide, and won six Grammy Awards, two Emmys and countless other honors.  The cousin of Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, Whitney grew up singing in the church, and as a teenager, she worked as a backing vocalist, sometimes appearing onstage with her mother, singer Cissy Houston. In the early '80s, Houston became a model but continued to sing; Clive Davis signed her to Arista Records in 1983 after he saw her perform in a nightclub.

Whitney's 1985 self-titled debut album was a massive hit, as was the follow-up, 1987's Whitney. Together, they produced massive hits like "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," "The Greatest Love of All," "So Emotional," "Saving All My Love for You" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go."

Houston branched out into acting with The Bodyguard, and scored her signature hit "I Will Always Love You" from that movie's soundtrack. Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife followed.  She had recently wrapped filming on Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, in which she portrayed the mother of an up-and-coming singer played by Jordin Sparks. The film is set to be released in August.

Houston married singer Bobby Brown in 1992, a move many felt was controversial, due to his "bad boy" image.  They had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and finally divorced in 2007 after a tumultuous relationship.

Houston's struggles with substance abuse, which she owned up to in various interviews over the past decade, often overshadowed her musical accomplishments.  She went to rehab twice and declared herself drug-free in 2010.  Her 2009 album I Look to You was hailed as her comeback album, but her performances to support it were disappointing, with some fans walking out of shows.

Whitney Houston influenced a generation of musical performers, including Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and nearly every female singer who ever appeared on American Idol.

She achieved fame as an actress, starring alongside Kevin Costner in 1992's "The Bodyguard".  According to 'The Daily Mail' online (Sunday),

Miss Houston drowned alone in a bathtub having accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol after two back-to-back evenings of out-of-control binges, it has been claimed.  The star was found dead under the water by her bodyguard in a luxury hotel suite said to have been littered with bottles of prescription pills.

Paramedics performed CPR but the singer was pronounced dead shortly before 4 pm pacific time Saturday.