Whitney Houston dead at 48

Pop superstar Whitney Houston has died aged 48.

TMZ report that the singer's body was found at the Beverly Hilton hotel this afternoon, where she had been staying ahead of the Grammy Awards the night after.

Whitney's powerhouse voice and glamorous image cemented her status as one of pop's biggest stars in the 80s and early 90s, until a highly-publicised battle with drugs interfered with her singing voice and her career.

She is survived by her daughter Bobbi Kristina, whose father is Whitney's ex-husband Bobby Brown.

During her career, Whitney sold 200 million albums, won six Grammy awards, two Emmys, 30 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards - her album Whitney was the first album by a female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts.

To see Whitney's life in pics - from her triumphs right through to her sad decline- check out our tribute gallery here.

RIP