On Saturday, it was announced that the legendary singer/actress Whitney Houston, 48, died in a Beverly Hills hotel room the day before the Grammy Awards.
Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen told the Associated Press that the singer was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
Paramedics were already at the Hilton Hotel because of a Grammy Awards party. However, they failed to revive Houston.
“There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent,” Rosen said.
Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster, confirmed the death Saturday, but gave no details.
Family members said they talked to Houston hours before her death and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
Unconfirmed rumors of drug overdose have, however, flooded gossip sites and fan pages on the internet.
Drug use and Houston’s rocky marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown were frequent tabloid headlines throughout the ’90s and early 2000s.
In promoting her comeback studio album in 2009, “I Look to You,” Houston told the Oprah Winfrey Show that she had struggles with heavy drug usage in the past.
She also added that her 14-year-marriage to Brown was emotionally abusive, and that she finally left the marriage after Brown spit in her face in a drunken rage with their daughter watching.
Houston was a leading pop diva in the ’80s and ’90s with Billboard chart toppers, like “I Want to Dance with Somebody,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
She made her mark on the big screen in movies like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”
Her list of awards include 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, six Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.
With what some have called “the voice,” she is credited for selling almost 180-million albums worldwide.
Just like the rest of the world, students at Cal State Long Beach are shocked by the death of the superstar.
Monica Eisenbeisz, criminal justice alumna, didn’t see Houston’s death coming at all.
“I was honestly shocked by the news of her death, even considering her past drug abuse,” Eisenbeisz said. “She was an exceptionally-talented and beautiful woman who pushed boundaries with her music.”
Jessica Mendoza, junior journalism major, said the news of Houston’s passing was unfortunate since she was so young.
“It’s tragic that such an influential artist has passed,” Mendoza said. “Her spirit will live on through her music.”
In recent years, Houston has been criticized for canceling tour dates and the loss of her voice due to drug usage.
No further information on her death is available as her body awaits investigation.