Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston dies at 48

Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston has died at age 48.

Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the singer had died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, but the cause of her death was unknown. "Unfortunately it is true," the spokesman said. The time of death was called to be 3:55PM pacific standard time.

The singer was troubled by drug use and her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

Born on August 9, 1963, and inspired by soul singers in her New Jersey family, Houston became one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, taking multiple Emmy, Grammy and Billboard Music awards.

Her popularity soared in the 1980s and 1990s with consecutive No. 1 hits including the smash single "I Will Always Love You," from the soundtrack of the feature film "The Bodyguard," in which she starred. The soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy for Album of the Year.