Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room at 3:55pm on Saturday. The cause of death is presently unknown. Houston was slated to appear at Clive Davis’ annual gala Saturday evening where she would be performing.

She had been seen rehearsing for the show on Thursday with Brandy and Monica. She also performed two days ago at a pre-Grammy party. With this tragedy happening on the eve of the Grammys, where she was a staple in her prime, it is sure to hang heavy over the evening.

It is a sad ending for an unbelievably talented singer who has been chased by the demons of drug use over the years. She is one of the highest grossing artists in pop music history, selling over 55 million albums. She broke onto the music scene in the mid-80s and was a fixture of pop music through the late-90s, churning out chart topping singles at a dizzying rate. She also had a successful acting career staring in box office successes like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

Her tumultuous relationship with husband Bobby Brown seemed to feed her descent into drug addiction. It also sprang charges of domestic abuse as the couple divorced in 2007.

Whitney Houston’s attempt to resurrect her career in 2009 with the release of “I Look at You” initially seemed to pave the way for her comeback. The album went platinum, scaling the Billboard charts. Her live act didn’t fare as well as she was booed off the stage during her European tour and subsequent dates were swiftly cancelled. The years of drug abuse were blamed for taking its toll on her most valuable asset.

Throughout it all, Whitney Houston was a rare talent who opened doors for a string of strong women vocalists who would follow like Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera. Though she will ultimately be viewed as a cautionary tale of the dangers of fame and the temptations it breeds, Houston put her heart and soul into her music and it shone through in every note. Music is a much richer place for having Whitney be a part of it.

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