Remembering the Legendary Whitney Houston

During the eve of one of the biggest annual award celebrations in the music industry, comes the devastating news that legendary icon, Whitney Houston has died, she was only 48. The singer’s death was confirmed by her publicist, Kristen Foster, only hours before Houston was due to perform at music mogul Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“I can confirm that Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. We received a call at 3:43 p.m. from hotel security and Beverly Hills fire and police responded minutes later,” Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen tells PEOPLE. As to whether there was any evidence of drugs or foul play, Rosen responded: “At this time, there’s no obvious evidence of foul play or cause of death.”

The terrible news has come as a complete shock to all and reactions from fans and celebrities flood the internet:

Dolly Parton, who wrote “I Will Always Love You,” said, “mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.'”

Another entertainment legend, Quincy Jones, said he was “absolutely heartbroken” by the news. “She was a true original and a talent beyond compare.”

I’d like to take this time to remember Whitney Houston, she is a true legend and undoubtedly one of the greatest singers and performers of our generation. The world has lost an icon today, may she always be remembered for the amazing contribution that she gave us all, her music that became a soundtrack for us all as well as her unforgettable soulful voice, she was and will always remain a superstar in our hearts.