BBC
Houston was one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, with hits including I Will Always Love You and Saving All My Love For You.
But her later career was overshadowed by substance abuse and her turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
Police spokesman Mark Rosen told reporters Houston was pronounced dead at 15:55 pm (23:55 GMT) in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Fire department personnel and members of hotel security were attempting to resuscitate her when police arrived at the scene, he said, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
"She has been positively identified by friends and family that were with her at the hotel, and next of kin have already been notified," he added.
The cause of her death remains unclear but Mr Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".
'Finest voice'
Houston's background was steeped in soul and gospel music.
Her mother was gospel singer Cissy Houston, she was cousin to singer Dionne Warwick and goddaughter to Aretha Franklin.
"I just can't talk about it now," Ms Franklin said in a short statement. "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."
At the height of her career in the 1980s and 90s she won many awards and enjoyed several number one singles and albums.
Artists from Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera have tried to emulate her bravura performances, but none of them were as good as the original, music critic Paul Gambaccini told the BBC.
Houston also enjoyed success acting in blockbuster films such as The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.
In recent years drug use took its toll on the star and her voice - once acknowledged as one of the finest in pop music - was badly damaged.
"She did have it all, but the record is there of the decline into drug use and the damage done from drug use," said Gambaccini.
Her marriage to Brown, with whom she had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, ended in divorce in 2007. The marriage had been a tempestuous one, with allegations of domestic abuse.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy,'' Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in a 2002 interview.
Correspondents say Houston's death will undoubtedly overshadow the music industry's Grammy Awards, due to be held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
She had been expected to attend the ceremony and her close friend and long-time mentor Clive Davis had recently hinted she might perform.
"It's her favourite night of the year ... who knows by the end of the evening," he had told AP.
Civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton said that on the morning of the Grammys, "the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird".
Country singer Dolly Parton - who wrote one one of her most memorable hits, I Will Always Love You - said in a statement: "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'."
American singer and actress Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48, her publicist Kristen Foster has said
American singer and actress Whitney Houston has died in Los Angeles at the age of 48.
Police said she died in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where she had been staying as a guest.Houston was one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, with hits including I Will Always Love You and Saving All My Love For You.
But her later career was overshadowed by substance abuse and her turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
Police spokesman Mark Rosen told reporters Houston was pronounced dead at 15:55 pm (23:55 GMT) in her room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Fire department personnel and members of hotel security were attempting to resuscitate her when police arrived at the scene, he said, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The cause of her death remains unclear but Mr Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent".
'Finest voice'
Houston's background was steeped in soul and gospel music.
Her mother was gospel singer Cissy Houston, she was cousin to singer Dionne Warwick and goddaughter to Aretha Franklin.
"I just can't talk about it now," Ms Franklin said in a short statement. "It's so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen."
Continue reading the main story
Guests have begun to arrive for the party, but it is unclear whether the event will go ahead. The scene at the Beverly hotel is frenzied. As well as police and the authorities, fans and the world's media have begun to gather.
The cause of Houston's death is unclear, with the police saying investigations are ongoing. It may take days or even weeks for tests to return with conclusive answers.
Analysis
The music industry, hours before this years Grammy Awards ceremony, can scarcely believe the news. Whitney Houston had been planning to attend a pre-Grammys party thrown by her mentor and close friend, Clive Davis.Guests have begun to arrive for the party, but it is unclear whether the event will go ahead. The scene at the Beverly hotel is frenzied. As well as police and the authorities, fans and the world's media have begun to gather.
The cause of Houston's death is unclear, with the police saying investigations are ongoing. It may take days or even weeks for tests to return with conclusive answers.
Having grown up in New Jersey, Houston began singing in church and then in the night clubs of New York, and was a model before being signed by Arista Records.
Artists from Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera have tried to emulate her bravura performances, but none of them were as good as the original, music critic Paul Gambaccini told the BBC.
Houston also enjoyed success acting in blockbuster films such as The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.
In recent years drug use took its toll on the star and her voice - once acknowledged as one of the finest in pop music - was badly damaged.
"She did have it all, but the record is there of the decline into drug use and the damage done from drug use," said Gambaccini.
Her marriage to Brown, with whom she had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, ended in divorce in 2007. The marriage had been a tempestuous one, with allegations of domestic abuse.
Houston was found on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton hotel
Correspondents say Houston's death will undoubtedly overshadow the music industry's Grammy Awards, due to be held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
She had been expected to attend the ceremony and her close friend and long-time mentor Clive Davis had recently hinted she might perform.
"It's her favourite night of the year ... who knows by the end of the evening," he had told AP.
Civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton said that on the morning of the Grammys, "the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird".
Country singer Dolly Parton - who wrote one one of her most memorable hits, I Will Always Love You - said in a statement: "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'."
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