Death of Whitney Houston

Lore & Background

Whitney Houston arrived in Beverly Hills on February 2, 2012, booking a suite at the Beverly Hilton with her entourage, including her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. In the days before her death, she recorded vocals for the song 'Celebrate' for the soundtrack to her film Sparkle, her first film since 1996. She was also scheduled to attend Clive Davis's pre-Grammy party and had meetings planned with Simon Cowell regarding The X Factor.

Reader's Guide

Houston's death at the Beverly Hilton occurred on the same weekend as the 2012 Grammy Awards, which featured numerous tributes and produced the second highest ratings in the show's history. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner's Office concluded her death was from accidental drowning caused by the effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use, with marijuana and several prescription medications also in her system. Her memorial service took place on February 18, 2012. Following her death, posthumous albums and songs were released, including the international hit single 'Higher Love' (featuring Kygo). Guinness World Records named her the highest-grossing posthumous female celebrity. Her life was the subject of documentaries and biopics, including the 2018 documentary Whitney and the 2022 biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

Did You Know?

• Houston was found unconscious by her security guard Ray Watson and personal assistant Mary Jones.
• Her death was ruled accidental drowning caused by atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.
• She had been swimming an hour or two a day in the weeks before her death, according to Clive Davis.
• Her final public performance was singing 'Jesus Loves Me' with Kelly Price at a pre-Grammy party on February 9, 2012.