Music world unites in tribute to Whitney

Musicians, producers and fans on Sunday paid tribute to US soul diva Whitney Houston, hailing her as an inspirational figure who opened the door to Western pop music.

The singer, a household name in China since her 1992 mega-hit I Will Always Love You, was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday. She was 48.

Houston had been in LA for Sunday's Grammy Awards and was staying at the Beverly Hilton, where she was also scheduled to perform at a pre-ceremony party hosted by Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records.

Lieutenant Mark Rosen of the Los Angeles County Police Department told the Associated Press that emergency services were called to the singer's room on the fourth floor. Paramedics, who found her in the bath, were unable to resuscitate her and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 pm.

The cause of death is still under investigation, he said, adding that there was "no obvious signs of any criminal intent".

A report in The Los Angeles Times said Houston had behaved erratically during an appearance on Thursday at a rehearsal for a Grammy awards party. Although she greeted people with a warm smile, she appeared disheveled, with mismatched clothes and dripping-wet hair, the paper said.

The singer flailed her hands frenetically as she spoke, skipped around the ballroom in a childlike fashion and wandered aimlessly about the lobby, according to the report.

Davis, who had been the diva's longtime mentor, went ahead with his annual concert at the hotel and dedicated the evening to Houston. He asked for a moment of silence, while a photo of the singer, hands wide open, looking to the sky, appeared on the screen.

After bursting on to the scene in the US in the 1980s, Houston went on to become one of the world's biggest R&B stars, with hits including I Have Nothing, All At Once and Get It Back.

To date, she has sold more than 170 million albums and still holds the record for the most Grammy's won by a female artist.

Her success in China came in the early 1990s, following the global hit The Bodyguard, forwhich she recorded I Will Always Love You. At the time, the only way for many people to hear about Western pop acts was through limited edition tapes and music magazines.

Following her divorce from Bobby Brown in 2007, Houston is reported to have struggled with alcohol and drug problems, which some critics say seriously affected her vocal range.

Last year, Houston canceled several dates on her world tour, including concerts in China, citing illness.