Whitney Houston Was Found Unresponsive Before the Grammy Awards 13 Years Ago. Revisiting Her Untimely Death at 48

Houston died at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 11, 2012 — just one day before the awards ceremony that year

Whitney Houston performing in 1985. Photo: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty

The world lost the voice of a generation when Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012.

The six-time Grammy winner and “I Will Always Love You” vocalist had an unmatched singing ability when she burst onto the scene, having been discovered by Clive Davis at age 19. Her debut album sold 12 million copies in the U.S., and she became one of the best-selling artists ever.

The news of her accidental drowning in a Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles just one day before the Grammy Awards 13 years ago shocked the world.

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The music legend was 48 years old when she died, leaving behind her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who would tragically die three years later, at age 22.

From how the music world reacted to Houston’s lasting legacy, here’s a closer look at what happened when Houston died.

How did Whitney Houston die?

Whitney Houston singing at 2004 World Music Awards.Kevin Winter/Getty

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Houston’s official cause of death was ruled an accidental drowning, with contributing factors of heart disease and cocaine use. The coroner’s report also found that marijuana, Xanax, Benadryl and other substances were in her system at the time of her death.

Immediately following the tragic news, PEOPLE reported that “there was water found in her lungs that indicated that she was alive when she was submerged underwater” according to the chief coroner. “She could’ve passed out first due to the intoxication from the cocaine, or she could’ve had a heart attack and then drowned.”

Whitney Houston in 1985.Paul Natkin/Getty

The chief coroner went on to say that, according to their tests, the “level of cocaine was not necessarily a lethal level of cocaine. But her death was complicated by chronic cocaine use and heart disease.”

In 2022, PEOPLE dove into the music icon’s history with substance abuse, noting the pressures of fame mixed with her life of rebellion, and the effects that it had on Houston’s family. Houston was in and out of rehab multiple times throughout her life.

When did Whitney Houston die?

Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012 — a day before the 2012 Grammy Awards. Her official time of death was declared to be 3:55 p.m. local time.

It was reported that earlier that week, Houston was “spotted having a night out on the town in L.A. at Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For the Love of R&B Grammy Party at Tru Hollywood.”

On Feb. 9, two days before her death, Houston joined R&B artists Brandy and Monica to rehearse for producer and music executive Davis’s party. Later that evening, Houston gave her final performance at a pre-Grammys party in Hollywood, where she sang “Jesus Loves Me” onstage with Kelly Price.

Clive Davis and Whitney Houston in 2000. Lester Cohen/WireImage

Not an hour before her death, Houston spoke to her mother, Cissy Houston, at 3:15 p.m. local time. She maintained that Houston was seemingly fine when they spoke on the phone. Security was called less than 30 minutes later, when Houston was found submerged and unresponsive in the bathtub.

Police officers were already at the hotel for Davis’ party the evening of Houston’s death, so it took them a mere minutes to get to her suite after hotel security was called at 3:43 p.m. Houston was pronounced dead after officials attempted life-saving services.

Davis’ pre-Grammy party proceeded, while Houston’s body remained in the building until 12:45 a.m. local time, 9 hours after she was declared dead.

Where did Whitney Houston die?

Whitney Houston and mother Cissy Houston in 1987.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

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Houston was found unresponsive and submerged in her bathtub inside Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

How old was Whitney Houston when she died?

The “Greatest Love of All” singer was 48 years old at the time of her death.

Feb. 11, 2025, will mark the 13th anniversary of the pop music legend’s death. Houston would have turned 61 years old this August.

What happened to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown?

Bobbi Kristina Brown in 2012.Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic

Three years after her mother’s passing, Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown shared an eerily similar fate when she was also found unconscious in a bathtub, then reported dead almost six months later in hospice care.

Jan. 31, 2025, marked 10 years since Brown was found unconscious.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.