Introduction:
Legendary singer Whitney Houston was found dead at a Beverly Hills hotel in February 2012
Fourteen years after Whitney Houston’s tragic death, her unmistakable voice and career have continued to make a major impact on the music industry.
The singer died on Feb. 11, 2012, the day before the Grammy Awards, when she accidentally drowned in a hotel room. She left behind daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died three years later at the age of 22.
Houston was known as “The Voice” for her powerful vocal talents that continued to win accolades even after her death. By the end of her life, though, she was also well-known for her lengthy journey with drug addiction, which was immortalized in the 2022 biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Here is what to know about Whitney Houston’s sudden death, and the legacy she left behind.
How did Whitney Houston die?
Houston’s death was ruled as an accidental drowning with contributing factors of heart disease and cocaine use, according to the 42-page coroner’s report.
The toxicology report found that “cocaine and metabolites” contributed to her passing. Other substances found in her body included marijuana, Xanax (anti-anxiety medication), Benadryl (allergy medication) and Flexeril (muscle relaxer), but they did not contribute to her death.
“There was water found in her lungs that indicated to us that she was alive when she was submerged underwater,” Los Angeles County chief coroner Craig Harvey told PEOPLE at the time. “According to our 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.”
Coroner assistant chief Ed Winter shared with PEOPLE two potential scenarios about the circumstances of her death: “She could’ve passed out first due to the intoxication from the cocaine, or she could’ve had a heart attack and then drowned. It’s probably one of those two scenarios.”
Where did Whitney Houston die?
Houston was found unresponsive and submerged in her bathtub inside Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The singer was seemingly fine when speaking with her mother, Cissy Houston, at 3:15 p.m. Less than 30 minutes later, hotel security was called at 3:43 p.m. when the singer was found unresponsive in the bathtub by her assistant.
Police officers arrived in her suite two minutes later, as they were already at the hotel in preparation for Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards party that evening. Officials attempted CPR on Houston before she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
What were Whitney Houston’s last words?
Houston spoke on the phone with her mother around 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 11, just 40 minutes before she was pronounced dead in her hotel room. The nature of their phone call has not been revealed by Cissy, but she said her daughter seemed to be fine.
Two days before her death, on Feb. 9, Houston visited singers Brandy and Monica during their rehearsals for Davis’ party on Feb. 11. Later that day, Houston made her last public performance singing “Jesus Loves Me” onstage with Kelly Price in Hollywood at a pre-Grammys party.
How did the public react to Whitney Houston’s death?
Lovers of Houston’s music worldwide were devastated by her death. Davis, who was Houston’s friend and mentor, still hosted his pre-Grammy party in the Beverly Hilton hotel on the evening of Feb. 11, despite the singer’s body remaining inside the building until 12:45 a.m.
At the start of the event, he shared a tribute to Houston: “By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney’s passing. I don’t have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends.”
The Grammy Award winner continued, “I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn’t scheduled to perform. Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.”
In the days after Houston’s death, dozens of her friends and colleagues shared tributes to the late singer. “She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth,” Mariah Carey wrote on X.
“To me Whitney was THE VOICE. We got to hear a part of God every time she sang. Heart is heavy, spirit grateful for the GIFT of her,” said Oprah Winfrey. Other stars that shared messages of support included Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Toni Braxton and more.
The singer’s funeral was held on Feb. 19 in Newark, N.J., where she performed as a child in choir. The services included performances from several notables names, including Alicia Keys, who sang an emotional rendition of “Send Me An Angel,” and Stevie Wonder, who told mourners he “had a little crush on Whitney” before singing one of her favorite songs, “Ribbon in the Sky.”