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.

Ms Houston died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. She had been due to attend a pre-awards party in the Beverly Hilton Hotel organised by her long-time mentor and record industry executive Clive Davis on Saturday evening.

He went ahead with the party, holding a minute's silence and telling the audience he was "personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years". ...

Did she ever come to Glasgow?

... Eventually, the audience was forced to wrestle back control by taking over vocal duties on The Greatest Love Of All.

In her favour, she seemed to be enjoying herself as she hoofed gamely but laboriously around the stage with her dancers during the upbeat numbers. But even with a ten-minute break – during which her brother Gary minded the shop and her backing singers tore into Queen Of The Night – she still looked and sounded knackered by the time she was gasping through her closing number called (oh, the irony!) I Didn't Know My Own Strength.