Celebrities react to Whitney Houston death

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Celebrities at a pre-Grammy Awards party were shocked and saddened on Saturday by the news that singer Whitney Houston had died.

The pop superstar died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles at the same hotel where her mentor, record mogul Clive Davis, was holding an annual pre-event party featuring scores of music industry celebrities.

A dramatic scene unfolded at the Beverly Hilton hotel as guests arriving for the party expressed shock at her death, while reporters swarmed the hotel, fans gathered outside to light candles in her memory and helicopters hovered overhead.

Beverly Hills police said they were called to the Beverly Hilton at around 3:43 p.m. PST (2343 GMT), and fire department personnel who were already at the location responded immediately.

Houston was in her fourth-floor room but was unresponsive to CPR, and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.