challenge question was d, elizabeth windsor was in a treehouse hotel in kenya when she suddenly became queen elizabeth ii on the death of her father king george vi, 60 years ago this week. thanks for being part of my program. i will see you next week. . you're in the cnn newsroom. this sunday, february 12th. i'm fredricka whitfield. as the music industry prepares for tonight's grammy awards it mourns whitney houston. some of the biggest names in music will honor the pop star. houston died yesterday in the beverly hills hilton hours before she was to attend a pregrammy party. 48 years old and poised to make a comeback after battling drugs for years. houston's body is in the los angeles county morgue waiting an autopsy. the beverly hills police say they will release information on their investigation tomorrow.

we have a team of correspondents following this story. casey wian covering the police investigation and entertainment reporter kareen wynter covering the reaction from the music industry and the mood thus far at the grammys and deb feyerick in new jersey getting reaction in whitney's hometown of newark. we'll get to all of them. let's begin with casey wian in los angeles. what is the latest on this investigation? >> well, fredricka, as you can imagine beverly hills police are being careful about what they say less than 24 hours after the death of singer whitney houston. what we do know is beverly hills police department received a 911 call yesterday afternoon, 3:55 p.m., responded to the beverly hilton hotel, excuse me, 3:43 p.m. the call came in. responded to the beverly hilton hotel. already on the scene were the fire department and hotel security. they found whitney houston there unresponsive. now cpr was attempted and, of

course, it failed. police are conducting their investigation and they tell me that all of the beverly hills police department investigators were off site from the hotel as of early this morning. what they will not say is if that means that their physical investigation at the hotel has been completed. as you mentioned whitney houston's body was moved after midnight last night to the los angeles county morgue. a coroner's autopsy is pending. the coroner's office tells us that it could happen today, it could happen tomorrow. they don't schedule these things. it just depends on the number of cases they have coming in. once that autopsy is complete, they could have information to release as soon as tomorrow, or it could take several weeks depending on what is found. there are additional details being reported by celebrity news site tmz. let's go through those. according to hotel employees and people close to houston, she was found in the tub, pill bottles were found in the room and the

first resuscitation attempts were made apparently by her bodyguard. as you mentioned, fredricka, the police department saying they will not have any more details about this pending an ongoing investigation until tomorrow and, perhaps, we may have some additional information about a possible cause of death from the coroner at that time. that's the latest. >> so casey, earlier police said that there were no signs of foul play. however it appears as though some eight hours elapsed before they would remove the body from that room. are police explaining what was taking so long? why they were trying to it continue to sanitize the area, what they were looking for, et cetera? >> well, they're not saying why it took so long, but you can imagine the scene. it was described as a chaotic scene and the investigation that is ongoing, they had to take pictures of the scene. they had to look at whitney houston's body as we reported that tmz is reporting, there were pills found on -- pill

bottles found in the hotel room. the amount of evidence they had to collect. the photos they had to take, and the video they probably took. also reports that they had to obtain a search warrant before they went in there and did this investigation. nine hours i don't think for the body to have been removed is really that unusual in case like this, fredricka. >> casey wian, thanks so much. keep us posted on the investigation. while all of this is unfolding the grammy awards will go on tonight but with a shock of whitney houston's death. let's get to kareen wynter now, as she is in los angeles. careen, i know they've had to make many changes in their programming tonight to make sure they have a fitting tribute for whitney houston. what do we know about it? >> well, we know and we've confirmed this through the reporting academy, that jennifer hudson will be performing a tribute of some sort to whitney houston. we also learned, fred, chaka khan has been asked to perform, although she said she's not sure

exactly what she'll be performing. she was asked by the recording academy. you have to just imagine, all the scrambling that went on behind the scenes after this news broke yesterday, a completely different show. every year when we cover this, this is a night of celebration, everyone's upbeat, everyone is excited and it's going to be undoubtedly toned down dramatically this year and expect, fred, many people who hit the stage, who are winners or presenters, to make off the cuff comments, dedication to this late singer. so it's going to be an absolutely incredible emotional night. i just wanted to talk a little bit, too, about some of the festivities that went on behind the scenes yesterday. for example, the clive davis party, also the artist neo had an event, it's his midnight brunch pregrammy party and i'm told by a music end sider there wasn't a dry eye in the house. everyone was so extremely emotional. ray j a close friend of whitney

houston, they were reportedly romantically linked several years ago, they had remained close friends, they were told he was going to pick her up from her hotel in beverly hills to take her to her favorite party of the year, the clive davis party. he was extremely emotional and told by my source he spent the entire night with his head in his sister's arms, in his sister's lap we're talking about brandy. just so devastated, so broken up, as are many people in the music industry and beyond. people pay tributes to whitney houston, reflected on personal experiences with her and came together to not only console each other but to remember this iconic super star. people are still so in shock and we'll be heading down shortly to the staples center where the grammys will take place and this is something that's undoubtedly going to continue as the night progresses and we speak to people on the red carpet, artists back stage who knew

whitney houston, they're really at a loss for words over what's transpired here. >> it's hard on the fans, her admirers and very hard on the family members. what about her mom sis ycissy hn and aunt and gad mother dionne warwick and aretha franklin, have we heard about their whereabouts and how they are handling this? >> well, they're incredibly broken up over what's happened right now and one of our correspondents caught up with dionne on the red carpet at the clive davis party yesterday and just people are in shock. she reflected, shared with our correspondent how for so many years, i want to preface this saying we don't know what the cause of whitney houston's death is here. she had a history of drug abuse be kwoon de yon referenced the fact that so many people in her circ circle, her family, friends tried to rally to help her get into rehab and to kick this habit, and people are just

saying, maybe there's more that we could have done on that end. they're questioning all that. they're reflecting on her memory. i'm sure they're going to be speaking out more once they really soak all of this in, this devastating news. >> all right. kareen wynter, keep us posted throughout the afternoon. meantime the place where in large part whitney houston grew up, and showed her first signs of talent, newark, new jersey. there people are remembering the gifted neighborhood girl who went on to become an international super star. cnn's deborah feyerick is outside the new hope baptist church in newark. this is the church where a young whitney started singing as a soloist with a junior choir there. what was this sunday service like for the congregation today? >> there have been multiple services that began at 6:30 this morning. see some of the members of the congregation leaving. they are -- the extended family, whitney houston's extended family, several members inside the church, just a little while

ago, as was the reverend jesse jackson, who was a friend of the family who spoke to whitney houston's mom cissy houston saying she is completely devastated by this loss. we know there were members of the family over at the home of cissy houston. they're really just grappling with this trying to come to terms with exactly what's happened and why it happened now, especially since she seemed to be on the comeback, really she appeared to have kicked the addiction, at least in part. she had a new movie sparkle which is about musicians who are dealing with drug addiction, so there were a lot of good things in her life having ended by what all intents and purposes was a toxic marriage. we did speak earlier to several parishioners but also to the pastor. here's what he had to say. >> how do you feel? >> i haven't slept. i've been up all night. just gone over, listening to her

songs and reminiscing about her life and what's going to happen now to her daughter, her mom, her brothers. she's in a better place. >> lot of the concern on whitney houston's daughter bobbi kristina there at the beverly hills hilton with her mom and who by some accounts was not able to see her mom after she passed away. you know, this church, though, fredricka, the new hope baptist church, this is the place that whitney houston really took the stage for the very first time. it's where she learned how to sing. she said when she was here felt as if she was singing for god and said it was here she developed her vocal talents. she learned how to basically do four part harmony, learned when the tempo changes in the middle of the song how you deal with that and also became a very strong ac ka pella singer. this church had a huge role in her life. her mom was choir director for

almost 50 years, a very celebrated gospel singer in her own right. a sense of loss, grieving, a sense she was clearly taken simply too soon and that was the point of the pastor agencies sermon today. he said, life is fragile and you just never know and how do you deal with something when it happens so unexpectedly. fredricka? >> deborah feyerick, thanks so much. so whitney houston's career began in the u.s., but she was a global success and now the world pauses to remember her. "my love is your love" was another huge single for whitney houston. staying in the billboard top ten for 17 weeks. take a listen of the 1998 hit song. ♪ my love my love is your love ♪ ♪ if its takes an eternity to break us ♪

♪ your love is my love and my love is your love ♪ ♪ it would take an eternity to break us up ♪ [ deep beetle exhaust ]

♪ [ door creaking ] [ dog whimpers ] ♪ ♪ get up offa that thing ♪ and dance till you feel better ♪ ♪ get up offa that thing ♪ and dance till you -- sing it now ♪ [ dog barks ] [ deep beetle exhaust, dog barks ] ♪ you feel good [ male announcer ] back. and better than ever. the all-new beetle. [ dog barks ] ♪ get up off...

the world far beyond hollywood is mourning the loss

of whitney houston's enormous talents since word of her sudden death spread around the globe reaction has been nonstop. nadia bilchik is here with a look at that. people have been touched in so many ways. >> every way. >> her career. >> growing up in south africa, i remember 1994, the year that nelson mandela becomes president and in november of that year, whitney houston comes to south africa as the first major artist post apartheid and does the new south africa tour, the concert for a new south africa. she goes to durbin, capetown. she is with mike deeber. that photograph taken in 2001. they had such a special relationship. he referred to her as his daughter. >> wow. >> i spoke to the grandchildren this morning and they said, mandela's grandson, he said he just wants us to know how sad the family is. they're absolutely bereaved because whitney was an extension of this family and they just --

their heart goss out to bobbi kristina. >> so many people have so many memories of when they first saw whitney houston, whether it was on "17 magazine" or on merv griffin when that was kind of her debut of i'm a singer, and then hit after hit after hit people forget it resonated around the world. >> in south africa she gave all the money from those concerts to south african charities. she is so fondly remembered there. even in dubai, this is amazing, at a lake in dubai, they have these fountains to the sound of whitney houston. and as far afield as china, in china the daily speaks about the u.s. singer dying and the bbc telegraph, terrible trajectory of fame. brilliant and tragic and the australian majestic diva,

ravaged by drugs, dies at 48. really from dubai to durbin and to amsterdam, whitney houston, i think we will always love you. >> that's a nice way of putting it. >> she knew how she resonated around the world. she did kind of give the world a big hug and they gave her a hug back. >> and a role model. i'm looking forward to your seg monthment to the editor of "17" and how that cover changed people's perceptions. >> i was one of the kids who saw her as a model in "17" and thought who is this woman, who is this girl, she really was a contemporary, and it was really -- an eye-opening experience. >> oprah said that. oprah said "17" magazine was important to her but when she saw whitney houston on that cover that changed her life. a live-changing woman. >> we are going to talk to the editor of "serve ven tooen"

about that break through and for women of america. of course whitney houston got the world's attention not just with her voice but because of those great looks. nadya cover girl, 1981 and many times over after that on "seventeen" magazine, that was the first cover with whitney houston on it, the first time a black girl was on the cover of that magazine. i'm going to be talking to the editor next. but first hard to talk about whitney houston and not hear her. just hours after whitney houston's death, the original soundtrack for her movie "the bodyguard" shot up to number 13 in the itunes music store. so here now is a bit of the song "i have nothing." ♪ i'll never change my colors for you ♪

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♪ we both know i'm not what you need ♪ ♪ and i-i-i-i will always love you-u-u-u ♪ ♪ i will always love you-u-u-u >> all right. "i will always love you" was one of whitney houston's greatest hits spending 14 weeks on the billboard hot 100 chart. the 1993 ballad has been houston's real signature song. >> cnn viewers and i-reporters

have been sending us their thoughts really for the last almost 24 hours now. cnn viewer tessa jackson sent us a picture and her tribute to whitney houston. jackson says, whitney is a hero for genx black girls and was her style icon and hero when she went to a predominantly white high school? california. she says whitney houston showed her she didn't have to be blonde and blue eyed to be beautiful and admired. whitney houston was the first african-american model to land on the cover of "seventeen" magazine and for many years people would enjoy seeing her in the cover of "seventeen." ann is the editor in chief of "seventeen." good to see you. >> hi. >> it was a breakthrough when whitney houston was the cover girl of "seventeen" magazine. can you take me into the rooms the editor rooms, the copy rooms there at "seventeen" as to how

that came about and why she was the face that resonated. >> "seventeen" magazine was a launching pad for whitney. i was speaking with the woman who was the editor in 19 81 when whitney was first on the cover of the magazine and she says that whitney's mother actually came to "seventeen" to figure out a plan how could they get her in the pages as a model and have her on the cover of the magazine and, in fact, the other girl that's on the cover with whitney was a gad friend of whitney's at the time and whitney insisted that they do the shoot together. that she wanted her friend there. but it was all part of this sort of grand plan that they had to turn whitney into a star. it was really a launching pad for whitney, it was an incredibly iconic cover for "seventeen" magazine, really important all around. >> was the feeling, perhaps, that "seventeen" magazine she would be a star, but would be a star model, did anyone know anything about her singing about

and that she would be a multitalented super star? >> well, i think this was like the beginning of whitney's path and certainly, you know, she was in the pages of the magazine, we've seen pictures of her as a fitness model, she was regularly a fashion model for the magazine, but it was so validating for this generation of young women to see someone who looked like them on the cover. imagine the self-esteem boost that young african-american girls felt seeing someone who looks like them and they think, oh, "seventeen" magazine thinks that girl is pretty, i must be pretty too. it's a feeling we try to have a at "seventeen" all the time for all girls there's this incredible embracing of diversity. >> i can attest to that. i was one of those little girls, you know, who was looking at "seventeen" magazine all the time and plenty of faces in there that i admired but when it was whitney houston that came on the cover or whether it was, you

know, her pictures inside the magazine it was a whole other level, you know, of admiration and really kind of a feeling of encouragement that none of the other images could actually kind of convey. but then she -- >> really validating. >> but she went on from there and there was cover girl makeup that also endorsed her as kind of a face of their product, so she really was a trailblazer in so many ways, well before people even knew she could sing? >> i remember so vividly when i was a teen and i -- and how will i know was like this amazing video and you wanted the hair and her makeup and her clothes and it had nothing to do with color. i was that girl who wanted to look like whitney houston. i can imagine it so vividly. went out and bought the eyeliner just like her. >> so many people have so many great memories of whitney houston and thanks so much for sharing your memories and "seventeen" magazine's history

with whitney houston. >> fans across the world are sharing their memories of whitney houston and that includes a lot of cnn i-reporters. one of them caught the singer's ex-husband bobby brown, actually breaking down at his concert and those images were caught on his camera, the performance taking place in mississippi. we're going to share that with you straight ahead.