'I love you, Whitney!': Bobby Brown sobs and blows a kiss to the sky as he takes to the stage just hours after death of ex-wife

By IONA KIRBY

'Crying fits': Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston were seen stepping out for dinner together with their daughter Bobbi Kristina last week

He is reportedly 'in and out of crying fits' after the death of his ex-wife Whitney Houston. But Bobby Brown decided the show must go on and still took to the stage to perform with his band New Edition, just hours after the iconic singer's sudden and tragic passing.
During his concert in Mississippi, the 43-year-old tearfully shouted, 'I love you, Whitney,' as he blew kisses to the sky.

Bobby told the crowd: 'I would like to say, "I love you, Whitney." The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage.'
According to Us Weekly, Bobby received huge applause as he came onstage late, after apparently breaking down just before the show was due to begin.
A source told the publication that Bobby broke down during his performance of the ballad Tenderoni, and asked the audience to sing along as he sobbed.
He was then unable to finish the song and walked off, with the concert finishing shortly afterwards.
A relative of Bobby has said that he is 'shattered and beyond devastated' at the news.

'Beside himself': Bobby is apparently devastated to hear of the death of his ex-wife

The source has said: 'He wanted to tell everyone about it before it hit the news. He didn't want any of us to hear about it on television.
The relative added: 'He could hardly get the words out when he called me. He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing too. He's beside himself right now.'
Whitney died this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, aged 48.

Rocky: The pair had a tumultuous time during their 14 years of marriage

Life-saving attempts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm.
The cause of death is as yet unknown.
TMZ also reports that according to hotel staff, the star 'partied heavily' with friends last night, who were all drinking in the bar and making lots of noise.
Bobby and Whitney had a notoriously turbulent relationship that was riddled with drug use and marital problems.
Whitney admitted that she and Bobby took cocaine and marijuana together through their 14 years of marriage.
During this tumultuous time, Bobby was arrested for drugs and alcohol and Whitney entered drug rehabilitation programs twice.
They wed in July 1992 and eventually separated in September 2006, before their divorce was finalised in April 2007.

'He was my drug': Whitney admitted the pair took cocaine and marijuana together during their marriage

Three years after their split, Whitney described her troubled marriage to Bobby with the poignant words: 'He was my drug'.
The couple have an 18-year-old daughter together, Bobbi Kristina.
And despite Bobby and Whitney's rocky relationship, the trio were reunited last week for a slap-up meal together.
Whitney looked happy as she left the Beverly Hills eatery after dinner, and was followed shortly after Bobby and Bobbi Kristina, who held hands as they headed off together.
Whitney won custody of Bobbi Kristina following her divorce from the R&B star, with Bobby being allowed visitation rights.
However the pair's last public outing together showed they seemed to have put their toxic past behind them.

Last public outing: Bobby and Whitney appeared to have put the past behind them when they went out for dinner with their daughter together

source: dailymail

Cool Forward Mail 12 Feb, 2012

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For the enemy in your life: The vicious Valentine cards that promised endless hate

By CHRIS HASTINGS


When the Valentine's Day post hits the mat this Tuesday, millions will be hoping for tender messages from loved ones or hints from secret admirers.
But in the 19th Century, some Valentine's cards contained a vicious sting – with sarcastic and obnoxious captions designed to upset and humiliate.
They were often swapped by estranged couples or simply posted to those who had somehow annoyed the sender.

A 1950s version of one of the insulting cards and right, an offending card from the 19th Century

They were sent anonymously and, prior to the introduction of the Penny Black stamp in 1840, it was the appalled recipient who had to pick up the cost of the postage. Several of the cards, which prompted complaints to the Post Office, are held by the British Postal Museum and Archive in North London.
One dated 1817, which would have been sent by a woman, shows a caricature of a man bent double and has the caption: 'Thy crescent back, like neddy jack, Hampers so fit to carry. That if all men were like thee – then I'd sooner die than marry.'

You know very well when your Mistress retires which is seldom not much after ten, and having assisted her as she requires you back to the kitchen again

Others believed to have been produced in the 1820s even suggested the recipient's partner had been up to no good. One which shows a businessman returning home only to catch sight of his wife embracing her lover states: 'To darling wife he hastens home. He thinks she sits and pines alone.'
Another casts doubt on the morals of a maidservant by implying that she waits for her mistress to retire to bed so she can entertain a male cousin in the kitchen. The card has a picture of a retiring mistress on the front and on the inside a picture of the maid and her cousin enjoying a meal.

The cards were usually send anonymously and prior to stamps it was the recipient who had to pick up the cost of postage

Another of the cards, which may have been sent by an ex-lover, casts doubt on a man's ability to love at all.
It shows a portly gentleman trying to pawn his heart in a shop run by Cupid, and reads: 'You cannot pawn your paltry heart. Though oft you've tried with wonderous art. It will not go for all your vaunts. Tis not the sort that Cupid wants.'
The practice of sending the cards seems to have lasted well into the 20th century and the Kirklees Museum and Galleries service in West Yorkshire has examples of cards from the Forties and Fifties.
One has the caption: 'You've had your day my dear, remember your age if you can, people can see without looking, you're mutton dressed as lamb.'

Such a fox in female guise, surely must excite surprise

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Michelle does the Platypus Walk: First Lady shows off yet ANOTHER dance routine

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Every day I'm shuffling: First Lady Michelle Obama dances with Disney actress Debby Ryan, far left, Perry the Platypus and choreographer Rosero McCoy, right, at the Walt Disney World Resort today in Orlando, Florida

She admitted her daughters were embarrassed by her dancing - but Michelle Obama is not letting that put her off.
After showing off her dance moves at sports events across the country for her campaign against childhood obesity, the First Lady has added yet another routine to her repertoire - the 'Platypus Walk'
Performing alongside a large, fluffy platypus named Perry, from Disney's Phineas and Ferb TV show, Mrs Obama flapped her 'wings', wiggled and shuffled from left to right.

She likes to move: The First Lady twisted and wiggled on the stage at the event in Florida

The First Lady tried out 'the platypus' today during a visit to Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
The event was to mark the second anniversary of her Let's Move campaign.
The publicity tour comes five years to the day that Senator Barack Obama announced he was running for president - and his wife's winning healthy eating drive can only serve to bolster his campaign for a second term in the White House.
She told reporters on Friday: 'I want him to be my president for another four years.'

Political swing: First Lady Michelle Obama reacts to an errant swing from a boy as they play mini-tennis during a Let's Move! event in Florida

Michelle Obama was joined yesterday by Disney actress Debby Ryan, choreographer Rosero McCoy, Perry the Platypus and professional athletes along with local children and their families as she finished up the three-day tour of Iowa, Texas, Arkansas and other parts of Florida.
She told the cheering crowd: 'You guys know I like to dance, I haven't completely gotten the dance down but I'm going to watch you all.'
The birthday tour of her Let's Move! initiative kicked off in Des Moines, Iowa, where a raucous crowd of 14,000 joined the 48-year-old in dancing the Interlude.
Though a starring role in Glee may not be a likely option for the potential showbiz talent, Mrs Obama's moves of late certainly give the impression that she is auditioning for a coveted part in the Fox hit musical show.

Fanfare: Michelle Obama jogs out to the field during her three-day national tour

Do the Interlude: The First Lady today once again proved she can shake her thing, leading an entire arena in a dance to celebrate the second anniversary of her campaign to lower childhood obesity in the U.S.

Throwing shapes: The First Lady seems to relish dancing in public - though we doubt a career in showbiz is on the cards. She last month told CBS that her daughters are embarrassed by her dancing

Biggest mover: Joined by Rob Harper of Biggest Loser she waved her arms in the air, swung her hips and showed the screaming youngsters how the dance is done

Her enthusiasm didn't end there. 'I'm proud that you guys are eating your fruits and vegetables, I'm proud that you guys are walking to school instead of taking the bus.'
Performances by the Isiserettes and American Idol contestant Katelyn Epperly kept the mood buoyant - even after a workout routine led by Mr Harper.
Iowa has set itself the impressive goal of becoming the healthiest state in the country by 2016 - with its Republican Governor, Terry Branstad, hammering the message home by proclaiming today 'Let's Move day' in the state known for its deep-fried butter.
If successful, the state's 99 counties will move 16 places up Gallup's healthiest states league table in just four years, according to the New York Times.
Last month, Mrs Obama shook her stuff at Hayfield Secondary School in Fairfax County, Virginia as she promoted a cameo on the Nickelodeon TV show iCarly.

Boogy tonight: Jennette McCurdy, who plays Samantha on the show, praised the First Lady's moves, saying 'I think she showed everybody up in the dance department'

Life and times of Whitney Houston: Tragic tale of the American singing sensation whose life was cut short at the age of 48

By JADE WATKINS

Tragic: Music legend Whitney Houston died today at the age 48-years-old

From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists wowing audiences with her powerful and effortless voice.
The showbiz world was rocked today with the tragic news that one of music's biggest legends Whitney Houston had died.
We look back at the life and times of the Grammy and Emmy-Award winning artist whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 48.

A star is born: Whitney , seen here in 1984, first became interested in music after frequently accompanying her mother Cissy, when she performed in nightclubs and sometime would even take to the stage and perform

Whitney was born to a middle class family in Newark, New Jersey.
She was the third and youngest child of Army serviceman and entertainment executive John Russell Houston, Jr., who passed away in 2003, and gospel singer Cissy Houston.
It was clear that natural talent in music ran through her family.


Proud parents: Whitney's mother Cissy and late father John Russell Houston, Jr. seen here with the singer in 1985

Her cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother is Aretha Franklin all made a huge mark on he gospel and R&B scene.
Whitney first became interested in music after frequently accompanying her mother Cissy when she performed in nightclubs and sometime would even take to the stage herself and perform.
Houston was offered her very first recording contract at the age of 14 by Michael Zanger, whom she sometimes with as a back-up singer for his group, Michael Zanger band.

Family of songstresses: Whitney seen here with her mother Cissy, left and cousin Dionne Warwick, right and Don King, far left

Musical masterminds: Whitney is seen here with her other musically gifted cousin Dionne Warwick

But she was forced to turn it down as her mother was determined that she should finish school.
In the years that followed she lended her voice to both Lou Rawls and Jermaine Jackson's albums.
The African-American beauty also dabbled in modelling after being spotted by a fashion photographer whilst performing with her mother.

Beauty: With her stunning good looks and incredible voice, Whitney was destined for stardom

Famous friends: Whitney was close friends with the late King Of Pop Michael Jackson and sang back-up vocals on his father Jermaine Jackson's album. Here they are seen in 1988

She went on to become the first ever woman of colour to appear in a fashion magazine after gracing the pages of Seventeen magazine in the early Eighties.
Subsequently she appeared in Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Young Miss magazines, and also in a TV advertisement for Canada Dry soft drink.
It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

Huge star: From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artist

Model looks: The stunning singer became the first ever woman in colour to appear in a fashion magazine

'The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact,' the American record producer told Good Morning America.
'To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine.'
Houston made her album debut in 1985 with the self-titled record Whitney Houston.
It sold millions and spawned hit after hit including Saving All My Love for You, which won her her first Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal.

Powerful: It was clear as Whitney became more and more famous that she was born to be on the stage

Other tracks such as How Will I Know, You Give Good Love and The Greatest Love of All also went on to become giant hits.
Another multi-platinum album, Whitney, came out in 1987 and included hits like Where Do Broken Hearts Go and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
The New York Times wrote that Houston 'possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners.

Best of friends: Whitney performed duets with Mariah Carey several times, here they are seen on stage the Oscars in 1999

Protege: Whitney and record producer Clive Davis had one of the closest business relationship in showbiz

'She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.'
Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences.
The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the Soul Train Awards in 1989.


Parlay onto the big screen: In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with The Bodyguard

Classic: The film, co-starring Kevin Costner, went on to become one of the romance greats of all time

'Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?' she told Katie Couric in 1996. 'You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.'
Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics.
It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop's pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own.
The couple went on to have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.

More screen time: She returned to the big screen in 1995 with Waiting to Exhale and then in 1996 in The Preacher's Wife, which she is seen in here

Over the years, he was arrested several times on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.
But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.
'When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,' she told Rolling Stone in 1993.
'You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.'
It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston.
Her moving 1991 rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America's sweetheart.
In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with The Bodyguard.

A romance was born: Whitney married former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown in 1992

In love: The couple were never far from each other's side, here they are seen in Israel in 2003

Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.
It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, which sat atop the charts for weeks.
It was Grammy's Record Of The Year and Best Female Pop Vocal, and the Bodyguard soundtrack was named album of the year.
She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife.
Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, My Love Is Your Love, in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut It's Not Right But It's Okay.


Apple of her mother's eye: The couple went on to have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993 and she became Whitney's world

Her everything: Kristina often accompanied her mother on the red-carpet and to various events

But during these career and personal highs, Houston began using drugs.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time The Preacher's Wife was released, '(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. ... I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.'
In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.
Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010.

Cleaning up her act: Houston declared herself drug-free to Oprah Winfrey in 2010

But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.
She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day.
Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown's reality show, Being Bobby Brown, was an example of her sad decline.
Her Sawyer interview, where she declared 'crack is whack,' was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Looking fabulous: The singer looked like the Whitney of old when she took to the stage to perform at last year's Grammy Awards

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album I Look To You. The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.
Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on Good Morning America went awry as Houston's voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.
A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out.

Troubled again: Whitney Houston looked worse for wear as she left Tru Hollywood nightclub earlier this week

Stand by me: The singer was in dire need of some serious aid from her entourage

Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.
Recently Houston appeared to be battling her demons once more.
She was spotted looking worse for wear earlier this week in Hollywood, California after enjoying a party with friends.
The superstar singer had been a guest at the Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For The Love Of R&B Grammy Party at Tru Hollywood and had even performed during the night.

Valentine's Day cupcakes offer $55,000 diamond rings... while Pizza Hut offers own ring combo

Sweet surprise: Cupcakes Gourmet in Philadelphia is offering red velvet cupcakes decorated in 8-carat diamond rings valued at $55,000

If 'dipping it in yogurt and covering it in chocolate buttons' is far too sweet of a proposal, what about a diamond ring topped on some red velvet?
A bakery in Pennsylvania is offering cupcakes decorated in eight carat engagement rings this Valentine's Day, delicately fitting each cake's whipped icing with a surprising diamond sparkler.
The bakers say there's no better way to showcase their store's motto, 'love tastes like this,' than this diamond-topped treat.

Rich: The cupcakes made by the local shop range from a half a carat to 8 with the Valentine's Day deal offering a 15% discount on the rings from Warwick Jewelers

'What could be sweeter than asking your special someone to marry you than with a red velvet cupcake?' Maki Garcia-Evans, Cupcakes Gourmet owner and executive pastry chef told KSLA-TV. The dazzling bobble provided by Pennsylvania-based Warwick Jewelers is offering the rings at a 15 per cent discount when sold through the bakery's Valentine's day offer.
'We wanted to do a statement piece that when people see it they would say, 'wow, I can't believe this is a $55,000 beautiful ring,' Warwick Jewelers' marketing manager Brittany Burkland told KSLA.
Ms Burland reasons no sweeter way to pop the question.

Variety: Pizza Hut is offering their own proposal package not just offering a pizza and breadstick meal with a ruby diamond ring but fireworks, a limo, and professional photographers

'What I love most about it is when people eat them and they just feel loved you know,' Ms Garcia-Evans said, 'and that's what it's really all about.'
With no two women being the same, Pizza Hut is also offering their own Valentine's Day engagement promotion of a $10,010 dinner box with their own provided ring and meal.
The proposal package features a red ruby ring, limousine service, flowers, personal fireworks show, photographer and videographer, as well as a $10 pizza, breadsticks and cinnamon sticks dinner box.
As a courtesy-safety net to buyers provided by the pizza chain, if the package is not used before March 31 of this year, they say they'll refund the entire cost.
The packages are limited to one per person.

Whitney Houston's daughter rushed to hospital after star's death as photos show distraught 'lover' Ray J at hotel where she drowned

Emergency: Whitney Houston's only daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown (centre) was rushed to hospital the day after her superstar mother was found dead. The exact cause of Bobbi Kristina's emergency is unknown, but initial reports say she is having a complete meltdown in the wake of her mother's passing

-Daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18, hospitalised TWICE since mother's death
-Whitney Houston's bodyguard 'found her drowned in bath in her hotel room'
-Found under water after mixing a cocktail of prescription drugs with alcohol, it is claimed
-I Will Always Love You singer 'partied heavily' in hotel bar on Friday, according to reports
-Last appeared in public on Thursday where she looked dishevelled and 'smell of alcohol'
-Award-winning star was on 'brink of bankruptcy' having 'frittered away pop fortune on crack cocaine'
-Those close to singer and actress 'knew she took Xanax before big shows to calm her down'
-Hotel guest on floor below complained night before that 'water was pouring from Miss Houston's bathroom'
-Autopsy performed today but toxicology tests pending

Devastation: Singer Ray J leaves the Beverly Hilton Hotel with his head in his hands after visiting the body of his former girlfriend Whitney Houston who was found dead in her bathtub

Whitney Houston's daughter was released in the early evening after she was taken to hospital just hours after her mother was found dead in a hotel bathroom.
Bobbi Kristina, 18, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center just after midnight Saturday night, and then again around 10.30am Sunday morning. She was treated and released Sunday night, with reports that she was dealing with massive anxiety after the death of her mother.
Her initial trip to the hospital came after learning of the devastating news, when the teenager had consumed alcoholic drinks and was then given a sedative to calm her down by one of her mother's entourage. She ended up passing out, according to Radaronline.

The last days of a star: Whitney Houston sweats profusely and appears dishevelled as she leaves the Tru Hollywood nightclub on Thursday night. She partied with a large group of friends before 'clashing' with security guards, right, then being driven away to her hotel, where she died yesterday afternoon

Bobbi Kristina was then rushed out of the Beverly Hilton hotel on a stretcher again at around 10.30am this morning. She was reportedly suffering from anxiety.
It comes as the first picture emerged today of Whitney Houston's on-off boyfriend Ray-J leaving the hotel with his head in his hands, completely distraught.

Dearly missed: Whitney Houston and boyfriend Ray J out clubbing in 2006 (left) and with her daughter Bobbi Kristina (right) at mentor Clive Davis's pre-Grammy party last year

Miss Houston drowned alone in a bathtub having accidentally overdosed on a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol after two back-to-back evenings of out-of-control binges, it has been claimed.
The star was found dead under the water by her bodyguard in a luxury hotel suite said to have been littered with bottles of prescription pills. She was 48.
Ray-J mentioned 'missed calls' from Miss Houston, according to the International Business Times, adding: 'We all gotta live with that.'
Paramedics battled to revive the singer but she was pronounced dead at 3.55pm yesterday afternoon, hours before she had been due to perform at a pre-Grammys party at the Beverly Hills Hilton in LA.

A dark and tragic end: The body of Whitney Houston is wheeled out of the suite of the hotel in Los Angeles where she 'drowned in the bath' following two apparent evenings of out-of-control binges

At first it was thought that Ray-J had found Miss Houston's body but a statement was later released by his spokesman saying 'he was nowhere near the scene but no less distraught'.
According to reports on gather.com moments before the news broke, Ray-J was seen trying to console Bobbi Kristina, who was screaming, in the lobby of the hotel.
The singer/reality TV star and Whitney Houston dated between 2007 and 2009 but it was believed they had recently picked up their romance after being spotted at an LA restaurant.
Ray-J, 17 years younger than Miss Houston, is the youngest brother of the singer Brandy and made a sex tape with Kim Kardashian in 2003 which was reportedly 'leaked' on to the Internet.

In mourning: Ray-J, on-off boyfriend of Whitney Houston, stopped by a pre-Grammy party to meet his sister, the singer Brandy, hours after learning of his former lover's tragic death

Bottles of Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax and a sleeping medication were found in the hotel room, it has been claimed. The drugs were believed to have acted as sedatives, causing her to fall asleep in the bathtub once they had been mixed with alcohol from the previous evenings.
An autopsy is to be carried out today, according to TMZ, but the results will be delayed as toxicology tests must also be run.
As police look into the possibility that the star died from an accidental overdose, there are expected to be emotional scenes at the Grammy awards tonight with many of the singers inspired by Miss Houston dedicating their awards to her.
Miss Houston had battled ravaging addictions to crack cocaine over the years but the drug is not believed to have played a part in her death. Police searched the room for illegal substances after discovering the body.

A coroner's van leaves the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California, this morning where Whitney Houston was found dead. She is said to have 'drowned in the bathtub'

Her frantic daughter Bobbi Kristina is understood to have got into a 'furious screaming argument' with authorities who refused to let her into the hotel room to see the body of her dead mother. A source told People the 18-year-old was screaming: 'What's wrong with her? What's wrong with her?'
Friends of Miss Houston's cousin Dionne Warwick, who also went to the hotel to try to see the body, have said that she is 'inconsolable'.

The hotel: Whitney Houston was found dead in a bathroom similar to the one on the right, on the fourth floor of the Beverley Hilton Hotel. The hall on the left is where police and emergency workers gathered following the news of the dead star

Scene: A police van pulls up outside the Hilton after Houston's death. Right, officers gather outside the hotel as an investigation begins into the causes of death

Police also turned away Ray-J from Miss Houston's suite on the fourth floor after he raced from his home following news of her death, reported TMZ.
Miss Houston's body is now at the Los Angeles morgue as her family and the public still await the toxicology and autopsy reports.
That didn't stop her family and other celebrities to pay their respects. Last night around 800 guests attended a pre-Grammys dinner at the hotel where Miss Houston died.
Outside, fans gathered to mourn the star, leaving floral tributes and lighting candles.



Paying respects: Reverend Jesse Jackson arrives at The New Hope Baptist Church where Whitney Houston sang in the choir to mourn the death of the singer in Newark, New Jersey

A family meal: Miss Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina, left, and her ex-husband Bobby Brown get into a car after an evening out at Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills on February 2. Right, the singer joins her family after what will have been one of their last nights out together