The legendary Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen has died at age 48, her publicist confirmed on Feb. 11.

Although the cause and location of death has not been revealed, Jill Fritzo, a publicist of Whitney’s, said that she had passed away, saying, “Unfortunately, true.”

Beverly Hills Police have confirmed that her body is still at Beverly Hilton. CPR was attempted, and there was no obvious signs of criminal attempt.

Whitney was one of the best-selling pop artists of all time, with over 55 million records sold in the United States alone. Furthermore, she had great success acting, with star-making turns in films such as the smash hit The Bodyguard and Waiting To Exhale.

She was also known for her tumultuous relationship with troubled pop star Bobby Brown. Upon hearing of Whitney Houston’s death on Saturday, her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, immediately began calling friends and family.

“He wanted to tell everyone about it before it hit the news,” one of his relatives tells PEOPLE. “He didn’t want any of us to hear about it on television.”

As Brown spoke to family members, the shock of Houston’s sudden death turned to grief. “He could hardly get the words out when he called me,” says the relative. “He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing too. He’s beside himself right now.”

Brown has had no official comment on the death of Houston. A source tells PEOPLE that Brown learned the news about his ex-wife while in Memphis, where he is currently located for a New Edition concert. He is “shattered and beyond devastated,” says the source.

Houston’s passing was confirmed by her publicist, and Beverly Hills Police Lieut. Mark Rosen told PEOPLE on Saturday that the 48-year-old singer “was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. this afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,” following a 3:43 p.m. call from hotel security.

The best-selling pop artist wed soul crooner Bobby Brown in 1992 in a marriage that surprised many, given Brown’s bad-boy reputation. The following year, the couple welcomed a daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

After a tumultuous relationship that included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993, the two divorced in 2007.

Despite their breakup, the couple remained friendly, a relative of Bobby Brown’s tells says  ”They had Bobbi Kristina in common, and were determined to be co-parents to her. They didn’t hate each other. In fact, there was a lot of respect. So this has hit Bobby really hard. He is devastated. He loved her very much. This is a very sad time for him.”

She leaves behind a daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

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