Whitney Houston has died at age 48, her publicist said Saturday.

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The Hollywood Reporter said the cause and location of the death of the Grammy- and Emmy-winning U.S. R&B singer and actress were unknown.

Houston was to have appeared at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala Saturday night, the entertainment industry newspaper said.

She allegedly was overheard dressing down an assistant in the Beverly Hilton Hotel Thursday morning and that night allegedly got into an altercation with "X Factor" finalist Stacy Francis at an R&B appreciation event where she was described as "belligerent," the Reporter said.

Her publicist had previously said Houston, who had been considered for a judges' seat on "X Factor," was at a spa Friday.

A source close to Clive Davis was quoted by the newspaper as saying, "This is a sad day and it will be a sad Grammys weekend."

The Newark, N.J., native was known for such songs as "Saving All My Love for You,""How Will I Know," "Greatest Love of All" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)."

Her movie credits included "The Body Guard," "Waiting to Exhale" and "The Preacher's Wife."

She previously was married to singer Bobby Brown, with whom she had a daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown.