Scheduled to appear at the pre-Grammy Awards party given annually by her mentor, the music impresario Clive Davis, on February 11, Whitney Houston arrived in Los Angeles a week early, without fanfare, and checked into the Beverly Hilton with her small entourage under the pseudonym Elizabeth Collins. She was put in Room 434, which the hotel calls a “presidential junior,” consisting of a small sitting room, bedroom, and bath.
On the day of the party, Whitney's assistant, Mary Jones, left the hotel to pick up a package at Neiman Marcus. Before going, Jones laid out a gown for Whitney to wear that night. About 3:35 P.M., Jones returned to the room, where Whitney's bodyguard and brother-in-law, Ray Watson, was on watch in the hall. Jones entered the suite, and when she walked into the bathroom she found Whitney facedown in a foot of water in the tub. As they frantically administered CPR, Jones told the switchboard to call 911.
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