By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Investigators worked Sunday to piece together what killed Whitney Houston as the music industry's biggest names gathered for a Grammy Awards show that at times felt as much like a memorial as a celebration.

Coroner's officials say they will not release any information on an autopsy performed Sunday at the request of police detectives investigating the singer's death. The singer was found in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Rosen said there were no indications of foul play when Houston was found by a member of her entourage. Paramedics worked to revive Houston, but were unsuccessful and the singer was pronounced dead shortly before 4 p.m.

``At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi Kristina,'' Bobby Brown wrote in a statement released about an hour after she was transported from the hotel. ``I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time.''

Sunday's Grammys featured a musical tribute by Jennifer Hudson, whose version of Houston's most famous hit, ``I Will Always Love You,'' ended with Hudson's personal note, ``Whitney, we love you.'' Early in the show, LL Cool J introduced a clip of a glowing Houston at the 1994 Grammys singing her signature ballad, the most downloaded song for much of Sunday on iTunes.

Houston herself won six Grammys and had been expected to perform at the pre-awards gala Saturday night thrown by music impresario Clive Davis, her longtime mentor.

Davis went ahead with his annual party and concert, which were held at the same hotel where Houston's body was found _ and where it remained for most of Saturday night. He dedicated the evening to her and asked for a moment of silence.

Houston had been at rehearsals for the Davis concert on Thursday, coaching singers Brandy and Monica, according to a person who was at the event but was not authorized to speak publicly about it.

The Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Houston while preaching Sunday morning at the Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

``Yes, she had an outstanding range,'' he said. ``Yes, she could hit notes no one else could reach. But what made her different was she was born and bred in the bosom of the black church.''

The congregation applauded and answered him with shouts of ``Amen'' and ``Tell it!''

``A lot of artists can hit notes but they don't hit us. Say words but they have no meaning. Have gifts and talent but no anointing. Something about Whitney that would reach in you and make you feel,'' Sharpton said.

A sensation from her very first album, she was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. She awed millions with soaring, but disciplined vocals rooted in gospel and polished for the masses, a bridge between the earthy passion of her godmother, Aretha Franklin, and the bouncy pop of her cousin, Dionne Warwick.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she became a rare black actress with box office appeal, starring in such hits as ``The Bodyguard'' and ``Waiting to Exhale.'' Bishop T.D. Jakes, a Texas minister and producer on Houston's final film project, a re-make of the 1970s release ``Sparkle,'' said he saw no signs she was having any substance issues. He said Houston was a complete professional and moved the cast and crew to tears two months ago when she sang the gospel hymn ``Her Eyes on the Sparrow'' for a scene shot in Detroit.

``There was no evidence in working with her on `Sparkle' that there was any struggle in her life,'' Jakes said Sunday. ``She just left a deep impression on everybody.''

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: gorgeous, but wholesome; grounded, but fun-loving. And she influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out, sounded so much like Houston that many couldn't tell the difference.

But by the end of her career, Houston had become a stunning and heartbreaking cautionary tale. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances.

In her teens, Houston sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. Clive Davis, who as head of Arista Records had already signed up Warwick and Franklin, was instantly smitten by the statuesque young singer.

``The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact,'' Davis 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,'' he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with ``Whitney Houston,'' which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. ``Saving All My Love for You'' brought the singer her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. ``How Will I Know,'' ``You Give Good Love'' and ``The Greatest Love of All'' also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, ``Whitney,'' came out in 1987 and included ``Where Do Broken Hearts Go'' and ``I Wanna Dance With Somebody.''

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Associated Press writers Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles, Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Bruce Shipkowski in Newark, New Jersey; and Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report.