The scene was somewhat surreal when just hours after Whitney Houston’s untimely death music’s finest stars arrived at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles – the same hotel where Whitney died that afternoon – for the annual Clive Davis pre-Grammy party.

It is thought that Whitney was getting ready to attend the event, where she was scheduled to perform, when she passed away.

During the evening a sombre Clive Davis told guests:

“I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me. She was full of life, looking forward for tonight. She loved music and she loved this night that celebrated music.”

He added, “Whitney was a beautiful person and she had a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage ... so many times. So simply put: Whitney would have wanted the music to go on.”

He dedicated the evening to her and asked for a moment of silence as a photo of the tragic singer appeared on a screen.

Guests at the party included Britney Spears, Amber Rose, Kelly Rowland, Diana Ross, Kim Kardashian, Richard Branson, Joan Collins, Toni Braxton and Ciara to name but a few.