Amy Winehouse, regarded as one of the most talented singers of her generation, has died in London at the age of 27.
The multiple Grammy winner was found dead at her home in Camden, north London.
Police were called to the address at around 3pm.
'Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death at this early stage. It is being treated as unexplained,' a police spokesman said.
Sky News quoted police sources as saying they suspected the death was caused by a drugs overdose.
'We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer,' her record label Universal said in a statement.
She was famed for her black beehive hair, soulful voice and erratic behaviour both on and off stage.
Ms Winehouse's last filmed performance was last month in Serbia, when she was jeered by the crowd, struggled to perform her songs and keep her balance.
The performance prompted her management to cancel all her scheduled performances and give the performer as long as it took to recover.
Police cordoned off the leafy street outside Ms Winehouse's home in Camden, where dozens of onlookers had gathered along with fans, media photographers and camera crew.
It is understood Ms Winehouse had only just moved into her new home.
Ms Winehouse was discovered by soul singer Tyler James at the age of 16 and in 2003 her debut album 'Frank' was released to general acclaim.
Her second album 'Back to Black' was released in October 2006 and reached the No 1 spot in Britain and earned her five Grammy awards.
