Beyonce: "Whitney Houston Was The Ultimate Woman"

13 February 2012, 14:02 | Updated: 13 February 2012, 14:20

The 'Countdown' singer has posted a personal tribute message about her sadness in the wake of the 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' singer's death.

Beyonce has released a statement on the death of Whitney Houston, who passed away at the age of 48 on Saturday (11^th February).

The 'Love On Top' star has described the 'I Will Always Love You' singer as "the ultimate woman" who had a "perfect" voice.

"The loss of Whitney Houston is painful," Beyonce writes in the statement. "I remember meeting Whitney for the first time when I was 15. 

"She was the ultimate legend. The ultimate woman. Not only was she confident, poised, stunningly beautiful and intelligent, but she was sincere and kind.

"She took the time to make everyone feel like they were very important to her."

Beyonce went on to say she had always wanted to be "just like" Whitney, whose music career spanned almost three decades and saw her sell over 170 million albums, singles and videos. 

"So many of my life's memories are attached to a Whitney Houston song," she added. "She is our queen and she opened doors and provided a blueprint for us all. God bless her."

Whitney was discovered dead in her Beverley Hill hotel room on Saturday and paramedics were unable to revive her. 

The Los Angeles County Coronoers office have since held a press conference confirming that an autopsy has been completed but that results will take several weeks while the investigation into her death continues.

Whitney Houston's death has sparked tributes from fans and fellow stars alike, including personal messages from the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna and Mariah Carey.