Whitney Houston's family, friends remember star at funeral

Feb 18, 2012, 17:49 GMT

Newark, New Jersey - Dozens of Whitney Houston's family members, friends and stars gathered Saturday for her funeral - and a celebration of her singing career.

Her hearse, accompanied by a long line of limousines and invitation-only guests and friends, was brought to the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, where Houston launched her career as one of America's most famous pop stars. She was to be laid to rest later.

The church was chosen for the funeral because it was Houston's childhood church and the place where her voice was first heard in public when she sang as a child in the church choir.

A chorus of white gown-clad singers was inside the church clapped and sang some of Houston's favorite songs. Outside mourners were kept blocs away from the church under strict security.

Newark's Mayor Cory Booker started the ceremony, saying, 'We are here not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate her life. God is in heaven and with him is one of our angels. We love you Whitney Houston.'

New Jersey authorities decided to lower the US flag at half mast throughout the state - despite some protests that the singer received better recognition than American soldiers who died for their country abroad.

The invitees were admitted into the church before the noon (1700 GMT) service, under a cordon of police and horse-mounted security guards.

While the family of the soul diva had originally announced the funeral as a private service, television cameras were allowed to offer live coverage of the ceremony inside the church where chorus performances were broadcast with some of Houston's songs and hymns.

Huge screens have been erected outside for fans to view the proceedings. Hundreds of fans were already standing vigil outside both the church and funeral home, singing Houston's songs and holding placards and photos of the late singer, who died last weekend at age 48 in a Beverly Hills hotel room.

Soul great Stevie Wonder attended the ceremony as well as Kevin Costner, her co-star in the hit film The Bodyguard. Other stars reported to attend include Beyonce, Elton John, Oprah Winfrey, Chaka Khan, record producer Antonio LA Reid, Houston's cousin Dione Warwick, and music mogul Clive Davis who mentored the star.

However, Aretha Franklin was forced to pull out from attending, due to health problems.

Houston's death in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills Hilton last Saturday cast a dark shadow over the Grammy Awards the next day. The coroner is awaiting results of a toxicology report before announcing the cause of death. Once known as America's golden girl during the peak of her success for a decade from 1985, Houston later battled addictions to alcohol and drugs but claimed to have conquered her demons in 2009.

Houston's body was flown by private jet from Los Angeles to Newark, where the Whigham Funeral Home has become a shrine to the pop icon.