Saturday's funeral for legendary pop singer Whitney Houston is expected to be made available for television and web streaming from the New Jersey church where she grew up, Houston's publicist said Wednesday.
The services, to be held at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, will be in a much smaller, more intimate setting than the concert halls and arenas Houston packed during her heyday.
In every sense, she will be going home.
Publicists and entertainers by Wednesday had confirmed nearly a dozen celebrities and personalities will be in some of the 1,500 coveted, "invitation-only" seats. No public memorial is planned.
Although the family is not commenting on Houston's burial location, her death certificate filed Wednesday in Los Angeles lists it as Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey.
A message left by CNN with the cemetery office was not immediately returned.
Gospel singer and pastor Marvin L. Winans, a longtime friend of the Houston family, will give the eulogy at New Hope Baptist Church. Winans officiated at Houston's 1992 marriage ceremony to R&B singer Bobby Brown.
Aretha Franklin, Houston's godmother, has been asked to sing at the funeral, which begins at noon, Franklin's spokeswoman said.
Others confirmed on the guest list are Chaka Khan, Bebe & CeCe Winans, songwriter Diane Warren, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Ray J and Brandy.
Houston's cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, was in New Jersey helping the family with funeral arrangements, Warwick's publicist said Chaka Khan was a close friend of Houston. Reid produced many of Houston's songs and Jakes co-produced Houston's last film, "Sparkle," which is scheduled to be released this summer. Houston and Jakes are listed as producers.
Ray J, a hip-hop artist, and Houston dated off and on after she was divorced from Brown.
Jackson and the Winans music family have been very close friends of the Houstons.
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SOURCE: CNN
Phil Gast
Whitney Houston's Funeral Saturday Will Be Aired On TV - BCNN1
Myself and my wife will surely miss Whitney. We will miss her beautiful voice and the stage precence she had when she was on stage. God had a better plan for her, he, brought her home, to keep her from suffering down here on earth. Now she will use her glourius voice to sing in God's choir. She was surely blessed and she will be missed by us. GOD bess you Whitney.
ReplyDeleteGod certainly moves in the lives of His people. I am grateful for the church service on Saturday. The most powerful moment was at the very end, the lifting of the casket. Whitney received a queens funeral. We needed to see that. Praise be to God for His grace and mercy on our lives, even the lives of celebrities and entertainers.
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