Clapping hands and swaying to the gospel hymns at church, where the powerful voice of Whitney Houston once captivated the congregation, the biggest names in entertainment singing along with the choir in mind Pop Superstar at a family funeral on Saturday.
"We are here today, broken hearts, but even with the power of God, we celebrate the life Whitney Houston," Rev. Joe A. Carter said the packed New Hope Baptist Church when the choir sang the "The Lord is my shepherd."
Mourners, including singer Jennifer Hudson and Houston mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, stood up, swayed and clapped along in the aisles, and gospel singer Bebe Winans and Rev. Kim Burrell combined with pop stars like Alicia Keys in tribute to 48-years-old pop superstar, who first began singing in the church of Newark.
"Waiting for a voice so throughout their lives," said music mogul Clive Davis, who shepherded his career Houston for decades.
Others were more mournful, singer Ray J., who spent time with Houston during his last days, broke down crying. His sister, singer Brandy, put an arm around him. Houston, Cissy Houston and daughter, 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina, grabbed the front row. At the end of the service, Bobbi Kristina, and J. Ray, and he took a long time. Others gathered near the front of the church and hugged each other.
Actor Kevin Costner, the star in "The Bodyguard" that spawned her biggest hit, remember the movie star, who was uncertain of his own fame, who "still wondered," Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Do they like me? "
"It was a burden which is the great and the parts that caused her to fall in the end," Costner said.
Author Tyler Perry praised Houston "grace, that kept her in the performance all the way, the same grace led her all the way to the top of the charts. She sang for presidents."
Stevie Wonder and Oprah Winfrey were among the biggest names gathered to mourn Houston, along with Hudson, Monica, Brandy, and Jordin Sparks - representing the generation of big-voiced young singers who grew up emulating her. Houston's voice, recorded "I Will Always Love You", was the closure of a funeral.
Houston's cousin Dionne Warwick led the funeral, by introducing speakers and singers, and offer brief comments on Houston between them.
Houston's mother was assisted by two men on either side of her as she came and sat with his granddaughter and other family to start the service. Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, briefly appeared at her funeral, going to the ballot box by touching it and leaving. The guards said Brown was upset that he would have to sit separately from men who have come from, and walked away. Representative Brown did not immediately comment.
The mourners fell silent as three police officers escorted the coffin Houston, draped with white roses and lilies purple. White-robed choristers began to fill the pews on the podium. As the band played softly, the choir sang in a hushed voice: "Whitney, Whitney, Whitney."
Close family friend Aretha Franklin, whose Houston lovingly called "Aunt Ree", was expected to sing at the service, but was too ill to attend. Franklin said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that she was up most of the night with leg cramps and sent best wishes to the family. "May God bless and keep them all," she wrote.
The program features image of Houston, looking at the sky to read "Celebrating life Whitney Elizabeth Houston, a child of God." Photos of Houston as a child with the mother and daughter completed the program.
"I never said that you were born, the Holy Spirit told me that there would be with me a long time," Cissy Houston wrote his daughter in a letter published in the program. "Thank God for the beautiful flower let me pick up and nurtured for 48 years."
"Rest, my little girl in the room," The letter ends, signed "Mommie."
The service is one week after Houston, one of the all-time music's biggest stars, was found dead at the Beverly Hills, California. Cause of death has not yet been determined.
To the world, Houston was queen of pop and the perfect voice, a dazzling diva with the beauty of the king, troubled star is suffering from addiction, and finally, another victim of the dark side of fame.
For family and friends, was simply "Nippy". Nickname given to Houston when she was a child, condemned to it by adulthood, and later become the name of one of its affiliated companies. For them, was a sister, friend, daughter and mother.
"She always had the upper hand," Rev. Jesse Jackson said outside the church on Saturday. "You can tell when some children have what is called a special anointing. Aretha was that when I was 14 .... Whitney grown that took him to a very high level."
Some fans gathered Saturday morning, hours before the service as close as they got into the church, some from as far away as Washington and Miami. Bobby Brooks said he came from Washington, "just to be among the rest of the fans."
"Just to celebrate her life, not just her death," said Brooks, "just sing and dance with people that I love her."
Others were more enterprising, the creation of the card tables to sell t-shirts imprinted with the image of Houston and her CD. But only invited to approach the church, the streets were closed to the public for blocks in every direction. But their presence was around the church, with a big heart-shaped shrine of balloons and personal messages that cover street corner around the entrance of the church.
Houston's death marked the final chapter for a superstar, a shocking fall from grace and was years in the making. Houston had her first No. 1 hit until she was 22, and then a hail of No. 1 songs and multi-platinum records.
Throughout his career has sold over 50 million albums in the United States. Her voice, the perfect combination of power, grace and beauty, made classics with songs such as "Saving All My Love For You"'' I Will Always Love You ','' the greatest love of all things "and" I'm Every Woman ". Her six Grammy Awards was just a fraction of its many awards.
But in the midst of fame, tumultuous marriage to Brown and her drug addiction tarnished its image. Was a woman apart from the world.
Her latest album "I Look to You", debuted at the top of the charts when it was released in 2009 with strong sales, but they have no staying power of her previous albums. Tour the following year he was sentenced by cancellations due to illness and sub-par performances.
Still, back ahead: It was to star in a remake of the film "Sparkle" and working on new music. Her family, friends and die-hard fans were in good spirits.
The funeral is only for invited guests. Houston is to be buried beside his father, John Houston, near Westfield, NJ
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