A glowing funeral service for Whitney Houston
“We are here today, hearts broken but yet with God’s strength we celebrate the life of Whitney Houston,” Rev. Joe A. Carter told the packed New Hope Baptist Church after the choir behind him sang “The Lord is My Shepherd.” ‘’Whitney, you are the only woman that could bring all of us together. Whitney, today […]
“We are here today, hearts broken but yet with God’s strength we celebrate the life of Whitney Houston,” Rev. Joe A. Carter told the packed New Hope Baptist Church after the choir behind him sang “The Lord is My Shepherd.” ‘’Whitney, you are the only woman that could bring all of us together. Whitney, today is your day.”
A gospel choir, members dressed in white and gold, opened the funeral with song, and churchgoers were swaying and clapping along. Some stood in the aisles in the full church. Others were more mournful; singer Ray J., who spent time with Houston during her last days, broke down crying. His sister, singer Brandy, put her arm around him.
Filmmaker Tyler Perry praised Houston’s “grace that kept on carrying her all the way through, the same grace led her all the way to the top of the charts. She sang for presidents.”
Mourners fell quiet as three police officers escorted Houston’s casket, draped with white roses and purple lilies. White-robed choir members began to fill the pews on the podium. As the band played softly, the choir sang in a hushed voice, “Whitney, Whitney, Whitney.”
Singer Dionne Warwick, Houston’s cousin; music mogul Clive Davis, who shepherded Houston’s career for decades; actor Kevin Costner, her co-star in “The Bodyguard,” and sister-in-law Patricia Houston spoke glowingly of the singer who sold over 150 million albums worldwide.
The funeral was not without drama though as Houston’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, had stormed out of the church. It was not clear if he had an altercation with members of Houston’s family who blamed him for her drug abuse. He later sneaked back in through a side entrance.
Aretha franklin who had been scheduled to sing at the service could not turn up because she “had been up all night with illness.”
Stevie Wonder brought a moment of humour however when he approached the piano and said “In my little fantasy world, I had a little crush on Whitney,” the crowd erupted in laughter. “I just had so much respect for her love of music.” He then sang his soaring hit “Love’s in Need of Love Today.”
There were also songs by Alicia Keys and Be Be Winans among others while Houston’s mentor Clive Davis, screen partner Kevin Costner and others paid glowing tributes.
Hundreds of the diva’s fans gathered a distance from the church to show respect by lighting candles and releasing balloons.
Houston will be buried Sunday morning next to her father, John Houston, in nearby Westfield, New Jersey.