Whitney Houston funeral draws fans, family, stars

Family, friends and fans began to gather to mourn the funeral of Whitney Houston on Saturday, one week before the sudden death of the singer, whose spectacular voice and best-selling album was one of the biggest pop star of his era.

Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week, stirring recorded love songs and lively dance tunes during a 30-year career that culminated in 1992 with her signature hit "I Will Always Love You." The guests began arriving to honor her invitation only funeral service in a modest neighborhood in his native Newark, New Jersey.

"His strong legacy of his music," the Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist and the first guests arrive, told reporters outside the red brick church, where services will be made.

A gold hearse carrying the body remained in Houston to a nearby funeral home Saturday from the New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston has developed his voice as a young gospel singer in the choir with his mother, weakling Houston, who is a backup singer Aretha Franklin.

There was a heavy police presence outside the funeral and the streets were also calls it. The police urged fans to stay home and watch the funeral on television or the Internet, but few came up early outside the police checkpoints that they could get closer to the late singer.

"She meant so much to me. I used to literally sit in my room and sing his songs," said Wendy Saunders, 42, a fan who has to pay him respect from Detroit Houston. "It's so real, and that's what I loved her."

Soul, gospel and pop music greats set to sing and speak to a service that was expected to last three hours. These include Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Franklin, R. Kelly and Houston's cousin Dionne Warwick.

Hollywood stars Kevin Costner and Houston and Tyler Perry's mentor, Clive Davis, music producer, is also scheduled to speak. Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Beyonce and Bill Cosby were expected to attend the service.

Houston's family decided against a public monument, as it did in 2009 after the death of pop star Michael Jackson, but agreed that the service live on television networks and the Internet.

Many Houston fans the last few days left flowers, cards and balloons dedicated to the singer who became a Global Star with her 1985 debut album, which contained the hits "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All. "

Houston was one of the greatest singers of the 1980s and 1990s, but his private life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown was stormy. He admitted to heavy cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills.

His death at age 48 shocked his family, fans and the music industry. Houston found an underwater hotel bathtub on the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards. The cause of death has not been determined.

SO EMOTIONAL

Houston grew up surrounded by gospel and soul legends like Franklin and Warwick. she later forged a new area with a black, female artist, who was affected by R & B and gospel to pop music mainstream.

After his debut, his popularity has grown exponentially in the second album "Whitney" (1987), all four singles - "We're almost It All," "So Emotional", "Where do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) "- hitting No. 1 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

His music videos featuring his 1980s style and innocent, fun image was widely popular throughout the world. The 1992's "The Bodyguard" starring Costner, Houston played a character not far from her true self: an international singing sensation to cope with fame.

Her other film credits including "The preacher's wife", but the 15-year period when she married the singer Brown coincided with the decline in the quality and frequency of his albums. The couple, who have a 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown were divorced in 2007.

Houston suffered a strong voice in recent years. In his last world tour in 2010, he struggled to hit the high notes.
 

She talked about it publicly fighting addiction. In a 2002 interview with television journalist Diane Sawyer, Houston asked what was the "biggest devil" in his flaws. Houston replied, "No one makes me want to do nothing. Thus, the greater devil, I'm not the best friend or my worst enemy."

Glen Campbell brings audience to its feet at Grammys

The 75-year-old actor appeared on stage with contemporary country stars of Perry and Blake Shelton, preceded him with their versions of two other hits Campbell, "Gentle on My Mind" and "Southern Nights."

A few moments later, he was a celebrity-studded crowd at Staples Center on their feet and singing along, including former Beatle Paul McCartney and guitarist Joe Walsh, who had seen dancing in the aisle with his wife, Marjorie.

Ever the showman, Campbell said his microphone in the room for each chorus, inviting them to join the line, "like a cowboy Rhinestone!" lights and music halls all gladly accepted.

Performance, delivered without a hitch, a hail of applause and ended with applause, as Campbell shouted, "Thank you all so much!" Then he turned to leave the stage as the lights went out and heard gamefully asks: "Where do I go?"

Campbell, a five-time Grammy winner who suffers from short term memory loss over the years identified in the People magazine article in June that he was diagnosed six months before in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

His wife, Kim, said that the couple decided to give the public a diagnosis before the final, farewell tour, which he started in the autumn of 2011.

Campbell began as a session guitarist on the Beach Boys and producer Phil Spector, before rising to fame in 1960 of hits, including "Wichita Lineman" and "By the time I get to Phoenix." Perhaps his most famous song, "Cowboy Rhinestone» was the number 1 hit in 1975.

He received his CBS variety show "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour", from 1969 to 1972, and starred with John Wayne in the 1969 original film version of "True Grit".

Grammys 2012: Adele's '21' wins album of the year

The soul traditionalists Adele win over pop star, veteran rock acts and producers up-and-coming songwriter / to win the Grammy's most prestigious prize, album year, her "21." It was the sixth award from six nominations, swept clean. Leading heavy, Adele surprised no one in taking top honors at the Grammy Awards-54.

His "21" championed by critics and embraced by the fans, because it is a best-selling album of 2011 and did not leave the 10 on the U.S. pop charts since its release last February.

Adele, who was named best new artist at the ceremony in 2009, underwent vocal surgery in November and was forced to cancel his U.S. tour. Grammy night marked the return to the stage, and his album won the year suggests that the Grammy voters will choose songcraft, raw emotion and stunning sound more pop trends or Slingers guitar. He defeated Lady Gaga pop art performance, single engine Rihanna, pop / R & B craftsman Bruno Mars and alt-rock survivors Foo Fighters.

Singer-style-over substance is the heavy favorite heading into the awards. "21" is the best-selling album of 2011, with a final tally of 5.82 million copies moved during the year. In the meantime, he's hit single "Rolling in the Deep" was cut this year with 5.81 million copies sold. The two numbers are taken from Nielsen SoundScan's year-end data. Critics also flocked to the artist, the album was in position 6 in the Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop critics poll of the nation.

Adele fits well with a previous album of the year winner. Though indie rock dramatically Arcade Fire took action last year to honor her album "The Suburbs" and the country-pop upstart Taylor Swift won in 2010 for her "Fearless", winner of the last have included the number of roots-leaning action. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss took top honors in 2009 for "Raising Sand," Herbie Hancock upset Kanye West in 2008 with "River: The Joni Letters" and the Dixie Chicks took his prize in 2007 with "Taking the Long Way."

Adele's biggest challenger in the field is probably Mars, who honed his meat producing and writing for other artists and was nominated for his solo debut, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans." Among the songs Mars has had a hand in co-write or produce is Cee-Lo "Forget You," Bob "Nothin 'on You" and "Billionaire" Travie McCoy among many others (he was part of the hot production team Smeezingtons) . Mars "Just the Way You Are" won male pop vocal performance Grammy in 2011.

With "Born This Way," Lady Gaga has been nominated for a second album this year. He competes with the Arcade Fire last year for "The Fame Monster," which he won for female pop vocal album.

Go to the 2012 ceremony, Foo Fighters have never won outside the realm of rock. Last year's "Wasting Light," however, take action to get the second album of the year nomination, as "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" competition in 2008. Rihanna's "Loud" is the first album artist of the year nomination.

Grammy Awards are determined by the approximately 13,000 member votes. Eligibility period for nominated recordings is October 1, 2010, to 30 September 2011. The ceremony was held at the Staples Center and broadcast on CBS. It is broadcast live except for West Coast viewers. Recent headlines and breaking news will be posted here on Pop & Hiss.

whitney houston dead 2012

Houston recalled as happy in days before death

Whitney Houston is the last day spent around the family, catching up with old friends, and with a little bit, you know best: singing.

His death Saturday afternoon in a Beverly Hills hotel room hours before it was scheduled to see an annual pre-Grammy party, which introduced him to the industry decades ago, and was expected to honor the six-time Grammy winner.

The 48-year-old singer is already in the circle of the day before the event appearing in the tests and offers advice singers Monica and Brandy. On Thursday, singer Kelly Price, also appeared on stage in a club in Hollywood, where she sang the national anthem: "Yes, Jesus loves me" loud cheers.

The Houston's daughter Bobbi in the audience, the women shared a long embrace, and spoke of their lives and their families throughout the night, Price recalled Saturday. Houston was back on stage for hours of the event in honor of R & B music, and then joined the partygoers on the dance floor, he said. "Whitney Thursday evening was one of the girls."

"He was happy," Price said. "He was always known at the Whitney."

Soul singer Kenny Lattimore, who co-hosted the event R & B, Houston said, seemed to thrive, causing sudden death "such a shock to me." He said Houston does not seem to have any questions.

Houston for years struggled with addiction cocaine, marijuana and pills and the years of hard living took toll on it once-clear sound. The rehearsal is a pre-Grammy event on Thursday, the Houston disheveled, his breath smelled of sweat and plenty of liquor and cigarettes, said a source who was present, but are not authorized to speak publicly.

Despite more than a decade of problems, including her divorced Bobby Brown and erratic behavior in many cases, working toward an eventual return to Houston. Just finished a remake of the film "Sparkle", he'd worked for years developing the project.

Still, some people thought that he was under the influence after the appearance of the club Thursday, when paparazzi snapped pictures left Houston and looking disheveled. Price called the rumors "completely true."

We had a family feel to the meeting, said: "The children were there."

Price said, and Houston is planning another reunion, and that he appear before the Grammy gala thrown her old mentor, Clive Davis on Saturday night. Davis expected that Houston will sing at the party, which went as planned, he explained, because the diva would have wanted it that way. This was another part of the hotel where his body was to examine coroner's officials.

"I am devastated by the loss of a person who has meant so much to me," Davis said. "He was full of life, I can not wait for tonight. He loved music and he loved this night that the famous composer."

Officials have released few details about how or what killed her was found in Houston. One member of his entourage was the singer, and now alerted hotel security and health of the Davis-site gala. They could not revive the singer.

In the hours after the death of Houston fans chose to remember the singer a better time when the soaring voice of a new generation to the Dolly Parton song "I Will Love You" and out of the movie "The Bodyguard," the blockbuster status.

His songs and albums on iTunes soon top sellers, and the fans and celebrities alike shared memories and accounts of impromptu memorials to the social networking site Twitter. His death on the eve of the Grammy Awards has made changes to the broadcast on Sunday, Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to perform a tribute to the show.

Price said her friend wants to be remembered as a good and pious mother, rather than simply a singer. He said Houston and frequently discussed issues in parenting and independent music career.

He recalled the last night in Houston, Houston, before the words they shared delivered what would be her final performance.

"I never would have imagined, we can talk about it because he is not here," Price said.

Clive Davis: Whitney Houston would have wanted the music to go on

Whitney Houston "definitely wanted the music to go," said industry mogul Clive Davis, who chose to continue with the annual Grammy party the night at the Beverly Hilton, where hours earlier he had signed a pop icon and guided pronounced dead at 48.

"He loved music and she loves the night that celebrates the music," said Davis, adding that the family of Houston requested that the parties continue.

Mood, however, at least in the early evening, away from the celebration. Participants were asked to show Davis embrace each other, using sour or dazed expressions, and many shook their heads visible, even as the pounding music in the hotel. Davis, who saw a 19-year in Houston a work in Sweetwaters supper club in Manhattan, has been hosting a pre-Grammy event for more than three decades. Houston is to attend the gala.

The artist, who regularly ruled the pop charts throughout the '80s and 90's, was found unresponsive in her Beverly Hilton room Saturday afternoon, police reported. Fire officials sent to the hotel after receiving a 911 call about 3:43 am, said a statement from the Beverly Hills police.

"By now you've learned from the unspeakably tragic news via our dear Whitney," said Davis in the early evening. "I do not have to cover my emotions in front of a room full of so many of my friends personally devastated by the loss of someone who meant so much to me over the years .. Whitney is so full of life. He is looking forward to tonight even though he was not scheduled to do. "

He continued, "Whitney is a beautiful person and a great talent he graced the stage with graceful presence and gives an impressive performance so much here over the years .. Simply put, Whitney definitely wanted the music to go and the family requested that we hold. "

Among them Houston is expected to rub elbows with the Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett, Akon, Cee Lo Green, Miley Cyrus, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Jennifer Hudson, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello and Diana Krall.

It was early evening turned into a tribute to Houston. Ray Davies was preceded medley of some of the signature song of The Kinks' by giving a capella reading of "Days" the song of gratitude: "I bless the light that shines on you, believe me / Even though you go, you are with me every day, believe me." He went on to sing a few songs of The Kinks' most elegiac: ". Celluloid Heroes" "Waterloo Sunset" and

Combs gave a lecture to move around Houston, and crooner Bennett drew some applause, and some believe the appearance of silence, when the 85-year singer urging the audience to support the legalization of drugs. 2009 Houston's comeback album, "I Look to You," followed almost a decade of ups and downs of public struggle with illegal substances.

Recording Academy President Neil Portnow recalled seeing the performance of early Houston. Portnow worked for Davis when the latter signed Houston to Arista Records in the early '80s. He said the pre-Grammy cancel the ball is "never an option." "We have heard Whitney on our shoulder saying, 'Guys, this is show business The show must go on.,'" He said.

Before starting the Davis-hosted the party, announced that the Grammy Awards on Sunday will feature a tribute to Houston performed by Jennifer Hudson. "There may be no more appropriate than Jennifer Hudson sings Whitney Houston on stage," Portnow said the decision to utilize the young star in honor of Houston.

Previously, Grammy executive producer Ken Erhlich said, "There are still too fresh in the minds of everyone to do more now, but we would be remiss if we did not recognize the outstanding contributions Whitney for music fans in general, and particularly close relationship with television Grammy nominations and won a Grammy, and for many years. "

Ray J Camp Deny Bodyguard Attack

Ray j Reject bodyguard to attack the camp on Thursday was the top story. Here is the (TMZ) Ray J bodyguards were attacked by two drunk guys in Hollywood last month, leaving a man knocked out cold in the Sidewalk - this, according to the singer.

A rep for Ray J-New tells TMZ, No rays of any member of his team, "I do not know about that incident," when the two men who appeared to be drunk rays approached the car on the street, and received their asses handed to them.

The rep adds, "Ray J has been working for his new television show, and he was off duty police officers to protect him, then Filming, they accompanied him to his car and he left without incident."

TMZ posted a video of the incident this weekend. where Ray J is quickly accompanied by a Rolls Royce, and a man is unconscious of the Sidewalk. Meanwhile, a boy yells, "Ray, I got this ... Ray, get the car."

It is not clear what connection the attackers was a singer, if any, but I say ... by Ray-they do not work with singer.Read full Story

Bobby Brown Sobs at Concert Hours After Whitney Houston's Death

Just hours after the shocking death of ex-wife Whitney Houston his show went to Bobby Brown on Saturday night.

R & B singer, 43, went ahead with the planned concert in Mississippi with his fame, the group New Edition and the news hit that Houston had died aged 48 at his rooms in the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

After reportedly breaking down backstage pre-show, Brown (who shares daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18, of Houston) refused to join his band mates for the opening song. According to the concertgoer, he brought them onstage for the second layer to a large bowl, singing "Hit Me Off" with gusto.

At the end of the song, Brown said, "I love you, Whitney!" and blew a kiss to the sky, looking visibly teary.

The ballad "Tenderoni," Brown broke down onstage, a source says. As he sobbed, he asked the audience to sing the hit.

Brown and Houston were married from 1992 to 2007.

Despite their volatile relationship, Houston told Oprah Winfrey in 2009, "I loved him so much ... He was my drug. I did not do anything without him."

Authorities reported Saturday evening that "no signs of foul play" behind the shocking departure of Houston, and the cause of her death remains unknown. She entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction in May.

Whitney Houston's death: Hotel guests stunned at news

Visitors who come for a pre-Grammy party in Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday night was abuzz with news of the death of Whitney Houston, who died earlier in his room at the hotel.

"Everyone is talking about it, but the mood has changed from excited members of the grief," said Carolyn Blazer, a visitor who often traveled with his family from Colorado to Los Angeles on Grammy weekend. She said they always keep the hotel because they will see all the celebrities who attend the annual pre-Grammy music mogul Clive Davis party.

Houston, 48, was among the carriers planning to attend parties Davis and Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett and Sean "Puffy" Combs, Jennifer Hudson, Diana Krall and others.

Blazer said she had just returned from a trip downtown Saturday afternoon when she saw an ambulance parked outside the main entrance on Wilshire Boulevard hotel. She said another visitor visitor told her room in Houston was clearly on the fourth floor as part of the floor was cordoned off by emergency personnel.

Julia O'Reilly, another visitor, a guest who was in the lobby area directly above the door of International Standard, in which music could be heard coming from inside as guests trickled in person, she had just returned to the hotel an hour earlier and heard the news.

"I hope she did not do anything crazy," she said in Houston. "No one here is to show any emotion or sadness. But the best actors and singers always say that the show going on."

Friends find their hotel rooms in Houston around 3:30 pm and immediately called 911, said sources who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is ongoing. Involved in emergency medical personnel found the singer unresponsive, and she was pronounced dead shortly before 4 PM.