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."

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.

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.