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Whitney Houston Funeral: Singer to Be Buried Saturday at Newark Church

Kevin Mazur, Getty Images

The body of Whitney Houston is back in her hometown of Newark, N.J., where the late superstar will be laid to rest later this week. According to the AP, the funeral will be held on Sat., Feb. 18, at the New Hope Baptist Church, where the iconic singer got her start.

Houston's body arrived in New Jersey shortly before 11PM EST Monday night (Feb. 13) in a private plane reportedly owned by Tyler Perry. Police then escorted her remains to the Whigham Funeral Home, which also handled her father's burial in 2003. The funeral home's owner has told the AP that there will be no wake, and that the private, invitation-only funeral will take place at noon on Saturday. This conflicts with earlier reports that the R&B diva would be remembered Friday (Feb. 17) with a massive public funeral at Newark's 18,000-seat Prudential Center, which last evening displayed the singer's face in lights.


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"They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell," Carolyn Whigham said. "The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time."

The superstar was born in Newark and raised in nearby East Orange. After finding her voice at New Hope Baptist, she rose to great commercial heights in the '80s, building a career that tragically unraveled the following decade, as she spiraled into drug addiction and weathered a disastrous marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

During her later years, Houston reportedly squandered her tremendous fortune, and according to a Forbes writer who spoke with E!, the 'I Will Always Love You' belter might have died broke.

"There were certainly rumors that Whitney Houston died broke and she didn't have any significant financial impact in the last couple years of her life," Zack O'Malley Greenburg told the network. "It's been a while since she has put out an album and been on tour, so one could see why towards the end of her life she would be running a bit low on cash."

Houston died at the Beverly Hilton hotel in L.A. on Feb. 11, a day before the 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held.

Watch 'Whitney Houston Funeral to Be Invitation Only'
Whitney Houston Funeral to Be Invitation Only


Watch 'Whitney Houston's Body Arrives in New Jersey' Whitney Houston's Body Arrives in New Jersey

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Priscilla Payne

Much love to her & her family. We love you Whitney and you will always be missed.

February 15 2012 at 9:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
michael

There not having it at the prudential center, Because there broke plain and simple.

February 15 2012 at 6:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tom

Give us a break! Enough about WhitneyHouston. She was not a great human being. She was not a person deserving of flags at half mast. She was a good singer if you like the style, but other than that, she was just another drugged out entertainer.

February 15 2012 at 2:15 AM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
Pscottparker1

Both Houston and Michael Jackson could have been so much more. He mangled his face while his family and friends stood by fecklessly, and then overdosed on propanolol. Pathetic. Such incredible talent, such a waste. Houston was beautiful and had the voice of an angel. Chose to be a full-time crack head the final 20 years of her life. Wastes. What the hell did any of their friends and/or family ever do to try to help them stop and turn their lives around. Whatever they did, their efforts were about as useful as a canker sore.

February 15 2012 at 2:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pshel47254

Whitney's death took me by surprise and I felt like crying... she was one of my favorites during the 80's-90's.... her songs were so upbeat, innocent, fun... unlike todays skanks - rhianna, beyonce, gaga - where the words and motions are vulgar, gyrating whatevers... however, when whitney married bobby - he took her down. if you hang with the ghetto you become ghetto - and she did. where were her 'friends' during the past years??? no one ever steps forward until death. May she find what she was truly looking for... rest in peace princess. :(

February 15 2012 at 1:15 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
mvnlouisiana

SUCH A WASTE.

February 15 2012 at 12:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
njlynn2

She had a great voice. Beautiful songs. But let it all go, drugs did it again. There is great pressure for these stars. But how can some stars, be able to handle all this. Do they keep there group around them small, and don't put themselves out there so much. You have to know, you need to watch YOUR money. YOU need to watch YOUR money. The music industry seems to be riddled with drugs. Someone needs to say this is over, it is done. if you are a star with a problem, you better listen up.

February 15 2012 at 12:23 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
dav2lil

why this huge display. she was a druggie and doesn't deserve to be teated like a saint

February 14 2012 at 11:22 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
matteosmom

Amazing how you all feel justified sitting in judgement of another human being.

February 14 2012 at 10:56 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
ericaj30

these women entertainers need to wake up and get a normal 9 to 5 guy that will love them to death and keep them from all this nonsense instead they pick these rich losers who sleep with any woman they can .ladies get yourself a truck driver they make an honest living and the appreciate the woman they have , not st back and feed their wife drugs

February 14 2012 at 10:52 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
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