According to CNN:
Gospel singer Marvin Winans, a longtime friend of the Houston family, will give the eulogy at New Hope Baptist Church. Winans officiated Houston’s 1992 marriage ceremony to R&B singer Bobby Brown.
Aretha Franklin, Houston’s godmother, has been asked to sing at the service, which begins at noon, Franklin’s spokeswoman said.
Houston’s cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, was in New Jersey helping the family with funeral arrangements, Warwick’s publicist said.
Others confirmed on the guest list are Chaka Khan, Bebe & CeCe Winans, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Ray J and Brandy.
The private invite only funeral will take place this Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
So nothing for the public huh? I def understand a private situation for the family but excluding the plubic from being able to pay respects is kind of hurtful esp when the public is what made her! I dont think she would agree witht that. The family def needs to do thier private thing but they should also have something seperate where fans can attend which i heard was in process untill the family asked the city not to go forward with the public plans. thats not right but oh well her family and the private plans their trying to have will be destroyed in some way cause there is nothing for the public
are you fucking daft?
for the public? you don’t fucking own her. she doesn’t owe you anything. GTFOH with this bullshit.
you crazy fuck; you need your head examined.
ANON – couldn’t agree more. Someone’s pissed because there is nothing for the public? That is greedy and insane. What is for the public, is the years and years Whitney has made music.
Both of you need to shut the fuck up!! It’s not greedy or insane for the public to want an opportunity to pay their respects to one of the greatest singers that ever lived. A public viewing or memorial service in addition to a private “family only” ceremony is customary when a MAJOR player like Whitney Houston passes away.
you’re fucking delusional too. GTFOH with this bullshit. the family doesn’t owe you shit.
you wanna pay respects then organize your own memorial asshole. oh thats right, you need somebody to do it for you on their dime and time. LOSER.
Delusional how??? No one is demanding a damn thing from her family! The fans are just expressing their desire for a public service. So how that delusional? Climb on ya soapbox and explain that one…
if the fans want a public service – organize one yourself!
you do it, COTTO. You do it. This funeral is private, as it should be, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
just because she was a public figure doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a right to privacy for herself and her family. she doesn’t owe you anything.
you want a “service” do it yourself.
Ok, you have yet to explain how her fans are delusional by wanting a publuc svc. And FYI, the service will be streamed & possibly televised so the fans get what they want anyway..
As for you, you really should pick up a dictionary & look up the definition of delusional.
i don’t have anything to explain to you as you are fundamentally irrational.
you want something deeply personal from a public figure whom you don’t know and have no personal connection to. that makes you fundamentally irrational by definition.
argue with you? never.
Oh please, you just can’t support your accusation. And if it weren’t for our deep connection to these celebrities, they wouldn’t exist.
Im a huge fan of the late Whitney Houston, so nothing for the public is your question, you said also said the public is what made her. Like I said before I’m a huge fan, but the Houston family doesn’t owe the public anything, the public is what caused alot of issues throughout her life, when you become famous every normal life person feel the celebrities shouldn’t have flaws everyone have flaws, but the also continously made false assumptions and reports about the Whitney Houston, and through it all she still tried to make the public happy with trying to regroup her life with the “I look to you” album in 2009 and also the remake of the movie “Sparkle”. All of that was because she truely lovely her fans. The public wasn’t trying to deal with Whitney when she was on her downfall, except belittle her and drag her name through the mud her. As a child of God, now Ms.Houston is dead and gone the public feel should it should not have been a private funeral. No one will ever be satisfied in this world. Whitney mother Cissy Houston released her daughter to World, but I’m sure Cissy wasn’t expecting the World to misuse her daughter because of her talent….Whitney was a human, a lovable human being, humans also comes with flaws, may she rest in peace “Whitney you will be me trumendously!”..Now what the public can do is keep Bobbi Kristina, Cissy Houston and the rest of the Houston family also the Brown family in there prayers. And let whatever Whitney did in her life be over with, it should be left alone in the past.
i agree with the family 100%…. the funeral will be on t.v. but only one camera allowed will be in the church
Yes the funeral will be streamed live for the fans and I agree it should be private. I think her mother is sick of the bullshit and wants to finally have her daughter to herself for once. Let them have that guys.
Whitney battled the public’s obsession with her and the choices she made while living her own damn life. She and her family deserve peace in her death, since that’s all they have left now.