Whitney Houston Buried; Kevin Costner, Alicia Keys, CeCe Winans Remember Star
Pop/R&B singer/actress/model Whitney Houston, 48, was laid to rest over the weekend next to her father John Russell Houston Jr. The most-awarded female act of all-time, Whitney Houston, was buried Sunday at the Fairview Cemetery outside Westfield, N.J.
On Saturday, an invitation memorial service was held at the New Hope Baptist Church where the singer first began. Speeches from Clive Davis, Kevin Costner, her cousin Dionne Warwick amongst others, were made remembering her and talking about the singer nicknamed “Nippy.”
Actor/Director and singer Kevin Costner, who cast Whitney Houston in her first role “The Bodyguard,” gave a heart-wrenching speech that hit home with not just the stars but everyday people who stumble in life.
Costner touched on Whitney Houston questioning whether she was good enough and even beautiful enough for playing the lead role in “The Bodyguard” alongside him. “It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end.”
Costner stated to on-lookers and listeners, “The inexplicable burden that comes with fame. Call it doubt. Call it fear. I’ve had mine. I know the famous in the room have had theirs.”
In addition to the speeches, performances were also given by Houston’s close celebrity music friends which included R. Kelly, who wrote the title track “I Look To You” for her last album also named “I Look To You,” as well as Whitney Houston’s close friend Kim Burrell, who sung “A Change is Going To Come; “Alicia Keys sung “Send Me an Angel”; Stevie Wonder sung “Ribbon In The Sky” and “Love’s In Need of Love” and CeCe Winans, who did a rendition of the song last sung by Whitney Houston before her death, “Yes Jesus Loves Me” and “Don’t Cry For Me”; last but not least, The Winans Family.
Other celebs who attended were media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Spike Lee.
Ex-husband R&B singer Bobby Brown attended the funeral with his children, but left after allegedly being reseated on several occasions. According to Brown, he kept being moved around in different seating and, instead of causing a scene, he respectfully left the funeral.
Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012 in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California hours before a Pre-Grammy party was to be held downstairs, as reported on MusiqQueen.com. Meanwhile, doctors and pharmacies are being questioned about the prescriptions that were found in her hotel following her death.
The cause of Houston’s death is still pending until the results of the toxicology tests are completed.
Whitney Houston leaves behind a teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina with ex-husband Bobby Brown.
Kim Burrell – A Change Is Going To Come
[youtube MnjnDbgA5AQ]
R. Kelly – I Look To You
[youtube dOpSPlWJJ1E]
CeCe Winans – Don’t Cry For Me
[youtube kwfMF_fws6g]
