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Whitney Houston's Private Funeral

The recently deceased Whitney Houston is scheduled to have a private funeral Saturday.

The service will be held at the singer’s childhood church in Newark, N.J. According to Rolling Stone, the service at New Hope Church is invitation-only.  There will not be a wake.

Houston’s funeral is expected to be televised and streaming online from the church.  The church represents her childhood and symbolizes where she got her start as a star.

According to CNN, publicists and entertainers have confirmed nearly a dozen celebrities will be attending the service that has a seating of 1,500.  Houston’s godmother Aretha Franklin is expected to perform and ex-husband Bobby Brown has vowed to attend the service.

Famous for worldwide hit singles including “I Will Always Love You,” Houston was found dead in the bathtub in her Beverly Hills hotel room before the Grammys.  Her death cause of death is unknown, and a toxicology report won’t be released for another few weeks.

The artist struggled for years with drug and alcohol abuse, along with an unhealthy marriage to Brown.  Houston starred in Brown’s own reality show in 2004, “Being Bobby Brown,” which showed the day-to-day life of the couple.  Houston received just as much air time as Brown, even though it wasn’t technically her show.

Rumors have it that Houston died from drug-induced causes.  The LA Times says it will be a challenge to sort out her past records and drug history.  

Houston sang mezzo-soprano and astounded listeners worldwide with her exceptional vocals.  She broke down barriers as a black female artist and influenced other musicians.  Her face was seen constantly on the networks playing her video “How Will I Know.”

Artists like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears are just a few of the people Houston has musically influenced over her lifetime.    

The service will begin at noon.

Photo Courtesy of kalb.com

Photo Courtesy of inquisitr.com

Main Photo Courtesy of Flickr-zennie62

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