It was a star-studded send off back home in the church she grew up in. Rich in the African-American gospel tradition, the music industry and the world “went to church” on Saturday during an emotional home-going for Whitney Houston.
Her beautiful gold casket, which was transported to the church in a golden hearse, sat center stage at the front of the church adorned with a perfect array of pink roses. Family cousin Dionne Warwick led the program, which included musical selections from Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Be Be and Ce Ce Winans, R. Kelly, Kim Burrell, Donnie McClurkin and the New Jersey Mass Choir. Whitney’s Godmother, Aretha Franklin, was scheduled to also sing but did not attend due to illness.
Producer and Actor Tyler Perry delivered a stirring eulogy, offering touching memories of his 4 year friendship with Whitney. Long time friend Be Be Winans was reduced to tears as he provided a humorous anecdote of his deep brother-sister relationship with Whitney. Record executive Clive Davis also spoke about his discovery of the pop icon and his multi-year relationship being her “industry father.” But noted actor Kevin Costner, who co-starred with Whitney in the movie “The Bodyguard,” provided perhaps the most memorable words of the day.
Costner informed all in attendance that his strict Baptist upbringing gave him more in common with Whitney that most people knew. He also spoke of how beautiful and talented Whitney was in her prime and how he fought for the studio to hire her over someone more seasoned. Whitney almost did not get the part, as her concert tour conflicted with the filming schedule. But Costner was so sure that she was the perfect fit for the role, he convinced the studio to postpone filming for an entire year just to wait on her.
Perhaps the low moment of the day came just before the service was set to begin. Whitney’s ex-husband Bobby Brown, who was invited to attend, arrived to the invitation only service with 9 additional people. He was originally seated in the front row of the church, but was asked to move 3 times, as the family had not made accommodations for Brown plus 9 additional guests (the church usually holds only a few hundred people, but 1500 had been invited for the services). Out of frustration, Brown and his guests left the funeral before it even began, saying he didn’t want to cause a scene on the day set aside to celebrate Whitney.
The most poignant moment of the nearly 4 hour service came at the very end, when the casket was hoisted on the shoulders of 6 pallbearers and carried out to a recording of Whitney’s most famous hit “I Will Always Love You.” Family members and friends alike wept openly in memory of the woman once known as “The Voice.” Following the service, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Clive Davis, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Chaka Khan and other family members and invited guests retreated to a private dinner reception. Whitney Houston was laid to rest on Sunday at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, NJ.
