Whitney Houston's Funeral on Saturday While Public Memorial Will Follow
Whitney Houston's family are still finalizing her funeral arrangements, and so far a private funeral has been arranged to be held on Saturday followed by a two day public memorial.
Although initial reports suggested Houston's 78-year-old mother was insisting that her daughter be buried in Atlanta, the family has agreed on a private service at Newark, N.J.'s New Hope Baptist Church where Houston was raised, according to NJ.com.
Houston's funeral on Saturday will be open to close friends and family, while a two day memorial at the Prudential Center in Newark will be open to the public at a later date.
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Earlier reports suggested that Houston's mother Cissy along with her cousin, Dionne Warwick, were displeased with the family's plans to bury the late singer in Newark arguing that Atlanta was more ideal, although it is now believed that they have changed their minds.
Houston's body arrived at Whigham Funeral home from Beverly Hills late on Monday, which is the very same funeral home that handled the arrangements for Houston's father back in 2003.
The funeral home owner, Carolyn Whigham, confirmed that Houston's funeral would be held at her New Hope childhood church although there will not be a wake.
Close friend, Tyler Perry, is said to have offered his private jet plane to transport the late singer's body from the West Coast and like many is said to be crushed by Houston's untimely death.
Houston's mother Cissy released a statement about her 48-year-old daughter's death, in which she described her unfathomable pain.
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends," Cissy said in a recent statement.
Houston's 18-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina is understandably affected by the death of her mother, and is now reportedly on suicide watch after being rushed to hospital twice since learning of her mother's death on Saturday.
Houston was found dead in her hotel room bath tub after reportedly downing a cocktail of prescription drugs, including Xanax, Lorazepam and Valium, according to Radar Online.
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I'M EVERY WOMAN" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S HIT "IT'S NOT RIGHT BUT IT'S OK" HERE
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FINAL PERFORMANCE BEFORE DEATH
SEE VIDEO OF WHITNEY HOUSTON & BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN PERFORMING "MY LOVE IS YOUR LOVE"
SEE VIDEO OF LL COOL J'S PRAYER FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON ON GRAMMYS 2012
