Houston Laid To Rest Next To Her Father
Sunday 19 February 2012 07:51, UK
Whitney Houston has been laid to rest at a private ceremony in New Jersey following her star-studded funeral service.
The singer, who died last week at the age of 48, was buried next to her father John - who died in 2003 - at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey.
Houston's funeral saw
Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, R Kelly and a host of gospel stars performed during the three-hour and 45-minute-long ceremony, while actor fought back tears as he gave a moving eulogy.
Keys described Houston, as an "angel" and a "beautiful human being", while Costner, who starred with Houston in The Bodyguard, described her as the "greatest pop star in the world".
Her biggest hit, I Will Always Love You, was played as the marathon service at New Hope Baptist Church, where she performed as a child, came to a close and her coffin was sombrely taken back down the aisle.
But Houston's former husband Bobby Brown , designed to be a celebration of her life and career.
He was seen to approach her flower-covered coffin at the front of the church and touch it before leaving.
Their tumultuous 15-year marriage came to an end in 2007 following allegations of domestic abuse and her much-publicised battle with drug addiction.
Houston was found in Los Angeles last Saturday.
The death of the star, one of the world's best-selling artists in the 1980s and 1990s, prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief, but her family decided her funeral would be an invitation-only event with a single camera allowed to film it.
Despite the hundreds of mourners present, the Baptist service retained an intimate feel, with many personal tales of recited to laughs and applause from the congregation, which included her daughter Bobbi Kristina and mother Cissy Houston.
At the peak of her success Houston won multiple Grammys including album and record of the year, and sold millions of albums and singles worldwide.
But her career began to unravel as she battled with drug addiction, spending various spells in rehab. Her voice also began to suffer, prompting record sales to nosedive.
Houston appeared on the X Factor in Britain in 2009 and released a new album after seven years off the scene.
The cause of her death remains unclear and the results of toxicology tests are awaited.