The pop diva will be finally laid to rest.
A funeral for Whitney Houston will be held on Saturday at the childhood church where she first revealed her soulful voice to the public, reports CBSNews.com.
The funeral will be held at noon New Hope Baptist Church, according to a statement the owner of the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark said on Tuesday.
The family was originally planning on having a public service for Houston at Newark’s Prudential Center, a sports arena, but ultimately decided against it.
There will not be a wake for the “I Will Always Love You” legend and the family has requested that the funeral be invitation only, according to Carolyn Whigham who spoke to CBSNews.com.
The family is desiring the memorial to be more personal and only wants those who truly loved and knew Houston to attend.
Whigham elaborated on why the family is requesting an invitation only funeral, “They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell. The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time.”
Houston died a day before the Grammys on Feb. 11 at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It came as a shock to everyone, especially since she was supposed to perform at a pre-Grammy Awards bash for producer Clive Davis. According to officials, she had already been unconscious for some times when she was finally removed from the bathtub.
According to authorities there were no signs of foul play or trauma on Houston after an autopsy was completed on Sunday. However, coroners believe it may take weeks before they can figure out her exact cause of death, as reported by CBSNews.
Whitney Houston’s body was brought back to New Jersey on Monday night by private jet alongside her Mother, Cissy Houston and other friends and family.
