It was a beautiful service for the late Whitney Houston Saturday, as her friends and family gathered together at a New Jersey church to say their final goodbyes.
Among the attendees was a slew of famous folks like her former husband, singer Bobby Brown, singers Brandy and Ray J, Alicia Keys and actor Kevin Costner, who delivered her eulogy.
Click for pictures from Whitney Houston’s funeral
One of the most touching performances of the night came from singer Alicia Keys, who was a longtime friend of Houston, on who even had nicknames for each other.
Keys performed a beautiful rendition of “Send Me An Angel” Saturday as the crowd wiped tears from their faces, and even Keys had to keep a tissue handy.
“It’s so obvious that she crept into everybody’s heart,” Keys said before performing. “She was just a beautiful human being. Really, really caring thoughtful human being.”
“Call you for no reason at all,” Keys added.”But to say hi.”
Houston died a week earlier after she was found unconscious in a California hotel bathtub while preparing for a pre-Grammys party put on by music mogul Clive Davis.
“It’s amazing how someone can touch you like that and you don’t even know them,” said Alicia Keys as she performed at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Awards party. “And then you meet them and you form a friendship, and a sisterhood and a bond and you realize how incredible they really are. Far beyond and T.V. or any award show or anything”
Officials were called to the scene of Houston’s death but were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at around 3:55 p.m. While an autopsy proved that there was no foul play involved, an official cause of death will be later determined by the L.A. Coroner’s Office, which could take weeks.
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Houston was known for her amazing voice, in which she could turn ordinary songs into extraordinary pieces. One of her most famous performances was for “I Will Always Love You” which was first released by singer Dolly Parton. Another song she turned into a hit was, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Houston was on top of the world at one point but took a turn for the worse during her tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown that lasted until 2007 and played out on reality television and alleged drug abuse.
Check out Alicia Keys performance.
Check it out.
