Whitney Houston Funeral Saturday
Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at the private funeral service for Whitney Houston that will be held Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. According to People.com, Houston's mentor and record producer Clive Davis will speak at the memorial, as will her co-star from the hit 1992 movie The Bodyguard, Kevin Costner. Oprah Winfrey will reportedly attend the service, too.
In addition, Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, will attend the funeral, contrary to reports claiming that the 43-year-old R&B singer had been banned from the event, according to People.com. Brown will perform with his group New Edition at a concert in Connecticut following the service.
Meanwhile, Aretha -- who was Houston's godmother -- discussed the late pop superstar's struggle with drug and alcohol abuse in an interview in the new issue of People.
"We were all aware of her challenges," said the Queen of Soul. "And I was always rooting for her."
Franklin also commented about the difficulties Houston had while on her last tour of Europe. "Still exciting, but unable to sing what she wanted to had to be disheartening," noted Franklin. "And yet she stood night after night and endured unappreciative audiences with the heart of a champion."