Sombre and dressed down like any other mourner, Sir Paul McCartney remembers the late Whitney Houston. With his wife Nancy Shevell looking on, the Beatle laid flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the LA hotel where she died and said goodbye by blowing a kiss. His touching display comes as details of the late singer's funeral have been revealed.
The service will bring poignant closure to her life, as it is being held at the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child. Contary to reports of a large-scale send-off, her family will bid farewell to the troubled star in a private service. Saturday's proceedings will take place at Newark's New Hope Baptist Church, with Gospel singer Marvin Winans giving the eulogy. Funeral home owner Carolyn Whigham said the church service would be by invitation only, reflecting the family's decision to keep the memorial more personal, and that there were no plans for a public memorial.
"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," she said. "The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time." Whitney was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, just hours before she was due to perform at producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards event. Music's biggest night saw a collective outpouring of tributes, with Jennifer Hudson covering the singer’s biggest hit, I Will Always Love You. It could now be eight weeks before the coroner's office completes toxicology tests to establish the cause of death.