(Barbados Nation) Pop star Whitney Houston’s funeral service will be held Saturday in the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The owner of the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark said that Houston’s funeral would be held at noon on Saturday, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. The funeral home said there would be no wake. The service will be by invitation only, Carolyn Whigham said, reflecting the family’s desire to keep the memorial more personal.
The 48-year-old Houston died on Saturday at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, just hours before she was set to perform at producer Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards bash. Officials say the Grammy Award singer was found underwater and unconscious in a bathtub.
The authorities said there were no indications of foul play and no obvious signs of trauma on Houston. It could be weeks, however, before the coroner’s office completes toxicology tests to establish the cause of death. Los Angeles County coroner’s assistant chief Ed Winter said there were bottles of prescription medicine in the room, but would not give any details. Her body was returned to New Jersey late Monday.