Stars to sing at Whitney's funeral

Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will be among stars singing at the private funeral for Whitney Houston at her childhood church.

Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster, also confirmed that invitations went out to the singer’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, her co-star in 'The Bodyguard', Kevin Costner, and talk show presenter Oprah Winfrey.

Houston’s long-time musical mentor Clive Davis will speak at tomorrow’s funeral. The eulogy will be given by gospel singer and family friend Marvin Winans.

Others who will be part of the programme include Donnie McClurkin, Tyler Perry, Kim Burrell, Rickey Minor, Alicia Keys, Houston’s cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, and Cece Winans, Ms Foster said.

Queen of Soul Franklin was a close family friend and considered Houston her god-daughter and Houston used to call her “Aunt Ree”, Ms Foster said.

Yesterday organisers were preparing the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, for the musical part of the service, setting up speakers and drums in the aisles.

Fans without invitations will be kept far away. Newark police said streets would be shut down for six square blocks around the church.

However, they will be able to watch the funeral on the internet.

Houston, 48, was underwater and apparently unconscious when she was pulled from a bath at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, California, hours before she was due to perform at producer Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards event on Saturday.

Newark-born Houston was raised in nearby East Orange and began singing as a child at New Hope church, where her mother, Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, led the music programme for many years and Warwick also sang in its choir.

Houston was one of the world’s best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, with hits such as 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', 'How Will I Know', 'The Greatest Love Of All' and 'I Will Always Love You.'