NewJersey.com reports that Whitney Elizabeth Houston has been laid to rest beside her father, John Russell Houston: A gold hearse carrying Whitney Houston’s casket this morning pulled out of Whigham Funeral Home in Newark to head to the star’s burial in Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey. Just after 11:10 a.m. today, Houston’s hearse followed behind a black Chevy pickup truck with a bed brimming with flowers — light purple roses, pink carnations and white lilies among the arrangement. “We love you, Whitney!” fans called out trotting next to the hearse for about a block as it slowly pulled away. A backseat window displayed a black and white headshot photo of the star. The driver of the hearse appeared to be crying as she played “I will always love you.” Read the full story here. View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com . RELATED: Ray J Finally Breaks His Silence Bobby Brown Releases Statement On Why He Left Whitney’s Funeral [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Celebrated At Funeral [PHOTOS & VIDEO] Whitney Houston Obituary Released [PHOTOS] Ray J To Whitney Houston: “Your Smile Will Live In My Heart Forever” Chaka Khan Questions Why Pre-Grammy Party Was Held After Whitney Houston’s Death [VIDEO] Bobby Brown Dismisses Reports He’s Unwelcome At Whitney Funeral, Says Daughter Is “Doing Better” Aretha Franklin Sings Tribute For Goddaughter Whitney Houston [VIDEO] Celebrity Atlantans Remember Former ATL Resident Whitney Houston Whitney Houston May Have Died From Combination Of Xanax & Alcohol [REPORT] Jennifer Hudson Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” At Grammys [VIDEO] New Edition On Whitney Houston’s Death: “We Are Shocked And Saddened” Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO]
Chaka Khan spoke with CNN’s Piers Morgan about the death of Whitney Houston and questioned why Clive Davis held his pre-Grammy party after Whitney’s death. Chaka called the decision “insanity” and criticized those who let it happen: “I thought that was complete insanity,” Chaka Khan, who sang with Whitney Houston on ‘I’m Every Woman’, explained. “I don’t know what could motivate a person to have a party, in a building where the person whose life he had influenced so enormously, and whose life had been affected by her… I don’t understand how that party went on.” Adding: “A more honest tribute, in my opinion, would have been, maybe, call everybody together, say a prayer, let’s eat dinner and go home.” RELATED: Bobby Brown Dismisses Reports He’s Unwelcome At Whitney Funeral, Says Daughter Is “Doing Better” Aretha Franklin Sings Tribute For Goddaughter Whitney Houston [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Private Funeral Set For Saturday In New Jersey Celebrity Atlantans Remember Former ATL Resident Whitney Houston Whitney Houston May Have Died From Combination Of Xanax & Alcohol [REPORT] Jennifer Hudson Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” At Grammys [VIDEO] New Edition On Whitney Houston’s Death: “We Are Shocked And Saddened” Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO]
A pair of contrasting Whitney Houston covers hit the small screen this week. At least in terms of their planning. First, in a tribute to the late singer, Jennifer Hudson took to the Grammy Awards stage – with just 24 hours to prepare – and belted out an incredible rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” Then, on last night’s new Glee episode – by sheer coincidence, in a scene taped weeks ago – Amber Riley covered the same classic track as part of that Fox program’s Valentine’s Day episode, shedding tears in the process over her character’s status on the show. Who did a better job? Watch both and decide: Jennifer Hudson – I Will Always Love You (Tribute to Whitney Houston) Amber Riley – I Will Always Love You (Glee Clip) WHO SANG WHITNEY BETTER?
Whitney Houston’s funeral will take place at the church where she grew up in Newark, New Jersey this Saturday. The funeral will be private and will take place at the New Hope Baptist Church in Houston’s hometown of Newark. There will be no public service. Carolyn Whigham, owner of Whigham Funeral Home, told the NY Daily News that the singer’s family had personally made the arrangements and the service would be by “invitation only.” Speaking on behalf of Houston’s grieving family, Whigham said: “They thank all of the fans and friends and the media, but at this time this is their private time. They shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell to their daughter, mother.” Whigham said the family collectively made the decision to have the funeral at New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston sang as a child. “I’ve know this family for many, many, many years,” said Whigham. “From an emotional standpoint, this is very difficult for all of us. It’s a double-sided sword. You have a mother grieving. You have a daughter grieving. You have two brothers grieving. This is really hard. They’re very close. They are our family and we are grieving along with them.” Whigham said Houston’s body would not be buried in Newark but declined to elaborate on the location of her final resting place. Houston’s body was flown to New Jersey by a private jet belonging to film director Tyler Perry from Los Angeles on Monday. Read more at the NY Daily News. RELATED: Celebrity Atlantans Remember Former ATL Resident Whitney Houston Hot 107.9 Remembers Whitney Houston Ft. Twista [EXCLUSIVE] Whitney Houston May Have Died From Combination Of Xanax & Alcohol [REPORT] Jennifer Hudson Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” At Grammys [VIDEO] New Edition On Whitney Houston’s Death: “We Are Shocked And Saddened” Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Found Underwater In Bathtub [UPDATE] Whitney Houston’s Last Interview [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Dead At 48 [BREAKING NEWS]
Wiz Khalifa took to his Tumblir to talk about his last album. He admits it wasn’t his best. WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT “Im high as fuck and don’t even know to start this so ima just say thank you to everyone who’s supported the TAYLOR GANG movement and showed love up to this point. We’ve all grown so much since i first came onto the scene and most of all inspired a whole new generation of muh fuggas who aren’t afraid to be themselves and unite. Before there were Taylors, the game was lacking fun, unity, positivity, and love for one another. Shit, your favorite rappers weren’t even getting paid well. You guys changed that, and the game shld forever be in debt to you. I remember getting 500 dollars for a show to fly out and see kids who had no idea what a wiz khalifa was, and you crazy muh fuggas showed up. Had a great time, and spread the word. Its ya’lls spirit who revived the rap game and brought back the true art to this shit. Your demand for live shows made it possible for a lot of rappers to come from nothing and feed their families. Promoters too, more kids are managers, dj’s videographers. Shit everyones eating. Thanx to you Taylors!!!! Take credit for that shit. Lol Moving forward we gotta take that positivity with us. Theres tons of different crews now which is so inspiring because people are finding their own voice and unique lane. As Taylor Gang WE FUCK WIT EVERYBODY. We aren’t afraid to say we’re fans of other artists and bump their music, go to their shows and promote them to the top. Showing equal love. Thass Taylor’d. Dnt let anyone ruin your spirit or make you feel uncomfortable about what you like. What we say goes. Not them. Thass what started this whole thing regardless of what people think. Sayin fuck them and doin what makes us feel free. Dnt let anyone take ur view on things and twist it against you. Dnt let em make you feel like you weren’t the first. Anyone questioning my choice in clothing as of lately (lol) I’ll just go out and say that it was needed. In a climate where everyone is looking and sounding the same, i always try to inspire my fans to be different. And i lead by example. At one point the way I used to dress was considered “different” but now its very much the norm and accepted. Which is cool. Thass what we do it for, but the next step had to be made. Im older, my wife is a supermodel, and ima trippy ass nigga. My clothes reflect that. My toms cost $45. My Louboutins cost $2500. Moving on to the music, I haven’t been this excited about any of my projects ever. I remember when i made kush and orange juice, I listened to it and knew I had created a new genre that wld change music.The mistake i made on Rolling Papers was thinking it was time to move on from that genre not knowing that it had impacted people so much. The album did great numbers, but creatively wasn’t my best work. No regrets though. We live and we learn. So for my fans sake and own personal enjoyment, Ive gone further into the world we’ve created and elaborated on our genre with the mixtape Taylor Allderdice and of course my sophomore album ONIFC. Im so confident in the artistry and creativity of these projects because so much living went along with them. These aren’t songs aimed to be hits or widely accepted or even understood. Iss for people who live like us and can relate. And informative to those who can’t. Either way we’re inviting mu fuggas deep into our world and I can’t wait. I got new visuals, a new clothing line, and the new show is gonna be amazing. This is for us. Taylor Gang Or Die.” -O.N.I.F.C RELATED: Amber Rose Releases Debut Single “Fame” Ft. Wiz Khalifa [AUDIO] Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Go To “High School” With DJ Drama [EXCLUSIVE] Amber Rose On Her Mom Smoking Weed With Wiz Khalifa: “Wiz Is Like The Son She Never Had” [EXCLUSIVE] Wiz Khalifa Adds Juicy J To Taylor Gang
Whitney Houston’s godmother, the legendary Aretha Franklin, sang a tribute to her late goddaughter at a recent concert in Charlotte. Aretha asked the audience to pray for Houston’s family and called Houston “the greatest voice to ever live.” Take a look at Aretha Franklin’s emotional tribute to Whitney Houston: RELATED: Whitney Houston Private Funeral Set For Saturday In New Jersey Celebrity Atlantans Remember Former ATL Resident Whitney Houston Hot 107.9 Remembers Whitney Houston Ft. Twista [EXCLUSIVE] Whitney Houston May Have Died From Combination Of Xanax & Alcohol [REPORT] Jennifer Hudson Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” At Grammys [VIDEO] New Edition On Whitney Houston’s Death: “We Are Shocked And Saddened” Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Found Underwater In Bathtub [UPDATE] Whitney Houston’s Last Interview [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Dead At 48 [BREAKING NEWS]
Taylor Swift + Katniss Everdeen = Utter awesomeness. Granted, the singer doesn’t actually interact with the District 12 resident in the following video – which is for “Safe and Sound,” the single by Swift and The Civil Wars that will be included on The Hunger Games soundtrack – but still. That notion makes us smile. Below, watch as Taylor wanders around the forest alone, barefoot and ragged, never actually meeting with The Civil Wars (who opened for her at the 2012 Grammys ), but eventually picking up the iconic Mockingjay pin from the books and perfectly honoring the story we all know and love. VIEW THE VIDEO NOW: Get More: Taylor Swift , Safe & Sound , Music , More Music Videos Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars – Safe and Sound (Official Video)
Jennifer Hudson still can’t believe it. She still can’t believe she was selected to honor Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards Sunday night. Also, she’s still shedding tears over the legendary singer’s passing. Jennifer Hudson – I Will Always Love You (Tribute to Whitney Houston) “It was the greatest honor of my life to be able to be the one to pay tribute to Whitney’s memory,” the Oscar winner tells Us Weekly . “It was from my heart. I haven’t stopped crying since she passed. Her family is in my prayers.” Houston, a six-time Grammy Award winner, was found dead in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton Saturday afternoon, her body submerged in a bathtub. She’s believed to have died from a combination of prescription pills and alcohol, while many are now concerned over the state of her 18-year old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.
While the cause of her death is still unclear, details emerge about how the pop legend spent her last few days. By Gil Kaufman Whitney Houston and Kelly Price perform in Los Angeles last Thursday Photo: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic The circumstances behind Whitney Houston ‘s death are still murky, but details about the legendary singer’s final 72 hours provide a conflicting view of how she spent her last days. Houston died on Saturday at the age of 48, with the most recent reports suggesting that she may have succumbed to a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol , and not as a result of drowning in her hotel bathtub as initially thought. Houston had kept a relatively low profile recently, emerging sporadically in late 2011 to promote her role in the upcoming film, “Sparkle,” in which she plays singer Jordin Sparks’ mother. The remake of a 1976 film about talented young musicians struggling with addiction — a story Houston was sadly familiar with in her own life — is slated for release in August. It was Houston’s first major film role in 16 years and was to be a precursor to her expected role in “Waiting to Exhale 2.” As investigators try to piece together what killed the singer, a clearer picture is emerging of how Houston spent her final days. February 7 : According to TMZ , Houston paid the second of two recent visits to a Beverly Hills doctor, though it has not yet been determined what kind of physician she saw. February 9 : Houston dropped in on a pre-Grammys party in support of her old friend and R&B singer Kelly Price , who told MTV News her old pal seemed just fine. “We were talking about the kids, she was telling me how proud of me she was for doing this record, doing it independently … and singing the truth,” said Price, dismissing rumors that Whitney was partying heavily that night. “I was still at my hotel getting my hair curled and they called me and said, ‘Whitney’s there!’ She beat me to my own party,” said Price, who performed a gospel duet with Houston that night in what turned out to be Whitney’s final stage appearance . “She strolled down the red carpet, she smiled, she interviewed. She went down to the VIP area and she waited for me. … My friend has had some troubles and challenges down throughout the years, but you have to judge a moment by the moment. You can’t just automatically assume that something else happened. … She was happy that night.” February 10 : Though she had no official appearances on the day before her death, witnesses told TMZ that the singer had “partied heavily” with friends at the Beverly Hilton Hotel that night. The boisterous group reportedly drew stares at the hotel bar packed with other Grammy revelers. The site also claimed that Bobbi Kristina, Houston’s 18-year-old daughter with Bobby Brown, allegedly fell asleep in a bathtub in the same hotel less than 24 hours before her mother’s demise. February 11 : Hours before she was reportedly scheduled to attend mentor Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy bash, news broke that Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton Hotel room by members of her staff. CPR was attempted and did not work, and the 48-year-old singer was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. Police found no evidence of foul play and are currently awaiting toxicology reports. February 12 : LL Cool J leads a night of tributes to Houston at the 54th annual Grammy Awards, culminating in a stirring rendition of Whitney’s signature cover song, “I Will Always Love You,” by Jennifer Hudson . February 13 : posts a report containing photos of what they claim are the room-service trays ordered by Houston just before her death. They show several meals, as well as a Heineken can and an empty champagne glass, which suggests that she may have had several drinks on top of whatever prescription drugs she ingested before getting into the bathtub. (There is no proof, though, from the pictures that Houston alone consumed the drinks.) Share your condolences with Whitney’s family and friends on our Facebook page. Related Videos Whitney Houston: Life And Music Of An Icon Related Photos Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos Related Artists Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s family was told by L.A. County Coroner officials the singer did not die from drowning, but rather from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol, reports TMZ . TMZ also reported that water was found in Whitney’s lungs, but it was not enough water to lead to the conclusion that she drowned. TMZ reports that the family was told Whitney may have died before her head was submerged in water. The site also reported that it was actually Whitney’s aunt, Mary Jones, who discovered Whitney’s body in the bathtub. Initial reports suggested Whitney’s body would be flown back to Atlanta, where she lived for several years with Bobby Brown and daughter Bobbi Kristina, but CNN is now reporting that Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, wants Whitney’s body flown to New Jersey, where Whitney was born. RELATED: Bobbi Kristina Released From Hospital As Bobby Brown Arrives In L.A. Jennifer Hudson Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” At Grammys [VIDEO] New Edition On Whitney Houston’s Death: “We Are Shocked And Saddened” Bobby Declares Love For Whitney On Stage [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Found Underwater In Bathtub [UPDATE] Whitney Houston’s Last Interview [VIDEO] Whitney Houston Dead At 48 [BREAKING NEWS]
