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The hearse carrying the body of Whitney Houston arrives for her private burial at the Fairview Cemetery on Sunday in Westfield, N.J.
Whitney Houston was laid to rest Sunday in a private ceremony at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J. She was buried next to her father, John Russell Houston, who was interred in 2003.
The singer passed away on Feb. 11 at age 48.
Fans and onlookers gathered in several places along the route the motorcade took from the Newark funeral home to the cemetery about 20 miles away. Many held signs wishing Houston farewell and some created impromptu memorials. Some even slowly ran alongside the hearse as it began the journey to Houston's gravesite. Several yelled out "We love you, Whitney" as the hearse, which had a black and white headshot of the star in a window, slowly drove away.
Barbara Davis, 53, of Newark, said she had been waiting outside the funeral home since 8:30 a.m., hoping to get a glimpse of Houston's final trip.
"To be here at her home-going is an honor and a blessing," Davis told The Star-Ledger of Newark.
Saturday's ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church was attended by hundreds of invited friends and family -- many of them stars themselves. After all the testimonials from relatives and friends, the songs from legends and pop stars, the preaching and even laughter, the raw emotion of Whitney Houston's funeral came down to just one moment: The sound of her own voice.
Whitney Houston was buried Sunday after an emotional funeral. Msnbc's Alex Witt reports.
Read NBCNewYork.com's complete coverage on Whitney Houston Set To Be Buried
As the strains of her biggest record, "I Will Always Love You," filled the New Hope Baptist Church at the end of the nearly four-hour service Saturday and her silver-and-gold casket was lifted in the air, the weight of the moment was too much for her mother to bear.
Gospel singer Cissy Houston wailed, "My baby! My baby!" as she was held up by two women and led out of the church behind her daughter's body.
A few steps behind her was the pop icon's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, also crying uncontrollably as she was comforted by Houston's close friend, singer Ray J.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
It was the most searing scene on a day with mixed moods as family, friends and a list of celebrities — sometimes one and the same — came to the humble New Hope Baptist Church, where Whitney Houston first wowed a congregation, to remember one of music's legends, but also a New Jersey hometown girl.
Her death marked the end of a life of stunning achievement. Blessed with a voice of great power and beauty, Houston became one of pop music's most successful artists over a career that spanned nearly three decades and segued into film with hits like "The Bodyguard."
More from TheWrap: Houston joke earns suspension for radio duo
But her life was not without struggles. An addiction to drugs and a tumultuous union with ex-husband Bobby Brown saw her tumbling from grace.
An autopsy has been performed, but results will not be revealed until the completion of the toxicology report.
The Associated Press, NBCNewYork.com and TheWrap.com contributed to this report.
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I can see it now-we have MLK day, black history month and now it will be Whitney week. Is there no end to the accommodation. She like so many other rich and spoiled entertainers killed herself. Sad but preventable. I watched some of the funeral and the singers did not sing-they screamed the words. Whitney herself started out as a wonderful/beautiful singer but decided "screaming" a song was more of a black sound so off she went with the new Whitney. This whole debacle was nothing more than an arena for blacks to get national attention-which they did so desperately.
Whitney Houston was just an OK singer and a lousey actress in the one movie she did. Why are we continuously bombarded with the death of her. She was not great and has no history of doing anything of greatness. The media constantly tries to "Dumb Down" the public giving us unimportant celebrity news instead of informing the public about significant events happening all around the world hourly. People should get into their own lives and insist on being provided with real news. Get a life, people.
I agree ...... Whitney Houston and Oprah over estimate their importance , big time.
There's one less dollar for her church, you sell your soul for fame and fortune, payday will surely come. For those who dont care about truth, Jesus said " Let the dead bury the dead".
Where "WAS" Whitneys body guard...........this time..?
It's about time someone says this. Whitney Houston was a CRACKHEAD. She CHOSE to do the drug, knowing how horrible it was. My second wife was a crackhead, she embezzled $10,000 from her church, and she and her next husband used the drug for almost 7 more years after our divorce. No crackhead, no matter their former greatness, should be honored the way Whitney Houston was, and to lower the United States flag to half mast in her honor was the ultimate dishonor to every serviceman who's given their life for the country, and every person who has served our government and died. She was a singer, nothing else, and she gave it all up for a drug. BOO to EVERY person who thinks she was anything but a crackhead...good riddance to bad rubbish, as my grandmother would say.....
It is sad, the death of a human being. My condolences to the family, BUT, I am irate at the glorification of this persons life.....in her final years.....a drug addict, who was once a great vocalist, but no more. Domestic violence, booze, drugs, the on going story of addiction, how sad.....but yet, how insensitive the networks and state gov't by lowering the flag, to half staff, and the TV production all over the air ways......why isn't the same done for the return of our soldiers, alive or dead. It is shameful to think an addict gets more respect than those who put their lives on the line daily, for our protection. The state of NJ, its Governor, the the networks, have dropped to a new low.
I agree as a U.S Army veteran it disgusts me to know the flags were lowered to half mass for a crackhead performer who supported drug dealers with her addiction.What has this world come to when someone like that gets more national media attention than the soldiers who fought for this country,and the ones who have died serving.The media and the goverment should be ashamed of them selves.
The odd letter that Whitney's mom wrote, it went something like, "I knew when you were born that I wouldn't have you very long , but God let me have you for 48 yrs. Love mommie." Now that is one strange woman, and also I was wondering how many people sitting in that church during that funeral took some type of drug.
Did anyone else who watched clips of the funeral notice that while one person (minister?) was at the pulpit singing, several of the other ministers and people behind him were having sidebar conversations? Really respecting the efforts of the singer and choir! Oh well, class will show - and so will "no class".
So sad! But what's worse is the fact that scammers are using Whitney Houston's death as a way to profit. Find out what scammers are saying on Facebook that you need to be wary of:
Could we move on please. She brought us some good music. But that was a long time ago. I have no sympathy for someone that destroys their life with drugs. It's always a choice. And I think it's pathetic that the death of a burned out drug addict is capturing everyone's attention when there are far more important and relevant things to focus on.
thank you Nuffsnuff,I agree with everything you just wrote.Wellsaid and to the point.
I hope all this whitney stuff is over soon,yes she had a great voice that made her lots of money ,and the drug dealers lots of money.How can society glorify someone that abused drugs ,and alcohol.what kind of role model was she for children,not a very good one in my opinion.Bobby Brown introdused her into drugs,but she had a free will to say no ,and get away from the problem from the start.Please people why do you glorify someone that killed themselves doing drugs,get real people.
was it Bobby Brown? I read that Chaka Khan was doing coke with her before she met Bobby Brown. Also, what do you all think of the rumors that Whitney was gay and the marriage to Bobby was to cover it up?
Buck Naked Sr banned, rereg of dontgivemethepenguin.
remember Ms. Houston at the time...
Hi everyone, my name is Mallorie and I am 8 years old. I heard the song I will always love you and whitney has a beautiful voice. WHY Whitney, no one knows what is going on in the U.S.A. it is crazy!
I really hope the comment made on ET last night about the photo taken of her in the casket that they told how she was dressed and how much jewelry she wore and how much it was worth. I really hope they were kidding that she was burried with it. As we know there are some real crazies out there and would attempt to rob the grave. Hopefully they took it off and put it away for Bobbie Kristien. Hope someone is watching over this young girl who has seen more than she needed or any child to see of there parent.
To Tim Doyle, Over the years of battling by own addictions, I came to realize how uneducated the medical community is about addiction. Not all but a good majority are just oblivious to this henious dis-ease called addiction. You would be doing yourself and others a tremendous service to get yourself some education on addiction. I thought to want to become a nurse or doctor meant you wanted to help heal people. You are doing people a huge disservice to believe that when people are that deep and sick into there addiction, that they are loving anything. Ignorance breeds self-righteousness.
8 days of laying Whitney to rest as your front page cover story is obsessive. She's dead, let her go