i'll think of you every step of the way ♪ ♪ and i will always love you ♪ will always love you ♪ you my darling you mmmm ♪ ♪ bittersweet memories and good morning and welcome, everybody. you're watching cnn's special

coverage of whitney houston, her life, her music and her coverage. we're reporting live. today is the day as the baptists like to say whitney houston will be sent home. it's a private funeral for her family members and her friends, invitation only. the streets around that church have been closed down, but today it will be filled with mourners who are here to pay their last respects for a woman who had an amazing voice and an amazing life, and died way too early at 48 years old. piers? >> it's a beautiful sunny day in new jersey on the streets where whitney houston first grew up. it's an extraordinary cast. the funeral will open up with the new hope mass choir, new jersey mass choir singing "the lord is my shepherd," then scripture read by pastor joe carter. a solo by donnie mcclurkin. and remarks from tyler perry.

and a solo by bebe winans and a solo by come burrell. remarks from kevin costner. we haven't heard from him yet. it will be fascinating to hear what he said. a solo was planned by aretha franklin. we hear she may be sick, she may not be forming. we'll wait for clarification. she does appear to be here today, but we're not sure if she'll be singing. clive davis, of course, the great mentor of whitney houston, who discovered her, took her to arista records, he'll be speaking here. and stevie wonder singing "a ribbon in the sky," a medley by alicia keys, a solo by r. kelly, "i look to you," and family

remarks by patricia, her sister-in-law and a tribute by dionne warwick. it's going to be a hugely emotional day, think. very much a family affair. you can see it's eerily quiet here. throngs of fans are being kept away. this is what cissy houston wanted. >> the fans are gathered on the outskirts behind police barricades. they understand it's a moment for the family of whitney who's been so public, to finally have a moment -- have her to themselves. >> i don't know what you think, but you feel like you're right in the middle of where whitney grew up. this is really what whitney is all about. she wasn't the superstar

glamorpuss she game. this is the essence of whitney houston. the service we're going see is very much reflective of that part of her life. >> and a traditional baptist service cl means it will be worshipful. it will be focused on god, even though the list of names are some of the nation's top performers, it's not a performance. this is a celebration, a service about her live. >> and it will be quite lengthy. we were hearing originally one hour, but it's going to be two to three hours. a full baptist service. lots of tributes and performances from some of the greatest performers in the modern age. a real sense. whatever whitney houston went through in her life, all the issues that she faced should all be put to one side. today, a celebration of her life and music which certainly touched the lives of many people here in new jersey but also the wilder world has tuned in to watch this. it's going to be an extraordinary occasion, i think. >> let's get to don lemon.

he's been standing by, talking to many people who wish they had the opportunity to be inside the church today and also folks who will have a chance to get inside. don, good morning. >> good morning to you, soledad, good morning to you, piers, as well. i want to tell our viewers that the newark police really encouraged everyone to stay at home and watch it and not come down. but this is as close as you're going to get. we can walk up and show you right on the corner, soledad and piers and viewers watching from around the world, we're around the corner, about a block away, and this is where everyone going through the memorial service will be entering, through the front doors of the new hope missionary baptist church. you see the folks starting to gather already. they'll be walking right in front of where you see the balloons and the sort of makeshift memorial that's been put on the front of the church here. and there is a horde of people.

two entrances, this side where we're standing on the corner and the other side where you see way in the distance. you may see flashing lights. that's another entrance. that's about two or three blocks away. this is the closest. for those of you who can't come down and have been encouraged not at to, this is about as close as you're going to get. i want to bring you right to the service where this is going to happen. as you can see, the streets in newark have been blocked off for even since overnight, blocks and blocks and blocks. on this side, you see there are media -- hoardes of media from all over the country, germany, china. and if you pan to the right, tom, come through here, it's a little bit closer to where you are. this is where a lot of peerjs soledad and piers, the dignitaries that we've been interviewed have been coming to the media, talking about their

conversations with cissy houston this morning, seeing bobbi kristina going to the funeral home. many of them had gone to the previous services that were held last night. as we call it in the baptist church, we call it a viewing. today is the home going ceremony or what we call the wake. where quite honestly, you scream, you shout, you cry, you sing, you get all of your emotions out. nothing is really off limits when it comes to this wake service today. they used to call it the wake because people would scream and celebrate so much that you would -- it would wake the dead, and that's where that term comes from. and once this is over today and all of those people perform and all of her friends and loved ones get their emotions out, they'll probably go back to one of the family members' homes. tomorrow -- they'll celebrate tonight, have some food, maybe libation or what have you and sit there with the family and

counsel them if they need to be spoken to or need guidance. if they need nothing, just to sit there, they'll do that as well. then tomorrow, whitney houston's family will get into -- one of them be get into the hearse with her and there'll be limousines. they'll take the body to the burial site and that's when they'll lay her to rest. probably the family, cissy and bobbi kristina, they'll take the dirt, throw it in her grave, take flowers, throw it in her grave, and they will lower her casket down and they'll sit there for as long as they want and say good-bye to cissy houston. some are being brought in, some of the dignitaries. a horde of media. you see there's the church right there. the new hope baptist church where whitney houston sang in a choir, her mom was the choir

director, and piers and soledad, you can understand why cissy houston wanted to lay her daughter to rest and have her memorialized in this fashion. to them she's nippy. she's just a family member. and this is where she started. so they want to have her go home in a church-like service like she grew up in and that she did every single sunday for hours and hours. that's the way we do it in a black baptist church. you go there and sit for hours and hours on a sunday. that's how they wanted to send whitney home. piers, soledad? >> thanks. >> thanks a lot, don. we're going to take a short break. when we come back we'll be talking with someone who knew the family really well. he's known the family for 40 years. and the reverend reggie jackson who will also tell us about his memory of whitney houston and what it means to new jersey and indeed the world.

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♪ it's not right it's oak i'm going to make it right anyway ♪ ♪ it's not right but it's okay ♪ welcome back, everybody. you're watching cnn's special coverage of whitney houston, her life and her music. we're joined by special guests, the pastor of the first baptist church from somerset, new jersey, not far from here, about 30 miles away. and reverend reggie jackson who just hung up on the phone with

aretha franklin. >> she can't make it. she was at a tremendous event and she was up much of the night hosting some guests. she had some leg spasms. she's already but she can't do that. she's been talking with cissy all night long. of course, she was whitney's godmother. >> she was a woman that whitney would see in interviews, auntie re. you know if you're calling -- >> she listened tocy ssy. she honed her skills among the best singers of this time. >> whitney used to sing in this church as a young girl. and cissy was the musical director. >> she was the critic or director.

nurturing mother. one of whitney's life work was singing with her mother. >> you talked with pastor joe carter. you mentioned that he wants this to be a worship service. this is not a concert performance remembering whitney houston. this is a baptist traditional service. >> that's exactly right reverend carter who has been a great pastor in new jersey wanted to make sure the service, which he officiates, functions as a worship experience and not as a performance. there's a difference between performing and ministering. and that's what we'll see today at the funeral with the music, with the flow of the service, with the interaction between the audience and the speakers, and our traditions, we continue to have a call and response where people will affirm what's being said by saying something in response. >> and, jesse, put into context

how important whitney's music is to the world. a lot of people are saying forget all the problems she had, the issues, and so on. for today focus on what she meant to the world in terms of this incredible voice. >> it was a decade. the songs that she sang were always uplifting, never degrading. the number of songs that became hits, "i'll always love you." a lot of the time there was tension about war, pro and con, i mean she hit these moments and these was that took us to a dirnts place, and as i reflect upon it, we often reveal our successes and we conceal our pain because people deal so ruthlessly with pain, and maybe here's the tipping point. but i tell you, piers, you look at the highs and lows, it's the box score. she comes out. you strike out and come out on the next.

she's a winner. >> whitney to me is right though with michael jackson who obviously sadly died recently as well a couple of years ago. we've got a clip here with "oprah winfrey" in which whitney talks about the parallels with michael jackson and life and death happening. >> how difficult was michael jackson's passing for you? >> devastating. i have so many good memories. of spending time with him. i've known the family for so many years. at least 20. i thought this can't be true. it can't be true. >> when is the last time you saw him. >> wow.

i think it was that time when i spoke to him during the trial a lot. by that time he had cut a lot of people off. he didn't want to be seen. >> did he cut you off? >> he would speak to me on the phone, but he didn't want me to see him. no one have i ever met like that young man, you know? and to have it end like that, it saddens me, yeah. yeah. >> but when you saw him at the 30th anniversary, did you think -- was he a mirror for you? >> in some ways, yes. >> that you would think, this could be me? >> i don't want to go down that road. >> does your heart still ache about it when you think about it? >> terribly, terribly. yeah. yeah.

>> that was whitney houston there talking about michael jackson. the parallels, of course, are very obvious. two people from singing families who both died before they even reached 50. incredibly sad. very sad to see whitney talking about michael that way and then the same thing happening to her. what do you think of the parallels she drew there? >> have sobering. i think it speaks to the level of people born to tremendous success. it's inconceivable that every mistake appears in newspapers, that things you never thought do are in public view. and i think the burden that celebrities have, particularly those who are at the top of their field, is immeasurable. and i think you can see the parallels in that sense. but with regard to her music, whitney presented a kind of

dignity and elegance that was embraced by the community. she was never disrecollectful to her tradition. her music was not only uplifting but her persona was so elegant and so dignified. she was in a class of people who come very rarely. >> she left at 48, which is relatively long. she covered more ground in 48 years than three men covered in 96. >> you can't say that about everybody. we'll take a short break and continue to have this conversation on the other side as we remember whitney houston with her life, her music. we'll be back in a few moments. ♪ i want to dance with somebody i want to feel the heat with somebody ♪ ♪ yeah i want to dance with somebody with somebody who loves me ♪

♪ you give good love to me baby it's so good take this heart of mine into your hands ♪ ♪ you give good love to me welcome back to our special coverage o whitney houston's funeral here in new jersey. we were hearing some of the guests have been arriving.

ray j norwood and brandy. ray j is believed to be whitney's last boyfriend. it's an occasion, i guess, for the world to watch from the outside, but these people really were close friends of whitney houston's. >> yeah, think about this. this is a private funeral. most private funerals are eight or nine people at the grave site. but for whitney houston private people are all this. they were connected to her. not simply knowledgeable of her. what you see in the audience today are a mix of people who've known her all her life and those who met her two years ago. both categories feeling equally connected to her. >> some other people who are in the church -- >> soul train made his transition. so many of us were at his memorial service on thursday.

the soul train engineer. she was a passenger on that train. >> let me tell you some other names of those we're told are now at the church. vivica fox is inside and sharp james, the former noourk mayor and susan taylor, the former "essence" magazine. it makes you lielz whitney houston was not only a tremendous performer and singer but a real role model for young women. >> dr. king has a kinship with this church as well. this church is a church of great social consciousness. i can tell you cissy houston never hit the stage level her daughter did, but in terms of singing, the sweet inspirations and with aretha franklin and with elvis presley, her mother laid a huge groundwork for her daughter. >> and don't forget that dionne

warwick is cissy's cousin and she's a member of the church. >> also i think it's important to clarify that although the family requested proivacy from the media, they were aware they would be here. they understood that faps around the world wanted to see what was going to be happening. >> the fact that it is this way, the church is very much -- i mean the casket is there. it's a very religious setting. there will not be the kind of running of the people with snapshots and pictures taken. they wanted to avoid the atmosphere that would happen with a sacred celebration. >> let me stop you for one second as we take a look at mary kay blige who's going inside the church. she and alicia keys and numerous

young women who are very successful as performers would often talk about how whitney houston was their inspiration and would help them navigate a very difficult business. >> you'd be surprised how much of an influence she was on the people in the industry. we look at, as reverend reggie jackson said was the mole on the face and make it the face. wa's going to come out in the days and years to come is the kind of impact this woman had on young people. i saw bebe winans in your show last night. she embraced bebe after she became famous. they didn't grow up together. >> i interviewed jennifer hudson with clive davis the day before she died. she was starry-eyed. she said when i was young i used to dream of doing duets. i used to dream of doing duets

with whitney houston. >> in the late year, that was kind of a down coverage of whitney and there was this kind of upsurge of whitney and the record sales taking off. >> i think that it took michael jackson's death for all the music that he'd ever done to suddenly come back in and for people to listen to realize what a genius he was. >> now the cynical coverage is diminishing and the hope is in the air. >> we need to take a short break again. we we're going to go to the break here with some video of whitney houston singing with her daughter bobbi kris tina. ♪ if tomorrow is judgment day and i'm standing on the front line ♪ ♪ it's all right it's all so right ♪

♪ as the years have gone by we stay young in each other's eyes ♪ no matter how old we get ♪ it's okay if i got my baby ♪

♪ if tomorrow's judgment day and i'm standing on the front line ♪ ♪ and the lord asks me what i did with my life i will say i spent it with you ♪ welcome back, everybody. you're watching cnn's special coverage of whitney houston, her life and her music. you see in those pictures there, photos of bobbi kristina, the only child of whitney houston and bobby brown. many people have told us that today is really about whitney houston's life. they say they want to talk about the people that she touched, the relatives, the friends that she loved, the joy that she brought to her fans. today is day to celebrate that life, and that's what's going to happen in that church that's over our shoulders. the new hope baptist church where they'll have a traditional baptist service really remembering the life of whitney houston who died at the age of

48. don lemon is talking with people who have gotten as far as two blocks away from the church. he's had an opportunity to chat with some of whitney houston's fans. hey, don, what are they telling you this morning? >> reporter: hey, soledad, yeah. they're talking to me here, and they're also talking to me on twitter telling me what they want to say. they're praising our coverage, so, thank you, viewers. they're using th the #whitneyhouston. this is the entrance to the church. you see right over my shoulder in the street -- we're a belong -- block away where whitney will be remembered. this is a close as anyone would be able to get if you were here. and, you know, you guys mentioned the people who are here to -- some of the fans, of course, the police are

encouraging people to stay home. but some people did come out. one guy here -- let's walk over here. you came all the way from the british virgin islands, kareem nelson? >> i did. >> reporter: why? >> i think what whitney houston has done for the world is a tangible gift from the rest of our lives and i wanted to pay my respects in person. >> reporter: you're going home tomorrow. >> i am. >> reporter: we've been saying home going. a can you believe we're saying home going to whitney houston who's 48? >> i can't believe it's here. i wanted to have an injection of reality. you see the reports from afar and sometimes you follow them but some are with skepticism. i had to be here with reality and have my final closure. >> reporter: when you found out? >> devastated. i thought it was a joke. i thought my fraternity brother was playing a joke.

i didn't confirm it. when i confirmed it to cnn, tears came to my eyes. i've hand tears every day. >> reporter: you say you've cried every day. >> i've cried every day. >> reporter: good luck to you. that's one of millions of fans crying around the world. will let's show this. this is where they're putting media. i think it's important to show this. the officials in newark, especially the police department have encouraged people to stay at home and watch it on television because you're going to see it live on cnn and also cnn.com. but everyone is wondering since we have been saying we've heard a lot about this, i think it's important. the houston family, cissy, whitney houston's mom want add traditional home going for her daughter instead of having a big event at the pru deb chal center. it home going is the funeral service or worship service or

celebration service you have for a loved one in the black community, mostly in the black church. you say i'm going have a home going ceremony. that means when someone dies and you want to pay respects and honor them, that's what you have at the church. usually the night before -- everyone was saying, oh, there was a private viewing, a private viewing of whitney houston. that was really the wake where you're loud enough to wake the dead and then you have today, which is a traditional service. and then tomorrow, of course, they're going to lay her to rest. that's what home going mean. it's usually a day they do the celebrating like today, but the entire convenient can be seen as a home going. as we have spoken to her pastor, to her principal, rev reynolds here in the community. this is a home going ceremony, not a home coming ceremony, because whitney is going home to be with the lord. so today is about her, it's about honoring her family, and everyone that you see who's

going to get up on that stage will do that. they're going to sing, they're going to praise. and as we say in the black church, we're going to jump and shout and people shout and you fan them. that's what happens. you cry. and many people are going to laugh. some people, you know, may get up, just impromptu. i know in the church where i'm from, they'll say things even though they're not scheduled to say things. they'll say i remember this about nippy or i remember that and it's all acceptable. i imagine today it's a possibility but people are going to be very respectful. 1,500 people were invited. the church officially is only supposed to seat about 300 but 1,500 were invited. we saw the beautiful invitation earlier on cnn. itz's going to be very interesting to watch. i can guarantee our viewers around the world, it's going be very moving to watch. you're probably going to cry and you're probably going to laugh and you're going to see the best

performs by the best singers in the world, many of whom, probably most if not all grew up singing gospel in the church. if you want to go to church, then watch this whitney houston memorial ceremony and then it will take you there. you'll see why cissy houston wanted this sort of celebration, this sort of memorial for her little girl rather than the big event. soledad and piers. >> all right. don, we're also expecting -- the service is supposed to begin in roughly 25 minutes. that's when it's scheduled to begin, but we see as people arrive, they might get their start a little bit late. for folks who want to join the conversation, feel free to join us on twitter. we've got to take a short break. we're going dom back on the other side. we oar going to talk with joe leavy from "rolling stone"

magazine and talk with buster as well. we're right back after this. ♪ i'm every woman ♪ it's all in me ♪ it's all in me

♪ you will always be the one for me o yes you will ♪ ♪ i believe in dreams again welcome back to cnn's special coverage of whitney houston's funeral coverage. the funeral is set to start in about 20 minutes. the stars have already been arriving. queen latifah who apparently has been singing "we're going to see the king," and diane sawyer is

here. just got a note from the family. in lieu of flowers, they would like all their nations to make it to the whitney e. houston academy of performing arts at pob 385, new jersey, 07080. we've been joined now by joe levy from rolling stone magazine. where does she rank in the panopoly of sing eesingers? >> she taught the current generation how to sing. when you listen to mariah kara, christina aguilera, lady gaga, these are women who group listening to houston. she's a church singer but she's different than that. there's a different degree of control and presentation than a gospel singer, perhaps the greatest singer of all time, her godmother aretha franklin.

when you listen to whitney, when you hear the control she brings to the sound, the phrases, breaks up words, puts in all of those runs, that's modern pop singing. she taught generations how to do it. >> we've had thoughony bennett lionel richie and others saying she was not only the best singer but the best. >> it leaves out other great singers. but is she one of the best? there is no doubt about it. she was nicknamed by oprah winfrey "the voice" long behalf her television show. "the voice." and she deserved the nickname. >> how do you as a paz torstor, do you speak to bobbi kristina who's going to be in the audience? there's an 18-year-old girl who

lost her mother and her mother is beloved by most people in the world. what do you say? >> you want her to understand that first of all she has a right to be in pain. often religion makes people feel guilty for feeling badly, especially when they're feel li badly about something god was supposed to do. first of all it's human to feel pain. it's understandable to question god. those people who say don't question god, all great people question god. moses questioned god. everybody questioned god. mary questioned god when she said -- when he said she was pregnant. then you want her to know that she will be surrounded by people who love her. ceecee winans is her godmother and she'll supplement what her grandmother cissy does and her godfather and others in the family do.

so what we want bobbi to know is at 18 you will not have your mother but you'll have everything else that god can offer starting with the love of those people. >> also important, thing, that her father is here. lots of conjecture whether bobby brown will be coming or not. very struck by the fact. he said, look, whitney loved bobby brown. bobby brown loved window wittny houston. and i think it's important that he's there for his daughter. >> you're getting a first glimpse inside the church. you see the choir. >> both of them are performing. let's listen for a moment. ♪ ♪ hallelujah ♪ ♪ hallelujah

♪ hallelujah ♪ we've come to take you today ♪ we've come to take you today ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ we've come to praise his name ♪ we've come to praise his name ♪ ♪ we've come to praise his name ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

you were saying that this is a choir, a joint choir, thechoi mass choir and the new jersey mass choir brought together under the guidance of some degree of cissy houston who is a renowned gospel singer. >> correct. cissy was the choir director at new hope for years. the choir was so good people would come from the neighborhood to hear them rehearse on weeknights. but her music director was and is donnie harper. and donnie harper ran the new hope choirs and he formed the new jersey mass choir, which made a name for itself by performing with foreigner. >> you don't have to say that, that's fabulous, isn't it, watching these young choirs in

this celebration of whitney's life and music rather than all the other stuff we've been through this week. i think to see such joyful singing performance in the very church where she herself would have been in a very similar choir when she was a young girl, really a special moment there. >> not just a young girl. the last time i saw whitney was in this church at her cousin's funeral, dee dee warwick. at the end of the service when the choir began to sing "the lord is my shepherd," whitney got up from her seat, walked to the choir stand and sang with the choir. >> we should mention that bobby brown is now among those who arrived at the church. we have seen him go inside and we're expecting this will get under way in roughly ten minutes or so. as you said -- >> or so. >> yeah, or so. i was going to ask you about this. >> this is a baptist service. >> what does that mean exactly? >> that means don't look at your watch. >> it's expected to last several hours. >> yes. >> and not because of the fact that it is a global star who is being celebrated today, but

because it's a baptist service. >> not all baptist services last for hours. >> i know yours doesn't, but a lot do. >> but there are times when you just -- it takes time to get it done. and the program, if it were just the program as printed, could probably last a couple of hours. but there are unwritten parts of the program that will elongate the service, i promise you that. >> talking again about whitney's music, from "rolling stone's" perspective, obviously people will be wondering what was her greatest ever hit. you wrote a piece recently saying that "i will always love you" was her iconic song. >> i think it was, for me certainly. it's one of the greatest moments in american popular music in the last 30 years. i think what makes it so special is that there's a story behind it. this is a country song. this is a dolly parton song. this is an african-american woman having an amazing -- 14 weeks at number one, a record at the time, an amazing,

substantial hit with the cover of a country song. to me that has meaning. it has meaning about audiences talking to each other and the music talking to each other, but really it's an incredibly powerful performance. that one note when she goes for it -- >> i was going to say, that one note we all remember. >> right. >> i spoke to david foster this week on my show who produced that very record with her, and he said, you know, there are just moments in your career when even for him with all the great singers he's worked with, to hear whitney houston hit that big note. i said to him i've judged many talent shows where people people have tried to do that, and the reality is you can always work out the great singers from the average because when they go to that moment, most people can't hit it. and whitney's genius was that she could hit songs and hit notes that very few singers ever could. >> but it's more than about hitting the notes, it's the feeling you get when she does it. when she hits that note, it's a moment of triumph that we ride along on, and not every singer

does it for you. >> we should mention some of the folks who have now come into the church. we know cece winans is in the church and governor chris christie has arrived as well. jason carroll can update us on what we can expect when the service gets under way. it's supposed to start at the top of the hour but as the pastor has told us, that's an or so. jason, what do you know about the order of the service today? >> well, i can tell you i heard you guys talking about the long list of people that we can expect and that it could go on for hours. when you hear this list, you can certainly understand why. you've already heard the vocal talents of the new hope mass choir and the new jersey mass choir. gospel music very near and dear to whitney houston's heart and her family's heart so expect to harry a lot of that. i want to give you the rundown of who is expected to be here today. we do know that that pastor joe carter will be delivering the scripture. when i spoke to him earlier this week, soledad and piers, he told me i know there's going to be a lot of tears out there today but

this will be a moment to celebrate the musical talents of whitney houston. also donnie mccrerkan will be singing. we're expected to hear remarks from tyler perry, also a solo from b.b. winans, expect to hear the rendition of "home." then following that will be remarks from bishop t.d. jakes and then following that, kim burrell, a name known to many in the gospel community. she knew whitney houston for 13 years. the song she will be singing, "i believe in you and me." this was a song whitney houston apparently loved very much. it was a song chosen especially by her family. following that we will be hearing remarks from kevin costner. that is a name many know very well. of course aretha franklin was scheduled next in the program, but we now are hearing that she has dropped due to being sick. next we are expected to hear from clive davis, someone who knew whitney houston very well, a mentor to her for many, many

years, and then a solo from stevie wonder. he's expected to be singing "a ribbon in the sky." we next will hear from ricky minor, a band leader, remarks from him and then alicia keys will lend her vocal talents, followed by r. kelly. following that, the family is scheduled to speak, following up to dionne warwick. back to you. >> all right, jason carroll for us, updating us on what we can expect today as the funeral gets under way. today, though, will be a combination -- and it's a little bit of a challenge, i would imagine, to both hold a funeral and a celebration as we cover what is whitney houston's funeral but also focus on the things -- the amazing things that she was able to accomplish with her life. you mentioned the people -- where they want donations sent to whitney houston's school, the school that was named in her honor, a school that she actually visited often, even well after she became a celebrity. >> right. for our churches, it is a

synonymous reality to have a funeral and a celebration. it's just synonymous. the assumption we make is that life is like a hotel, you check in, but you check out. everyone is leaving here. and how you live determines how you leave. and if you have a relationship with god, then this is a celebration because you've checked out of the hotel and now you're going back home. >> let's take another break here. we'll come back with more coverage of whitney houston's life, her music, very shortly her funeral. ♪ o say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free and

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♪ i get so emotional, baby, every time i think of you ♪ >> welcome back, everybody. you're watching cnn's special coverage of whitney houston, her life, her music. today is a private funeral, a funeral that friends and family members have been sfwieinvited the streets around the new hope baptist been closed down and fans are kept outside the perimeter, those who decided they want to come out and express their love and joy for whitney houston. the church is a beautiful structure. it's beginning to fill up with the mourners who have come to pay their last respects to a woman whose voice was legendary and who really -- her star shone very brightly f