and michael jackson's daughter, paris, said rest in peace, white houston. ays idolized her and her amazing talent. for more on the death of whitney houston you can go to abc7 news.com. >>> this morning investigators in san joaquin county will search for more human remains after discovering a skull and bones deep in a well yesterday. they may be from a victim of the so-called speed freak killers. the abandoned well is just outside stockton. remains were found yesterday afternoon 35 feet down a well on this property. the location was given to a bounty hunter who promised to pay wesley shermantine $35,000. shermantine and another man, lawrence herzog, are believed to have killed as many as 15 people in a methamphetamine-fueled spree back in the 1990s. authorities believe as many as 10 people may be buried in that well. >>> this morning in contra costa county school officials are confident they have whatever caused a school-wide illness is under control. on thursday one quarter of the elementary school body got sick and on friday 200 students were absent. it was

and michael jackson's daughter, paris, said rest in peace, white houston. always idolized her and her amazing talent. for more on the death of whitney houston you can go to abc7 news.com. >>> this morning investigators in san joaquin valley will search for more human remains after discovering a skull and bones deep in a well yesterday. they may be from a victim of the so-called speed freak killers. the abandoned well is just outside stockton. remains were found yesterday afternoon 35 feet down a well on this property. the location was given to a bounty hunter who promised to pay wesley shermantine $35,000. shermantine and another man, lawrence herzog, are believed to have killed as many as 15 people in methamphetamine-fueled spree back in the 1990s. authorities believe as many as 10 people may be buried in that well. >>> this morning and contra costa county school officials in are confident they have whatever caused a school-wide illness under control. on thursday one quarter of the elementary school body got sick and on friday 200 students were absent. iti

. >> reporter: megyn, there are reports the funeral services for white houston will be held in newark, new jersey later this week. of course that a whitney houston's home town. at this hour, we can tell you that the body is still here, at the los angeles county coroner's office. an autopsy has been completed. that happened yesterday, and because foul play has been ruled out, her body is able to be released to the family. assistant chief ed winters telling us that a few prescription pill bottles were recovered at the scene, inside houston's hotel room, but he went on to say that it was not an unusual amount, in fact, he kind of joked and said he probably had more in his own home medicine cabinet. and even though the pop icon was found in the bathtub he wanted to squash any rumors this had been ruled a drowning. they still do not yet know. >> i had a conversation with the family at the hotel, and in no time did -- at no time did i discuss the prescription meds or the drowning issue. i don't know if the detectives discussed that with the family, but no, we have not released any informati

tomorrow a private funeral will be held at a baptist church for white any houston. the service will include tributes, as well as sterie won door, and kevin costner. she was found dead last saturday in beverly hills. >>> and the website will stream the service live beginning at nine tomorrow. >> a new tenant just took the last place at the market building in oakland. they have reportedly signed a lease. they will move from it's current location in downtown oakland to the new building this summer. a solar company is moving in the next few weeks and the new restaurant haven opened in december. >>> social networking company lithium is moving in. the company is acting quickly to find a bigger space in it's current headquarters. there is good news for job seekers, they plan to double its staff hiring 200 more people. they raised $53 million in venture capitol. >> the cdc said flu season is off to a slow start. it usually starts in december or january and it is half over by now. there haven't been enough cases in the united states until now for health officials to declare

. ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ ♪ now the number of artses that whited knee houston influenced seems hudson plans on sing a tribute tonight at the grammy's, a performance that is sure to be packed with emotion. >> jeff: extraordinary stuff, thank you. whitney houston was a child of northern new jersey. today newark mayor cory booker said that houston went from a local church to the global stage. michelle miller retraces her steps from childhood. >> reporter: michelle richardson lived down the block from whitney houston in east orange, new jersey. she said their childhood together seems like yesterday. >> i'm still at the state that i don't believe it. like i really want somebody to say it's not happened. >> reporter: all were welcome in the houston home, she say, where gospel singing cissy and her husband john raised four children in a strict but loving household. >> she wasn't one of those celebrities that grew up and forgot where she came from. >> everybody in the neighborhood would come, jump in the pool, turn to a barbecue. >> reporter: the neighbor and his mother knew her only b

houston did best, and that's singing. john. >> jason carol live in newark. and as jason noted, white a scene outside the funeral home. where whitney houston's body was brought earlier this week. fans come by, leave flowers, balloons, hand written messages. marvin wi wyans will deliver th eulo eulogy. they were close. that was clear from the interview. >> joining me now, pastor of the new perfecting church in detroit, marvin winans. you and your family, obviously, so close to the houston family, how is your family doing? how is whitney's family doing? >> well, my mother, after we had heard it, she said she felt as if she had lost one of her children. and i said, mom, it's because you have. and talking with cissy, just, when i called her, i said, mom, it's going to be all right. faith plays a great part in how we cope with uncertainties in life. it's not something that we run from in difficulty. it's something we run to. so by the grace of god, everyone's holding up pretty well. >> you were there for her wedding. and you're there for her coming home in a celebration of her life this weekend. how do you even go about wri

white any houston's coffin at the end of that service.gnant. it feels very real. that's what the whole thing felt to me. they call it a home going? >> they did. what pastor stories was telling us earlier, the idea your life is like a hotel. you come in and there is going to be a time when you leave. this is a celebration bay everyone knew you at some point you were leaving. >> i loved pastor marvin winana' address. it was pulsating and vibrant and positive. you felt enall thissed by this. everybody was trying to separate what happened in her private life from the artist and the woman. everybody did that successfully. >> they are putting the casket in the hearse as the next part of this service moves on. >> they say she is being buried tomorrow. >> that is correct. >> you've seen many musical events. >> they call this a home going. it's so important to remember the home part of that. that this is the church she grew up in. that she sang in the choir in this church. the choir we heard today are probably people she sang with and grew up sing

. >> reporter: in 1994 whitney houston sang at a state dinner at the white house for nelson mandela. d been a longtime supporter of mandela's struggle against apartheid, but during her long career she raised millions of dollars for many causes. >> if she had asked me to come to new york to emcee a function for the united negro college fund, and she performed there. this is at the height of whitney houston. >> reporter: simpson says he was blessed to know houston as a person who struggled valiantly to defeat her personal demons. >> she was a very special down to earth woman. >> reporter: i asked simpson if there will ever be another voice like houston. >> i believe there's someone out there watching right now that is truly great that wants to be the next whitney houston, or even beyond whitney houston, and to say that we won't see that again is to give up hope on that persons and why do. that. >> reporter: in washington, armando trull, 9news now. >> donnie and sonny are going to be back later. elsewhere, all this week we're trying to reunite people with money and valuables that are bei

houston songs. >> black or white, it was not exclusive.her life, we're talking so much about her great voice but i think it's so sad that it seems we talk so much about her substance abuse. is that because we're living in the age where every single facet of the celebrities' lives is covered to an absurd degree? >> we are living in an age where everyone's life is covered, the minutia of everyone's life is covered on facebook, twitter and all social media. keep in mind whitney houston's breakdown was public. it didn't happen privately or discretely. the reality show "being bobby browne" didn't happen. when she appeared as michael jackson's 30th anniversary of his career looking emaciated, there were signs this would be the end but in recent years people felt she was turning her life around and set to star in the movie "sparkle" supposed to be her first film in 15 years so it comes as a surprise to a number of people because they believed she was on the comeback. >> one of our guests was saying that she would come back, she would be clean, sh

. >> alan: those closest to whitney houston gathered at a church in new jersey to celebrate and mourn and say farewell to a musical icon white house voice defined an era. >> reporter: whitney houston's casket was carried into the church on this cold saturday morning in february. its privacy guarded by numerous road closures around the new hope baptist church. ♪ >> the service, fittingly filled with music, scripture, and some of the biggest names in show biz. >> the whitney i musician despite her success and worldwide fame, still wondered, aim good enough? the burden that made her great. and the part that caused her to stumble in the end. >> billed as a home-going for whitney houston, the farewell was held at the same church where the hem general carry entertainer learned to sing as a teenager. ♪ >> just 20 minutes into the program, houston's ex-husband bobby brown walked out of the service there have been rumors of tensions between hes' miss houston's family. >> let's leave here, recognizing that whitney left too soon. let us leave here impacted by her life. >> the focus this day was on whitney's kind nature and angelic voic

houston. jackson says, whitney is a hero for genx black girls and was her style icon and hero when she went to a predominantly whitewed her she didn't have to be blonde and blue eyed to be beautiful and admired. >>> whitney houston was the first african-american model to land on the cover of "seventeen" magazine and for many years people would enjoy seeing her in the cover of "seventeen." ann is the editor in chief of "seventeen." good to see you. >> hi. >> it was a breakthrough when whitney houston was the cover girl of "seventeen" magazine. can you take me into the rooms the editor rooms, the copy rooms there at "seventeen" as to how that came about and why she was the face that resonated. >> "seventeen" magazine was a launching pad for whitney. i was speaking with the woman who was the editor in 19 81 when whitney was first on the cover of the magazine and she says that whitney's mother actually came to "seventeen" to figure out a plan how could they get her in the pages as a model and have her on the cover of the magazine and, in fact, the other girl that's on the cover with whitney was a gad friend of whitney'

white check. >>> whitney houston's family will gather today in newark, new jersey, for a private viewing ahead oforrow's funeral. and we're learning new details about who is attending tomorrow's service. kevin costner will speak, aretha franklin and stevie wonder will perform, alicia keys and dionne warwick will be there, as well. >> and you'll be singing at the funeral? how difficult is that going to be for you? >> it's not going to be easy. i can tell you that. it's not going to be easy. but cissy asked me to do and i'm going to try to do my best. >> do you know what you're going to sing? >> not really sure right now. >> houston's ex-husband bobby brown honored her last night at a concert in maryland. thanking her fans for prayers and support. we'll have coverage tomorrow right here on msnbc noon eastern time. >>> here's a look at some other stories people are talking about right now. a workplace argument between an immigration agent and his boss led to a shooting that left one person dead, the other seriously wounded. a colleague actually had to intervene. the california federal building in lo

will determine whether prescription drugs found in houstons ahotel room were a factor in her death, yet even with that question unanswered, the white house's drug czar says houston's admitted struggles with substance abuse represent a teachable moment. >> when the cdc calls it a public health epidemic, i mean, it is very clear that we have to deal with this. >> reporter: one source of consolation -- >> i really do miss whitney. >> reporter: -- in a time of grief. mark barger, nbc news. >>> meanwhile, houston's ex-husband, bobby brown, issued a statement today regarding the health of houston's daughter. the statement said, in part, "bobbie christina is doing much better after being taken to the hospital on sunday. "bobbi kristina who is 18 is houston's only child. >>> after seven days of sometimes graphic testimony, the prosecution rested its case this afternoon in the trial of a former university of virginia lacrosse player charged with the murder of yeardley love. now it is the defense's turn. george huguely is accused in the beating death of his ex-girlfriend in may of 2010. earlier today, huguely's teammate was among the final w

will determine whether prescription drugs found in houston's hotel room were a factor in her death, yet even with that question unanswered, the white house's drug czar says houston's admitted struggles with substance abuse represent a teachable moment. >> and when the cdc calls it a public health epidemic, i mean, it's very clear that we have to deal with this. >> reporter: it's one source of consolation -- >> i really do miss whitney. >> reporter: -- in a time of grief. mark barger, nbc news. >> houston's god maother, areth franklin is set to perform at the ceremony on saturday. >>> doug is here. it was spectacular this afternoon. a couple more to come. i think friday, i think saturday, both those days similar to what we saw today. some a fly in the ointment as far as that rain is concerned. you are going to need the umbrellas when you step out tomorrow. sunday, still not sure if you are going to need the umbrellas or the snow snowfalls. hmm. talk about that in just a second. out there right now, a very nice evening, a great night to get out and about. once again a lot of people out and about today, temperatures reached 55 at the

it was whitney houston was colorless whether you were black, white, asian, it didn't matter. ton. >> reporter: releasing her first album in 1985 her 27 year career landed her on the top of the charts 11 times, setting a standard not easily reached. industry insiders say she paved the way for the up and coming artists of today. >> i think she influenced every vocalist in today's genre. >> reporter: her music will play on radio stations for generations to come. ♪ remind us how we used to be >>> when we return, the biggest names in entertainment pay tribute toot the queen of pop. yoo-hoo. hello. it's water from the drinking fountain at the mall. [ male announcer ] great tasting tap water can come from any faucet anywhere. the brita bottle with the filter inside. yoyou u wawalklk i intna coconvnvenentitiononalal ms ststorore,e, i it't's s ry nonot t ababouout t yoy. ththeyey s sayay, , "w"weleu wawantnt a a f firirm m bebn lilie e onon o onene o of ff yoyou u wawantnt a a s sofou cacan n lilie e onon o onene o " wewe p prorovividede t thet inindidivividudualalizizatat yoyourur b b

houston sang for mr. nelson mandela at a white house dinner in his honor in october 1994.ition of the song "greatest love of all." may she rest in peace. a month after that, she visited nelson mandela in johannesburg. they had a real relationship. >> yeah, obviously, they did. and he remembered that and never forgot it. he's always that eveninged those who stood up for him to be free, and whitney was one of those people. and we don't talk about it as much. i, too, agree with the governor and the half-staff for the flag. and we all really appreciate all those great accomplishments, including her voice. >>> mark thompson, thank you very much for joining us tonight. we leave you tonight with whitney houston, singing for nelson mandela at the clinton white house. ♪ ♪

it was whitney houston to me at one point was colorless. whether you were black, whitet didn't matter. you loved whitney houston. >> releasing her first album in 1985, her 27-year career landed her on top of the charts 11 times. setting a standard not easily reached. industry insiders say she paved the way for the up and coming artists of today. >> whitney houston influenced every vocalists in today's music genre. felicia keys or jennifer hudson. we grew up watching whitney houston. >> whitney is gone, but her music will play on radio stations for generations to come. >> cnn atlanta. >> the biggest names in entertainment pay tribute to the queen of pop. [ male announcer ] if you believe the mayan calendar, on december 21st, polar shifts will reverse the earth's gravitational pull and hurtle us all into space, which would render retirement planning unnecessary. but say the sun rises on december 22nd and you still need to retire, td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. we'll even throw in up to $600 when you open a new account

white check. >> this morning whitney houston will be laid to rest at a private service.he will you buried next to her father in westfield, new jersey. yesterday friends and family of the singer gathered at new hope church to say farewell to houston, whose voice with defined an era. tv winnik reports. >> whitney houston's casket was carried into the church. it's privacy guarded by numerous road closers around the church. ♪ send an angel >> the service filled with music, and scripture, and people from show biz. >> the might any i knew filled with walk ses and worldwide game am i good enough. it was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end. >> billed as a home going for whitney houston, it was held at the same church where she learned to sing as a teenager. ♪ just 20 minutes into the program houston's ex-husband bobby brown walked out of the service. there had been rumors of tensions between he and houston's family. >> let us leave here recognizing that whitney left too soon. let us leave here impacted by her life. >> the focus this

white, asian, you name it. so many folks really understood whitney houston's music. >> whitney houston came to d.c.r theof times years. was here in 2010 to accept an award -- an award at the warner theatre. of fans in thet d.c. area. we will continue to track every in the death investigation. we will have more in our second half-hour as well as tomorrow. for instance of did, go to wjla.com. >> the earlier strong winds down a tree onto a county house, trapping a woman. we are seeing some of the lowest alleratures we have seen long. we have complete coverage. we began with the weather center. was the second coldest far at reagan national airport. 33 degrees. official highest off to the west upper 20's.n the the bigger store was the wind chill factor. -- story was the wind chill factor. we woke up to temperatures that were in theey single digits. our focus is on the texas. is where our next storm will be coming from. it is dumping a lot of snow in texas and oklahoma. when will it warm up? michael forecast is coming up in a few minutes. -- my full forecast is coming up few minutes. >> our coverage of t

. >> reporter: in 1994 whitney houston sang at a state dinner at the white house for newly elected southican president nelson mandela. united on had been a long time supporter of mandela's struggle against apart tied but during her long time career she raised millions of dollars for many causes. >> she asked me to emcee for a function for the united negroes college fund and she performed this. this was at the height of whitney houston. >> reporter: simpson said he was blessed to know houston as a person who struggled valiantly to beat her personal demons. >> she was a very special down to earth woman. >> reporter: i asked simpson if there will ever be another voice like houston's. >> i believe that there is someone out there watching right now that is truly great that wants to be the next whitney houston or even sees beyond whitney houston and to say that we won't see that again is to give up hope on that person and i can't do that. >> as university grammy awards tonight here on wusa9, look for live updates -- as you watch the grammy awards tonight here on wusa9 accident look for live up

houston? police now trace the prescription drugs found in the singer's hotel room back to the doctors who prescribed them. this morning why the white house is calling houston's death a teachable moment. >>> rising to the top. rick santorum leading or very close to mitt roey in four new national polls as he launches an aggressive strategy in michigan, a state that romney grew up in. that contest could now decide the winner of the gop race. >>> and the legend grows. jeremy lin, the nba's newest superstar hits a last second shot to lift the new york knicks. >> lin puts it up -- bang! jeremy lin from downtown. >> how a harvard grad cut by two other teams became the talk of basketball, the country and even china today, wednesday, february basketball, the country and even china today, wednesday, february 15, to 12. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie. ann is on assignment today. as the investigation into whitney houston's death moves forward we are learning about the plans for a weekend burial. >> the family has opted for a priv

white voters. >>> also straight ahead, whitney houston has been laid to rest today after a private-invitation-onlywn yesterday. ahead in the cn newsroom at 5:00 eastern, i'm talk with one of our producers who was inside the service. hello, how can i deliver world-class service for you today ? we gave people right off the street a script and had them read it. no, sorry, i can't help you with that. i'm not authorized to access that transaction. that's not in our policy. i will transfer you now. my supervisor is currently not available. would you like to hold ? that department is currently closed. have i helped you with everything you needed ? if your bank doesn't give you knowledgeable customer service 24/7, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. >>> all right. cnn brings you politics each sunday during this hour. we're bringing you the 2012 presidential con ternlds in their own words. the number of non-whites voting has grown dramatically over the last two decades and that's a fact not lost on the presidential candidates. joining us again from washington, cnn political analyst

medicine bottles were found in houston's hotel room including ibuprofen,xanax and more she had ordered lunch before she died and champagne and beer were found in her room. the white house says, president obama's thoughtprayers are with houston's family especially her daughter, bobbi christina, taken to hospital yesterday and treated for stress. >> later in our broadcast a woman who opened for whitney houston dozens of times will join us live in studio plus we will check in with tmz for the latest out of l.a. remember our coverage continues on our website myfoxdc.com click on the whitney houston link on the hot topics bar. >> following breaking news out of southeast dc ten people hospitalized after a carbon monoxide leak they were overcome by the poisonous, odourless gas on wade road audrey. >> reporter: fire crews were dispatched to the four story building, of privately owned condos, to investigate the smell of gas once they arrived here they determined it was much more serious it was a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty furnace, firefighters had to go inside the building and knock on each individual door and tell residents they needed to evacuate once they got e

♪ jesus loves me yeah ♪ yes, jesus loves me >> brings back a really good memory of cissy houston, as well as white that cissy was sobbing, that is the most painful thing for a matter to say good-bye to a child and we experienced that today. i reflect back on that song because she was always trying to intervene and reach out for the best that her daughter could have and she was willing to give that at all costs. believe me, cissy houston would prefer it was her home going today instead of whitney's. but nevertheless that is a mother who deeply loves her child and her child is being fondly remembered here in newark, new jersey today. >> kelly wright, you remind us, we don't want to outlive our children. that's for certain. thank you so much for sharing inside your own perspective and notebook tonight. >> thanks, harris. >> a quick check now of some of the headlines at this hour. pope benedict xvi naming 26 new cardinals today and among them two americans. new york city's now cardinal timothy dolan and baltimore's edwin o'brien. an update on the condition of a federal agent shot by a coworker in cali

all those voices in unison singing "dressed in white" this for sending home their beloved sister whitney houston we await this period to conclude which is called the processional and we will be listening in to some of the beautiful music for you as they will sing "the lord is my shepherd" i'd like to bring in my panel so you know the expert voices that we will have lending to our coverage here. first of all, joining us from los angeles is allison samuel, writer for "news week" and contributor to "the daily beast." allison has been covering this grim story as well as the investigation. thank you for being here. also joining me here in new york i have four trick guys. david wilson, the founder of the grillo.com. john farley, chris witherspoon, entertainment editor for the grillo and msnbc contributor ture, music analyst and so glad to have all of you here. you know, if you can each sum up in a word what whitney houston's greatest attribute or her legacy will be, is there something -- is it powerful? is it magic? is it sparkle? david? >> you know, this is something special for me to look at this se

white house's mandate on health care. >>> fans hope to bid farewell to whitney houston.here will be a camera for the ceremony and stream the service on line. you can find it at live stream.com. >>> and the best western in towson from 10:30 until 2 in the afternoon. and there will be enterprise, liberty mutual. and the fields are accounting, customer service, sales and more. >>> the comptroller has a break on energy star appliance products. a promotion for a tax free weekend. >>> later today, the ceo of indy car will be in pwápt supporting the driver silvestro. they will unveil their car and engine supplier. that's at 11 a.m. why do we care? the grand prix race here has been announced for september 2nd. time for one more check of the forecast. >> check it out here. the satellite and radar. not picking up across the area. we had showers this morning. and now a couple of showers trying to move back into baltimore county. they will slide to the east. we will be replaced with more rain as we go later into the morning especially into the afternoon. ahead of the cold front that

we leave you tonight with whitney houston, singing for nelson mandela at the clinton white house. ♪ ♪

white man and a black woman. and that speaks to the power of whitney houston. >> reporter: it was one more moment in a career of breakingriers. in 1981, she was one of the first black models to grace the cover of "seventeen" magazine. and her mentor, clive davis, molded her into a crossover sensation. she holds the most consecutive number one singles. seven in a row from 1985, through 1988, including "saving all my love for you," and "so emotion." ♪ i get so emotional, baby >> reporter: in 1995, she took the movie "waiting to exhale," to number one at the box office. it grossed more than $67 million. still, a record for a black film featuring an all-black female cast. >> she really succeeded in breaking down barriers. and that's what's most important. >> reporter: and while race continues to tear at this nation, her accomplishments might suggest the line between the races has, in part, been bridged by houston. whether it was her unmatched rendition of the national anthem. ♪ for the land of the free >> reporter: or this searing and soaring single note, that this week, seems to define a lifetime. ♪ and i >> reporter: for

white check. >> carolyn: tonight the grammy awards will honor whitney houston who was found dead yesterday afternoonroom at beverly hilton hotel. she had been fighting addiction for years we still don't know what caused her death at age 48. cecilia vega reports the latest from beverly hills. >> exactly what happened inside the iconic beverly hilton remains a mystery. foe they found a lifeless whitney houston in bathtub. they tried in vain to resuscitate her with cpr. >> at 3:55 she was ploufd dead. >> the scene was chaotic. we have learned that number of entourage found her unresponsive body and called hotel security. half-hour earlier, the mother spoke to her daughter and nothing was out of the ordinary. the cousin dionne warwick and said everything seemed find after speaking to her earlier in the day. she was staying at the hotel to attend the annual pre-gram ri mi bash. it's the same event she was introduced to the record industry nearly three decades ago. the party still went on, but the scene was surreal. the beverly hills crime lab parked outside. paparazzi waited for the body to emerge. insid

white. he is being charged with murder. a bail hearing. >> whitney houstonat her home in newark, new jersey. >> we celebrate the life of whitney houston. >> for almost four gospel-infused hours, nearly a thu invited family and friends did just that. >> just a beautiful human being. >> some speakers talked about houston's talent. >> you wait for a voice like that for a lifetime. >> others focus on her faith. >> this is more important than anything she has ever done in her life. whitney houston loved the lord. ♪ from heaven >> everyone was united in their atext for the late singer. >> people didn't just like you, whitney, they loved you. >> after a chorus of voices, it was her voice that provided the day's most powerful moments. ♪ and i will always love you ♪ mark varger, wbal-tv 11 news. >> it is 34 degrees on tv hill. find out where to buy a dress and help a good cause at the same time. >> plus in "medical alert" innovations that can help end your fear of going to the dentist. >> first you are looking at a live picture of skycam. ava is up next with your ins

then i left the white house shortly thereafter to work with whitney houston and her family. it was an honor. >> i'll bet it was. we're showing this video of whitney when she started in the church choir. according to the reports she's coming back home. there was speculation she would be laid to rest in atlanta. some people even thought los angeles, but she's coming home, and that makes sense to you? >> absolutely. her mom was so active in the church, and i was a baptist minister, still am. so we hit it off there. so fitting she should be coming back home to her mom's church, her church. >> and margaret, your sister another famous singer, spent time, a very close friend of whitney houston. she was on even "being bobbi brown" side by side on that reality show. you're devastated, she's devastated, and we're hearing that over and over. does it make sense she's being brought home? >> absolutely. whitney had strong ties to newark, even though she lived in atlanta, traveled abroad. >> that's where you spent are spent your time, atlanta. >> absolutely. that's where my sister is now,

mother attend add two-hour private viewing at a local funeral home where houston's body was reportedly laid out dressed in whitee funeral home director carolyn whigham says the family is holding up as best they can. last night she passed out memorial programs to fans. >> until you lost your mother, you lost your daughter, you can't say i know how you feel. >> reporter: police set up a perimeter blocks around the church. this is as close as fans and the media can get to the funeral. houston's godmother, aretha franklin and stevie wonder are slated to perform at the ceremony. her body guard costar kevin kostner is expected to speak. fans will be able to watch it via live camera in the church. >> she is magnificent. >> reporter: houston is scheduled to be buried beside her father near a cemetery where she grew up. as we come back live now, we can tell you also some of the fans have said since they can't get inside the private ceremony, they will have a service of their own outside the police barricades. it will be a candlelight vigil for whitney houston. >> any update on the investigation this morning? i'm sure ev

white house celebrated black history month tonight with an extraordinary concert in tribute to the blues. blues great bb king was one of the headliners. rocker mick jagger singed the blues. fox 5's karen gray houston listened in. how was it? >> they were rocking at the white house tonight and if you can imagine lends like bb kings, rolling stones front man mick jagger sitting in the same house under the same roof in your sitting room with a bunch of grammy winners young and old who sometimes perform hip-hop and soul and rock, but tonight it was all about the blues and the host, president and first lady obama, clearly enjoyed themselves. >> reporter: it was rocking from the jump with a less than orthodox presidential entrance. >> that sounded pretty good. might try that with ruffles and flourishes. >> reporter: the concert started off with a nod to and by the master bb king. he sang his old standards. ♪the thrill is gone. ♪ the thrill is gone away >> reporter: president obama introduced the blues set appropriately held as new orleans celebrates mardi gras. >> this is music with humble beginnings, roots in flavoring, in segregation. because this music speaks to something universal. no one goes throu