The stars gathered to shine and honor one of their own in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday.

One week after her body was discovered in an LA hotel room, friends and family of Whitney Houston gathered in her hometown church, New Hope Baptist Church, to mourn the untimely passing of the woman whose iconic voice is forever linked to our nation’s National Anthem. With her daughter Bobbi Kristina and her mother Cissy Houston in the front row, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and R. Kelly were among the secular stars performing, while the gospel-based Winans family members added their talents. Kevin Costner, who starred with Houston in the blockbuster movie The Bodyguard, gave a moving speech talking about her many talents.

The mercurial relationship between Houston and her ex-husband Bobby Brown had one more moment in the spotlight. Brown left the funeral early due to a conflict over seating arrangements. The singer, who is currently touring with New Edition and performed last night with the group, was upset that he and his nine-person entourage were asked to change seats.

Millions watched the nearly four-hour long ceremony on television in their homes and flooded Twitter and Facebook with updates of how the songs and memorial statements moved them from afar.

As a person who covered high school athletics for more than a decade, I’ve heard more than my fair share of renditions of the National Anthem before tipoffs and kickoffs. Despite her struggles with drugs, the influence of Houston is still strong. Her voice and her talents and her smile will be missed by many.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WKqcGYcHTE

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