Whitney Houston was laid to rest on Sunday in a private burial before family and close friends near her birthplace in Newark, New Jersey, more than a week after her sudden death shocked the world.
*Whitney Houston has been laid to rest at a brief private ceremony in New Jersey.
The burial marked the end of a weekend that saw the pop star's family and friends gather at a star-studded funeral to mourn her loss while celebrating her career.
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 in Westfield, where Houston was buried next to her father, who died in 2003.
The 48-year-old singer died on February 11 in California, hours before she was to attend a pre-Grammy Awards party. No cause of death has been determined.
On Saturday, she was mourned at an invitation-only funeral at the church in Newark where she sang in the choir as a child. She was remembered by the biggest names in music - Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys sang, and industry mogul Clive Davis was among those who spoke, as was Kevin Costner, Houston's co-star in The Bodyguard.
The funeral was closed to fans, who were not allowed within blocks of the church. Still, many came to Newark to take part in any way they could, some from as far as Miami and Washington DC.
Fans gathered again near the funeral home - some even slowly ran alongside the hearse as it began the journey to Houston's grave site. Several yelled out "We love you, Whitney" as the hearse, which had a black and white picture of the star in a window, slowly drove away.
The burial came a day after an emotional, nearly four-hour service at Newark's New Hope Baptist Church that ended with the strains of Houston's biggest record, I Will Always Love You, filling the church.
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.
Whitney Houston: 1963-2012
Whitney Houston laid to rest
*Whitney Houston has been laid to rest at a brief private ceremony in New Jersey.
The burial marked the end of a weekend that saw the pop star's family and friends gather at a star-studded funeral to mourn her loss while celebrating her career.
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 in Westfield, where Houston was buried next to her father, who died in 2003.
The 48-year-old singer died on February 11 in California, hours before she was to attend a pre-Grammy Awards party. No cause of death has been determined.
On Saturday, she was mourned at an invitation-only funeral at the church in Newark where she sang in the choir as a child. She was remembered by the biggest names in music - Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys sang, and industry mogul Clive Davis was among those who spoke, as was Kevin Costner, Houston's co-star in The Bodyguard.
The funeral was closed to fans, who were not allowed within blocks of the church. Still, many came to Newark to take part in any way they could, some from as far as Miami and Washington DC.
Fans gathered again near the funeral home - some even slowly ran alongside the hearse as it began the journey to Houston's grave site. Several yelled out "We love you, Whitney" as the hearse, which had a black and white picture of the star in a window, slowly drove away.
The burial came a day after an emotional, nearly four-hour service at Newark's New Hope Baptist Church that ended with the strains of Houston's biggest record, I Will Always Love You, filling the church.
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."
Whitney Houston: 1963-2012
Whitney Houston laid to rest
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