Whitney Houston's Funeral will be held Saturday

A private, invitation-only funeral will be held Saturday, February 18 for pop icon Whitney Houston.  According to Billboard, Carolyn Whigham, the owner of the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, NJ, announced that the funeral will take place at noon at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.  There are no plans for a wake or public memorial at Newark's Prudential Center, as was previously considered by the family.  Ms. Whigham stated, "They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world.  This is their time now for their farewell."  Whitney was born in Newark and began her singing career at the New Hope Baptist Church.  Her mother, Grammy Award winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, was the director of the music program and her cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, also sang in the church choir.  Houston was found dead in her hotel room in Los Angeles on February 11.  The coroners office is awaiting toxicology tests to determine the cause of death.  Houston was 48 years old and leaves behind her 18 year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.