A gospel funeral for Whitney Houston

Eulogies ranged from heart-wrenching to humorous, with bits of entertainment biz trivia thrown in.

Sony music mogul Clive Davis described the first time he met Houston in 1983 and saw her sing, a moment he said “shattered” him with its perfection. “You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime. You wait for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, well, it takes your breath away,” he said.

Gospel singer BeBe Winans drew laughs when he described Houston’s closet as “about as big as a church,” and said he would miss “crazy Whitney.”

Houston, 48, died in a Beverly Hilton hotel room on Feb. 11, hours before she was to attend Davis’ party on the eve of the Grammy Awards. Authorities in Los Angeles are examining prescription medicines found in her room and whether she had taken any drugs that might have contributed to her death. Results of toxicology tests are pending. Houston had struggled with drug and alcohol problems for years, and last May her spokeswoman said the singer was going back into rehab.

But it was her great talent that was remembered Saturday by those inside the church and fans who gathered outside — even though they could get no closer than four blocks away.

“Some things are worth it,” said Clay Grant of Queens, N.Y., as he peered down Sussex Street, lined with bare trees and working-class homes, toward the church. All he could see were the flashing lights of police cars and the glitter of the scores of shiny balloons that were tied to the red brick church’s gate and blew in the breeze.

Catherine Graham Ross peered toward the church through a pair of opera glasses, frustrated not to be closer but understanding of the family’s request that the service be kept private. “They’re hurting and they need their time,” she said, referring to Houston’s family. “We’re hurting too. She touched so many people.”

One man in the crowd said, “To most of the country she’s an icon, but here she’s a hometown girl.” Others chimed in with memories of how they enjoyed singing “The Greatest Love of All” and other Houston songs in the shower, in the car or, in Anastasia Mobley’s case, into her hairbrush.

“I don’t mind being four blocks back. I don’t mind being six blocks back,” Mobley said. “Just to be here and show support for the family is important.”

As the service began at noon, some people crowded into a tiny market that was showing the event on TV. Others opted to head to Houston’s elementary school, which was named after the star in 1997. “She’s our Jersey girl,” said one woman after laying a single red rose amid a growing mound of flowers, teddy bears, candles and cards.

The only hint of controversy in the service came when Houston’s former husband, Bobby Brown — whom Houston accused of abusing her — left early, apparently upset. Brown released a statement later saying he had been invited to the funeral but was then asked to move three separate times. He said he left to avoid causing a scene.

The service ended with pallbearers carrying the shining casket back up the red-carpeted aisle as Houston’s biggest hit, “I Will Always Love You” rang out. It was loud, but not loud enough to cover the wail of Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, who cried, “My baby,” as she was led up the aisle behind her daughter’s body.

Houston was to be buried in suburban Westfield, N.J.

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(Staff writer Ricardo Lopez in Los Angeles contributed to this report.)