Whitney Houston to have private funeral

Whitney Houston will be laid to rest at a private funeral on Saturday 18 February, her family has revealed.

The 'I Will Always Love You' singer's funeral will be held inside the New Hope Baptist church in Newark, New Jersey, which is where Houston performed as a child.

It is thought that 300 mourners will be present but the funeral is invitation-only despite rumours that the service would be public.

Carolyn Whigham, one of the owners of the Whigham Funeral Home, which is in charge of Saturday's proceedings, told the Daily Mail that the invitation-only funeral reflects the Houston family's wish to keep it private.

She said: "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

'The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time."

Meanwhile, fans have gathered to lay tributes to the singer who was found dead on 11 February outside the church.

Houston will be remembered for her hits ' I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and 'I Will Always Love You' as well as for her acting in the 1992 film 'The Bodyguard'.