Whitney Houston dead at 48!

[Ryan Chamberlain]

Yep. So sad.

[alphanguy74]

I am... got to say that casket spray was beautifully done. I do florist work, so I notice these kind of things.

[dragonflies]

Kevin Costner's comments about Whitney

http://www.accesshollywood.com/kevin-costner-tearfully-reveals-what-hed-say-to-bodyguard-co-star-whitney-houston-if-she-was-still-alive_article_60862

[dragonflies]

Bobby Brown continues to be an asshat

[alphanguy74]

What's he doin?

[dragonflies]

He shows up at the funeral, with an entourage of 9 people, when he wasn't supposed to bring more than 3 people. So he left. He was probably just there for a photo op.

I love what CNN said, this is about Whitney and being remembered, it's not about him

Oh and Al Sharpton is utterly annoying

Edited February 18, 2012 by dragonflies

[alphanguy74]

who the hell invited Al sharpton? I wonder if any of Whitney's friends from high school rated an invitation?

[SFK]

Cissy being ushered out of the church behind her daughter's casket is an image I won't soon forget.

[Angela]

Meh, CNN sucks. So far, this entire situation is making me not dislike Bobby Brown as much as I used too.

Reuters

Brown, who's currently on tour with his group New Edition, vacated the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., after he was told that the church couldn't accommodate him and his entourage.

Also read: Whitney Houston Funeral: Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly Perform; Kevin Costner Speaks

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was in attendance at Houston's funeral, told CNN that Brown and his entourage of "four or five people" took seats in the front row, but were told that the row was reserved for family only. They were asked to move, Jackson said, but there wasn't room at the invitation-only service to seat them elsewhere.

"That was a very difficult moment for all of us; we wanted him to stay," Jackson said. "It seems they could have accommodated him better than they did."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, also in attendance, tweeted from the site that he attempted to keep the peace during the dispute.

Also read: Bobby Brown on Ex-Wife Whitney Houston: "You Have to Move On"

"I am at Whitney's funeral. I spoke with Bobby Brown trying to calm him down and not distract from the services," Sharpton wrote. "Today is about Whitney!"

Sharpton softened his stance in a tweet following the funeral.

"We are out of the service," Sharpton wrote. "I don't want anyone distorting Bobby Brown. He has shown love and respect today. Stop hatin'."

Sharpton reiterated his support for Brown to CNN after the funeral, saying, "Bobby did nothing but show love and respect for the memory of Whitney and his daughter ... I spoke to Bobby, he said all he wanted to do was show respect and love."

In a statement, Brown said that he was asked to move on three separate occasions, and prevented him from seeing his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, at the funeral.

"I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur," Brown's statement reads, according to CNN. "I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how."

Brown's tour takes him to Uncasville, Ct., on Saturday night. Coincidentally, the tour will bring Brown back to Newark on Sunday.

Yeah, IWALY blasting with the mother being assisted out the church behing the casket If I hadn't watched the last hour recorded instead of live, that probably would have made me cry.

CeCe, he's amazing, and R. Kelly's singing were other moments that almost made me tear up.

OTOH, the sister in law's Mother Teresa comparison was just way OTT.

[reallyhateskateonlost]

The service was beautiful.

Stevie Wonder's singing made me cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibsS05cBFZA

[SFK]

"OTOH, the sister in law's Mother Teresa comparison was just way OTT."

LOL, IKR? She had the thankless job of "reading the church papers" so to speak, the very clinical sounding acknowledgments and thanks.

Alicia Keys looked so good but she kind of annoyed me when she spoke.

I genuinely worry about the toll this will take on Cissy. I don't know why my heart goes straight to her when BK lost her mom. I think it has something to do with the many times I saw her in the audience with BK on her lap or at her side when Whitney was making a talk show appearance. Especially when controversial subjects would come up and I just had the sense that Cissy was really going through it, knowing first hand what the real deal was behind the scenes and praying for the best for her daughter. This is not a "new" problem for her and it seems like she's spent the last twenty odd years fretting over her daughter between the moments of happiness. That is a great emotional load, and to have it end this way, which is really just the beginning of a life mourning her child. So sad.

Edited February 19, 2012 by SFK

[Angela]

Yeah, no parents expects to outlive their kid and on top of that Cissy probably did spend much of the past 20 or more years fearing just that - that she'd ultimately lose her kid to her demons. I wasn't really thinking about the toll this would take on her until that moment today. Her looking so fragile behing her daughters casket. I think she'll pull through for her granddaughter if nothing else. Hopefully Bobbi doesn't give in to her parents demons and put more of a burden on this woman.

[All My Shadows]

I wish CNN had just cut to something else after the service was done. It really rubbed me the wrong way how they were commenting on it as if it was this year's royal wedding.

[Angela]

CNN starts out okay with a story and then they go OTT before you can count to ten. It becomes a redundant one-note mess.

ETA:

From last Sunday's New York Times...

[alphanguy74]

I'm hearing reports that Bobby's "entourage" consisted of Whitney's Stepchildren. If so... then WTF, and who would have the gall to ask the ex-husband and children to move three times? After the third time, if I were Bobby... I would have said, "Is it ok if I go back and STAND in the back corner?" Or he should have said "Ask me to move one more time, and you'll have one hell of a mess on your hands".