VIDEO: Whitney Houston funeral underway

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NEWARK, NJ (NEWS1130) – Whitney Houston’s final resting place will be next to her father, John Russell Houston Jr., at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey.

Roughly 1,500 guests are expected to attend Houston’s invitation-only funeral, which will be held at the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child.

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The service is expected to be star-studded, with such celebrities as Aretha Franklin, Clive Davis and Stevie Wonder expected to make an appearance.

It will be held at 9 a.m.(PST) at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, as the family has decided to remember the star in a private service rather than a large, public event.

Joe Carter, the church’s pastor, told CNN gospel singer Marvin Winans will deliver the eulogy.

No public funeral has been planned, after the idea of holding the funeral at the Prudential Center, which seats 18,000, was nixed.

The funeral-home owner said the service is invitation only, saying the family has shared Houston for nearly 30 years, and this is their time to say farewell in private.

Police say streets will be shut down for six blocks around the church, which has some fans disappointed.

Houston, who was 48, died in Beverly Hills, one week ago, the day before the Grammy awards.  There are reports she was underwater and unconscious when she was pulled from the bathtub at her hotel.

An autopsy found no indications of foul play, but it could be weeks before the coroner’s office completes toxicology tests to finalize the cause of death.

Houston was born in Newark and raised nearby. She began singing as a young child at New Hope Baptist Church where her Grammy-winning mother led the music program for years.

The family has asked that instead of donations and flowers mourners should donate to the Whitney Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts in East Orange.

An impromptu memorial for Houston was held Sunday at the Grammy’s with Jennifer Hudson paying tribute to her memory with a performance of “I Will Always Love You.”

Hundreds of people have already stopped by the New Hope Baptist Church, adorning the fence with flowers, balloons and cards.

Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster, says a camera will be allowed at today’s service.

Houston left behind one child, daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, from her marriage to singer Bobby Brown.

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