Pop superstar Whitney Houston, who died Feb. 11, was mourned at her funeral at the church in New Jersey she attended as a child. Here are five memorable moments from the 3 ½-hour service:
Mourners walk past the hearse with Whitney Houston's casket after her funeral at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. Mel Evans/AP Photo
1. Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy, crying as the casket was carried out of the church. She followed behind it, wailing, “My baby!” as Houston’s greatest hit “I Will Always Love You” played.
2. Bobby Brown came in at the start of the service, walked to the front and touched his ex-wife’s casket before leaving. He said security guards repeatedly asked him and his children to change seats and he didn’t want to risk creating a scene.
3. Toward the end of the service, Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, hugging singer Ray J., who spent time with Houston in her last days. The two embraced at length and spoke.
4. Kevin Costner, Houston’s co-star in the blockbuster film “The Bodyguard,” giving a moving speech that spoke of her vulnerability, even as a superstar. He remembered a movie star who was uncertain of her own fame, who “still wondered, ‘Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?'”
5. R. Kelly singing. The singer wrote songs on Houston’s last album, “I Look To You.” His version of the album’s title song was moving and filled the church with his powerful voice.