Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder to Perform at Whitney Houston Funeral

Pop star Whitney Houston passed away last Saturday at the age of 48. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Soul legends Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will be among the stars to perform at the funeral of Whitney Houston in New Jersey on Saturday.

Houston's publicist Kristen Foster also confirmed an invitation for the private service has been sent to ex-husband Bobby Brown - despite earlier reports that suggested he would be told to stay away, Sky News reported.

Reports also say Brown will attend the funeral but go on to perform at a gig with his group New Edition afterwards.

Houston's co-star in The Bodyguard Kevin Costner has been invited and is expected to speak at the ceremony. Chat show host Oprah Winfrey has also received an invitation for the service.

The funeral will be held on Saturday at the 1,500-seat capacity New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where Houston used to sing as a girl and her mother was music director.

Gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Grammy Award winner and family friend, has been chosen to give the eulogy. In his role as a pastor, he married Houston and Brown in 1992.

The 48-year-old's long-time musical mentor, Clive Davis, will also speak at the funeral.

A family source said Houston's coffin would be taken 12 miles to Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. The 105-acre site contains mausoleums with crypts and niches.

According to TMZ.com, it would not be a funeral service but a "home going service" for the pop star.

The gossip news site published an invite given to those attending, which read: "With heartfelt gratitude, the Houston family request the honour of your presence at the home going service for Whitney Elizabeth Houston."

The singer had been due to attend a pre-Grammy Awards party he was hosting when she was found unconscious in the bath in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Others who will be part of the programme include gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, Alicia Keys, and her cousin Dionne Warwick.

Jay-Z, Beyonce, Elton John and Bill Cosby have been invited to attend the service, according to The Star-Ledger newspaper.

The ceremony will be broadcast on the Internet but those without invitations will be kept away from the church itself. Newark police say the streets around the church will be shut.

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