Aretha to Perform at Houston’s Funeral

Whitney Houston’s godmother, the incomparable Aretha Franklin, will sing at the pop diva’s funeral in New Jersey this weekend. The service will take place at New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston sang in the choir as a child, and will be a private affair. The family had considered having a memorial service at the 18,000-seat Prudential Center, but in the end decided on a more personal ceremony. The event will be invitation-only, though one pool camera will be allowed to broadcast from the funeral and officials are expecting throngs of fans to line the streets around the church.