Whitney Houston's Funeral To Take Place Today (February 18)

Whitney Houston's funeral will take place later today (February 18).

The ceremony, which is invite only, will take place in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey.

Her co-star from the 1992 film The Bodyguard will join record boss Clive Davis, cousin Dionne Warwick and Alicia Keys in paying tribute to the late singer.

Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will perform at the service at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The funeral will take place at 5pm (GMT), which is 12pm (EST).

Speaking to BBC News, Carolyn Whigham, who runs the funeral home, said the family will be invite only and only attended by those closest: "They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell."

LA Reid, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Chaka Khan, Darlene Love and Diane Warren are among the many stars who have been invited.

The ceremony will be filmed and streamed live via the internet.

It is still unclear how Houston died but Police have confirmed the star was found on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles last Saturday (February 11).

Whitney Houston Tributes