Last night in Los Angeles, a group of celebrities, including pop icon Sir Paul McCartney, paid their respects by laying flowers at a memorial for Whitney Houston.
Arriving in a blue Corvette, the former Beatle and his wife Nancy Shevell visited the makeshift memorial located outside the Beverley Hilton Hotel, the site where the singer passed away on Saturday.
He carried a bouquet of yellow flowers, blew two kisses towards the memorial, and spoke a few words before departing.
Last night, Whitney’s body was transported in a hearse to a funeral home in Newark.
She was taken to Whigham Funeral Home, the same establishment that handled her father’s funeral in 2003, after her body was flown to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.
At the age of 48, the singer died on Saturday. Officials revealed that she was found submerged and seemingly unconscious in a bathtub in her hotel room.
Originally from Newark, Whitney was raised in the nearby area of East Orange.
A crowd of fans gathered at the funeral home, playing songs, lighting candles, and waiting for a glimpse of her casket.
Whitney’s family is considering a wake on Thursday prior to the funeral scheduled for the following day at Newark’s Prudential Center, which accommodates up to 18,000 attendees for sporting events.
Alternatively, a more intimate service could take place at New Hope Baptist Church, where family members have previously performed.
As a child, Whitney began her singing career at the church where her mother, the Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, directed the music program for many years.
Yesterday, mourners honored the star by placing flowers, balloons, and candles along the fence in front of the church.
An autopsy was conducted on Sunday, and officials reported no indications of foul play or evident signs of trauma.
It may take weeks for toxicology tests to be finalized in order to determine her cause of death.
The singer had battled cocaine, marijuana, and pill addictions for years, leading to increasingly erratic behavior.
On Saturday, she was discovered in the hotel by a staff member at approximately 3:30 PM, just hours before she was slated to attend a pre-Grammy Awards gala.
Ed Winter, assistant to the Los Angeles County coroner, noted that there were bottles of prescription medication found in her room, but he refrained from providing further specifics.
by John Jackson