Gospel singers Cece and BeBe Winans joined friends and family of Whitney Houston in a moving “home going” service for the late singer.

The funeral was a mixture of sorrow and celebration as those who knew her best took to the podium in the New Hope Baptist Church, in Newark, New Jersey, to express their gratitude for the star’s legacy.

Kevin Costner, who starred alongside Houston in The Bodyguard, struggled to hold back his tears as he bid her farewell, telling the congregation that she had felt unsure about her transition to the big screen.

Looking to her coffin, he said: “Whitney if you could hear me now, you weren’t just good enough, you were great. People don’t just like you Whitney, they love you.”

Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys performed songs in her memory, while a huge choir robed in white sang gospel numbers.

It was the choir Houston herself had sang in as a child. The little girl from the projects nearby would go on to become one of the most successful female artists of all time and the only one to achieve seven consecutive number one hits.

Houston was already a big name when she sang backing vocals for the Winans on their 1988 “Heaven” album.

Cece sang “Don’t Cry For Me”, while Bebe drew laughter and applause as he recalled the times they shared with the singer.

“We spent a lot of time together and we talk about her talent that’s a beautiful thing. But what I’m going to miss is crazy Whitney.

“She made Clive [Davis, her manager] so mad because she decided at the height of her career that she was going to come sing background with Bebe and Cece .

“She said: ‘You’re my brother and sister right? And we love each other, right? And y’all are broke right?'”