Aretha Franklin ‘too ill’ to sing at Whitney funeral

Aretha Franklin was due to sing at the ceremony in New Jersey but cancelled because of problems with her legs.

In a statement the soul icon described “terrible spasms” and locked leg muscles.

“My heart goes out to my dear friend Cissy, Dionne, Bobbi Kristina and the rest of the family. May God keep them all,” she said.

Stevie Wonder performed as did gospel singer and family friend Marvin Winans. Whitney’s ex-husband Bobby Brown and Kevin Costner, who starred with Houston in The Bodyguard, were in the congregation.

In his eulogy, Costner said: “Off you go escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father… and don’t worry, you’ll be good enough.”

The funeral took place at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark where Whitney Houston sang as a child.

Houston was one of the world’s best-selling artists in the 1980s and 1990s. She carved out a successful career in a highly competitive age, with Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson also at their creative peak during those decades.

But music and arts critic Matilda Egere-Cooper told Channel 4 News why the star was “distinctive in her own right”.

“The unique thing was her remarkable soulful voice, steeped in that gospel tradition, she said.

“In the 1980s and nineties, she staked her claim in that domain.

“She was the first to get a reputation for vocal gymnastics – you can now hear that now in Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce.

“It is quite a great loss, there will be no other artist quite like her.”

The 48-year-old, who leaves behind a daughter, was known to have had serious drug problems and she was forced to cancel a UK tour in 2010 because of breathing problems, thought to be linked to her drug use.

Her body was found in a hotel room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton on Saturday 11 February. Earlier this week a coroner ruled out foul play in the singer’s death.