Family and friends will gather at the New Hope Baptist church for the ceremony, which will begin at noon. Houston, who was born in Newark and moved to East Orange when she was 4, performed as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the church when she was 11.

Houston's longtime musical mentor, Clive Davis, will speak at the funeral. The eulogy will be given by gospel singer and longtime family friend Marvin Winans.

Others who will be part of the program include Donnie McClurkin, Tyler Perry, Kim Burrell, Rickey Minor, Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick and Cece Winans, Foster said.

The Queen of Soul was a close family friend and considered Houston her goddaughter; she said in an email Thursday that Houston used to call her ""Aunt Ree.""

Fans without invitations will be kept far away. Newark police say streets will be shut down for six square blocks around the church.

Houston died Saturday in Beverly Hills, Calif., at the age of 48. Her ties to New Jersey continued after her rise to stardom in the 1980s. In 1997, the Franklin School in East Orange was renamed to The Whitney E. Houston Academy School of Creative and Performing Arts.

Associated Press wire reports contributed to this story.

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