Whitney Houston remembered by Kevin Costner on funeral

London: Whitney Houston’s funeral saw her ‘The Bodyguard’ co-star Kevin Costner give a heartfelt tribute to her, describing her as a ‘sweet miracle’. He talked about them growing up in the Baptist Church, and getting into trouble as kids.

The Oscar winning actor was close to tears in front of the congregation which included Houston’s friend Mariah Carey, singing legend Stevie Wonder and pop stars including Alicia Keys, R Kelly and popular American film star Tyler Perry. The mourners laughed as he told how Houston loved his stories of sneaking into the church kitchen to steal "grape juice", telling his father: “I’m a cowboy, I’m drinking whisky.” “I can see her running around this church as a little girl, using her smile to get out of trouble,” a leading daily has quoted him as saying. “I ask that we dry our tears, suspend our sorrow, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle that was Whitney. We can’t forget Cissy and Bobbi Kristina sit among us. Your mother and I had a lot in common. I know many at this moment are thinking, ‘Really? She’s a girl, you’re a boy, she’s black, you’re white I heard you like to sing, but our sister could really sing. So what are you talking about Kevin Costner? Whitney Houston and him didn’t have anything in common at all.’ You would be wrong about that; we both grew up in the Baptist church. It wasn’t as big as this. My grandmother played the piano, she led the choir and her two daughters - my mum and her aunt both sang in it. Church was what we knew, it was our private bond,” he said. ANI