Bobby Brown left devastated after being banned from ex-wife Whitney's funeral by family

Whitney Houston's ex-husband has been told he is 'not welcome' at her funeral by several members of the singer's family.
The close family member, who have not been identified, warned Whitney's ex-husband not to even try to attend as the Houston clan is 'not fond of him'.
During Houston and Bobby's 14-year marriage they repeatedly came to blows in private and public, with her husband being rumoured to have introduced her to illegal drugs.
He also published an autobiography where he hinted at doubts over his wife's sexuality, but in the days after he death has been pictured devastated by Whitney's death.
Sources close to Brown told TMZ people connected to the Houston family have warned Bobby that he shouldn't attempt to attend the funeral because the family isn't fond of him.
At first it was thought that a public memorial service would take place at Newark's Prudential Centre - which seats up to 19,000 people - but the family announced today that they are keeping it to themselves. There will be no public wake either.

The funeral will take place on Saturday at noon in the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where the pop icon first showcased her singing talents as a child.
The late singer's body was flown from Los Angeles in a private jet owned by Tyler Perry last night and transported to Newark's Whigham Funeral Home, which handled the 2003 funeral of her father.
Carolyn Whigham said the invitation-only funeral reflects the family's desire to keep the memorial more personal.
'They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell,' she said.
'The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time.'
Fans have continued to gather and lay tributes for the superstar outside the Newark Church.
Houston's return home comes as her doctors are said to be facing questions over whether she obtained the drugs found in her Beverly Hill Hilton Hotel room illegally.
The body of the singer, 48, was found in a bathtub at her suite on Saturday, surrounded by different bottles of prescription pills including ibuprofen - a painkiller, Xanax - an anti-anxiety drug, Midol - for menstrual cramps, amoxicillin - for bacterial infections and several others.

Whitney Houston Found 'Underwater' in Hotel Bathtub

Filling in some details of the timeline of Whitney Houston's death, Beverly Hills police said Monday the singer was discovered on Saturday by "a member of her personal staff" in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton suite.
"She was underwater and apparently unconscious," says a police statement. "Ms. Houston was pulled from the tub by members of her staff and hotel security was promptly notified."
The singer was found at 3:25 p.m., and Fire Department personnel and hotel security responded and found Houston "to still be unconscious and unresponsive," says the police statement.
"They initiated CPR, but were unable to revive her," says the statement. "At approximately 3:55 pm. Whitney Houston, age 48, was pronounced dead at the scene."

Following an autopsy on Sunday, Houston's body was released by the coroner Monday for the family. No cause of death has been determined while toxicology tests are being conducted. All information about the autopsy, including reports that water was found in her lungs, remains under seal.
"As can be expected in a high-profile incident such as this, there have been many rumors circulating and much speculation by the media and the public," says the police statement. "In order to minimize such speculation, the Beverly Hills Police Department has asked the coroner?s office to place a security hold on their findings until they have a complete and final report prepared."

Jennifer Hudson breaks down after paying homage to Whitney Houston with searing rendition of I Will Always Love You

Jennifer Hudson honoured Whitney Houston's life with the best tribute of all tonight.
The 30-year-old singer took the stage at tonight's 54th Annual Grammy Awards to sing an an a cappella of Houston's hit I Will Always Love You.
A lone spotlight beamed down on the American Idol alum after the artists and music industry executives who have passed away in the last year were paid their respects in a video montage.

After musical luminaries like Amy Winehouse, rapper Heavy D and Etta James were showcased, Houston was shown wearing a red dress.
Thunderous applause rang through the audience before the room went dark and Hudson's first clear, strong notes rang out.
Hudson stood there looking lovely and svelte in a stunning in a black dress with a black and white striped top.
She sang what could be considered the songbird's most famous hit, written by Dolly Parton for The Bodyguard soundtrack.

Bobby Brown breaks down in tears upon hearing news

Bobby Brown, the faded boy band star who spent 15 tumultuous years married to Whitney Houston, broke down in tears Saturday night upon hearing of the platinum-selling diva’s death.
“I love you, Whitney,” Brown said as he prepared to perform in Southaven, Miss. “The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage.”
Brown, who had been accused of domestic abuse against the iconic performer, was on a reunion tour of New Edition and began calling relatives as he found out about the death, People magazine reported.
“He could hardly get the words out when he called me,” a relative told the magazine. “He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing, too. He’s beside himself right now.”
Brown and Houston’s 1993 marriage — with their seemingly opposite personalities — stunned the public.

Brown, 42, who is six years younger that Houston, had cultivated a hard-partying, bad-boy image.
Houston, the daughter of a gospel singer who sang in the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, had a squeaky-clean persona. Brown was often blamed for corrupting her, turning her on to the crack, pills and alcohol that eventually sidelined her career.
“He was my drug,” she was quoted saying about Brown. During one infamous episode, Houston locked their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, out of their bedroom so the couple could have sex.
But her assertions that he was never physical were undermined in 2003 when he was arrested in Georgia for threatening to “beat her ass.” The couple separated in 2006 among rumors of infidelity on his part, and in 2008 they were divorced.

Whitney Houston dead at the age of 48 one day before 2012 Grammy Awards

Whitney Houston, whose sublime voice carried her to the pinnacle of the music world before drug abuse sent her into a tragic tailspin, died Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel. She was 48.
Houston was declared dead at 3:55 p.m. in a fourth-floor room of the Beverly Hilton after paramedics spent nearly 30 minutes trying to revive her, authorities said.
The cause of her death was unknown. Houston was in town for music executive Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party, one of Hollywood's hottest events of the year. In a creepy twist, the swanky shindig went on early Sunday with Houston's body still upstairs.
Davis, in an address to the numb crowd, spoke of Houston's "unspeakable passing."
"Whitney would have wanted the music to go on," Davis added.

Houston appeared belligerent and disheveled Thursday at the rehearsals for Davis' annual gala. Her hair wet and her clothes mismatched, the visibly bloated singer flitted erratically around the ballroom, the Los Angeles Times reported.
But her mother, Cissy Houston and her cousin, Dionne Warwick, reportedly spoke to the troubled singer over the phone Saturday and had no indication anything was wrong.
Her death casts a pall on Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremonies and she will be honored in a musical tribute by Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Kahn, ET reported.