Gospel and soul music greats, celebrities and family members swayed to gospel hits and delivered tributes both sung and spoken to the crowded New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where Houston honed her wide vocal range as a young choral singer with her mother Cissy Houston, a backup singer for Aretha Franklin.

“Whitney returns home today to the place where it all began,” said actor Kevin Costner, who starred opposite Houston in the 1992 hit film, “The Bodyguard.”

He urged those around the world to “dry our tears, suspend our sorrow – and perhaps our anger – just long enough, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle of Whitney.”

Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week, recorded stirring love songs and vibrant dance tunes during a 30-year career that peaked with her 1992 signature hit “I Will Always Love You” and paved the way for a generation of singers that followed.

She was among the greatest singers of the 1980s and 1990s, but later admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills. Officials have said prescription drugs were found in the hotel room where she died.

Her death at age 48 shocked her family, fans and the music industry. Houston was found underwater in a hotel bathtub on the eve of the music industry’s Grammy Awards. Her cause of death has yet to be determined.

She suffered a turbulent personal life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown, who said in a statement he left the service early after being repeatedly asked to move by security, who prevented him from seeing the daughter he shared with Houston, Bobby Kristina Brown, 18.

“This was a day to honor Whitney,” Brown said. “I doubt whether Whitney would have wanted this to occur.”

During the service, her cousin and famed soul singer Dionne Warwick read out a funeral poem and introduced music greats from the past and present, including Alicia Keys who said “it was so obvious the way she just crept into everybody’s heart” before singing an emotional rendition of “Prelude to a Kiss.”

GOSPEL AND SOUL

Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder spoke of once having “a little crush” on Houston before singing a version of his 1982 R&B hit “Ribbon In The Sky,” inserting the lyrics “No more, Whitney, No more, Do you have to cry – You’ll always be a ribbon in the sky.”

Others spoke eloquently of Houston’s passion, strong-willed spirit and once hopeful future, including Clive Davis, the founder of her label Arista Records, who discovered and molded Houston into a global pop phenomenon. He said shortly before she died, Houston had promised she was getting back into shape.

“You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime. You wait for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that, for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all it takes your breath away,” he said. “Music was her passion. Whitney lived music. Whitney loved music.”

R. Kelly performed the 2009 song he wrote for Houston, “I Look To You,” and director Tyler Perry talked about Houston’s “grace that led her all the way to the top of the charts.” The service was dominated by gospel music, by singers Kim Burrell, Donnie McClurkin and others.

Houston’s family decided against a public memorial, as was done for pop star Michael Jackson after his 2009 death, but they agreed to allow the four-hour service to be broadcast live by television networks and on the Internet.

Many of Houston’s fans left cards and balloons around the church dedicated to the singer, who became a global star with her 1985 debut album, which included the hits “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love Of All.”

Police urged fans to stay home and watch the funeral on the Internet or television, but some flew and drove from around the country to get as close as they could to the late singer.

“This is history,” said fan Hedwig Berthold, 40, who flew from Miami and watched the broadcast with dozens of others in a nearby cafe. “I bought her records, I saw her concerts, I saw her in the good times. So I wanted to be here for her final farewell.”

‘THEY LOVED YOU’

Others gathered on the streets, including Wendy Saunders, who drove from Detroit to pay her respects to Houston and said “She meant so much to me,” while Renee Taylor, from Baltimore, held a sign, “You gave us more love than we will ever need.”

Houston grew up surrounded by gospel and soul music legends like Franklin – who fell ill and was unable to attend the service – as well as Warwick. She later forged new territory for a black female artist who brought R&B and gospel touches into pop music’s mainstream.

After her debut, her popularity grew exponentially with her second album, “Whitney” (1987), with all four singles – “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Her music videos featuring her 1980s style and innocent, fun-loving image made her wildly popular around the world. In “The Bodyguard,” with Costner, Houston played a character not far removed from her real self: an international singing sensation coping with fame.

Costner recalled during his speech that Hollywood executives were hesitant to cast Houston in her first starring role, preferring “somebody white,” but she soon won everyone over. He also spoke of Houston’s immense talent – and insecurities.

“The Whitney that I knew, despite her worldwide success and fame, still wondered, ‘Am I good enough, Am I pretty enough, Will they like me?’ It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end,” he said. “People didn’t just like you, Whitney. They loved you.”

She made other films, including “The Preacher’s Wife,” but the 15-year period when she was married to singer Brown coincided with a decline in the quality and frequency of her albums. The couple, who have an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, divorced in 2007.

Houston’s powerful voice suffered in recent years. On her last world tour in 2010, she struggled to hit the high notes.

But the service ended by focusing on the old, soaring voice she had promised to reclaim. Her inimitable “I Will Always Love You,” rang out as the casket was carried out of the church.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Reaney and Gianna Palmer; editing by Anthony Boadle and Todd Eastham)

Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week,
recorded stirring love songs and vibrant, dance tunes during a
30-year career that peaked with her 1992 signature hit “I Will
Always Love You.” She was due to be honored by family and
friends at a funeral service in her native Newark, New Jersey.

There was a heavy police presence outside the invitation-only
funeral on Saturday and streets were cordoned off. Houston’s
body was expected to leave a nearby funeral home under tight
security en route to the church. Fans have been urged to stay
home and watch the funeral on the Internet or television.

Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Houston’s
cousin Dionne Warwick will sing and speak at the New Hope
Baptist Church, where Houston sang as a child in the choir with
her mother, Cissy Houston, who was a backup singer for Franklin.

Hollywood stars Kevin Costner and Tyler Perry and Houston’s
mentor, record producer Clive Davis, were also scheduled to
speak. Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Beyonce and Bill Cosby were
expected to attend the service.

Houston’s family decided against a public memorial, but fans
were expected to crowd the streets around the church and nearby
cemetery where she is due to be buried.

Many have left flowers, cards and balloons dedicated to the
singer who became a global star with her 1985 debut album that
included the hits “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I
Know” and “Greatest Love Of All.”

Houston was among the greatest singers of the 1980s and
1990s, but her personal life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown
was tumultuous. She admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana,
alcohol and prescription pills.

Her death at age 48 shocked her family, fans and the music
industry. Houston was found underwater in a hotel bathtub on the
eve of the music industry’s Grammy Awards. A cause of death has
yet to be determined.

SO EMOTIONAL

Houston’s grew up surrounded by gospel and soul music
legends like Franklin and Warwick. She later forged new
territory for a black, female artist who brought R&B and gospel
touches into pop music’s mainstream.

After her debut, her popularity grew exponentially with her
second album, “Whitney” (1987), with all four singles – “Didn’t
We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional”, “Where Do Broken Hearts
Go” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – hitting
No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Her music videos featuring her 1980s style and innocent,
fun-loving image made her wildly popular around the world. In
the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard,” co-starring Costner, Houston
played a character not far removed from her real self: an
international singing sensation coping with fame.

She made other films including “The Preacher’s Wife,” but
the 15-year period when she was married to singer Brown
coincided with a decline in the quality and frequency of her
albums. The couple, who have an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi
Kristina Brown, divorced in 2007.

Houston’s powerful voice suffered in recent years. On her
last world tour in 2010, she struggled to hit high notes.

She spoke publicly about her struggles with addiction. In a
2002 interview, TV journalist Diane Sawyer asked Houston what
was the “biggest devil” among her failings. Houston answered:
“Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do. So the bigger
devil is me, I am either my best friend or my worst enemy.”

(Additional reporting by Angela Moore and Jennifer Marostica;
Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Paul Simao)

Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week,
recorded stirring love songs and vibrant, dance tunes during a
30-year career that peaked with her 1992 signature hit “I Will
Always Love You.” She was due to be honored by family and
friends at a funeral service in her native Newark, New Jersey.

Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Houston’s
cousin Dionne Warwick will perform at the New Hope Baptist
Church where Houston sang as a child in the choir with her
mother Cissy Houston, who once backed up Franklin.

Hollywood stars Kevin Costner and Tyler Perry and Houston’s
mentor, record producer Clive Davis, were scheduled to deliver
remarks. Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Beyonce and Bill Cosby were
expected to attend the service.

Houston’s family decided against a public memorial, but fans
were expected to crowd the streets around the church, funeral
home and nearby cemetery where she is due to be buried.

Many have left flowers, cards and balloons dedicated to the
singer who became an global star with her 1985 debut album that
included the hits “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I
Know” and “Greatest Love Of All.”

Houston was among the greatest singers of the 1980s and
1990s, but her personal life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown
was tumultuous. She admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana,
alcohol and prescription pills.

But her death at age 48 shocked her family, fans and the
music industry. Houston was found underwater in a hotel bathtub
on the eve of the music industry’s Grammy Awards. A cause of
death has yet to be determined.

STAY HOME, WATCH TV

Police urged fans to stay home and watch the funeral on the
Internet or TV. They planned to lock down the streets near the
invitation-only funeral.

Houston’s life began surrounded by gospel and soul music
legends like Franklin and Warwick. She later forged new
territory for a black, female artist who brought R&B and gospel
touches into pop music’s mainstream.

After her debut, her popularity grew exponentially with her
second album, “Whitney” (1987), with all four singles – “Didn’t
We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional”, “Where Do Broken Hearts
Go” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – hitting
No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Her music videos featuring her 1980s style and innocent,
fun-loving image made her wildly popular around the world. In
the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard,” co-starring Costner, Houston
played a character not far removed from her real self: an
international singing sensation coping with fame.

She made other films including “The Preacher’s Wife,” but
the 15-year period when she was married to singer Brown
coincided with a decline in the quality and frequency of her
albums. The couple, who have an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi
Kristina Brown, divorced in 2007.

Houston’s powerful voice suffered in recent years. On her
last world tour in 2010, she struggled to hit high notes.

She spoke publicly about her struggles with addiction. In a
2002 interview, TV journalist Diane Sawyer asked Houston what
was the “biggest devil” among her failings. Houston answered:
“Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do. So the bigger
devil is me, I am either my best friend or my worst enemy.”

(Reporting By Christine Kearney; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte
and Stacey Joyce)

Houston will be laid to rest on Saturday after an
invitation-only memorial service at the New Hope Baptist Church
in Newark, New Jersey, where Houston groomed her voice singing
in the church choir with her mother Cissy Houston, a soul and
gospel singer who once backed up Franklin.

The singer, who rose to fame with a soaring voice and hits
in the mid-1980s such as “Saving All My Love For You,” died in a
Beverly Hills hotel room almost a week ago on the eve of the
music industry’s Grammy Awards. She was found underwater in her
hotel room’s bathtub. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

Along with her signature song, “I Will Always Love You,” her
other hits included “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and she
starred in movies “The Bodyguard” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”

Other top names taking part in the service include Houston’s
mentor and record producer Clive Davis, singer Stevie Wonder and
Hollywood actor and producer Tyler Perry, who donated his plane
to fly her body from Los Angeles to Newark earlier this week.

Elton John, Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey and
Bill Cosby are also expected to attend, according to reports.

It is not yet known if singer Bobby Brown, who Houston
divorced in 2007 after a tumultuous 15-year marriage
that began as Houston’s music career began to slide, will
be there. The couple have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18,
who was in Los Angeles when her mother died.

The death of the beloved pop star who had a long history of
addiction to alcohol and cocaine stunned the music world, her
family and fans, and some of those close to her have publicly
said they thought Houston had been getting healthier.

FRANKLIN DEVASTATED

Franklin, 69, told the “Today” morning news show on Friday
that she thought Houston was on the road to a comeback after
seeing some of the previews for “The Bodyguard” star’s final
film “Sparkle” to be released later this year.

“She looked gorgeous and I thought ‘Yes, she has conquered
her challenges and she is on the way’,” Franklin said, before
adding that she did not know what song she would sing at the
funeral, but “It’s not going to be easy.”

Franklin said she imagined Houston’s inability to hit some
notes in “I Will Always Love You” on her last world tour in 2010
and a poor reception by some critics and audiences would have
upset the fragile yet strong-willed singer.

“The audience was very rude but she stood there with the
heart of a champion, night after night,” Franklin said. “She had
to be totally devastated. When you are a singer and you can’t
sing what it is you want to sing and she had some problems in
her highest range, it is very disheartening.”

Other singers confirmed to perform or speak are American
gospel singers Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell, CeCe Winans,
musical director Rickey Minor and gospel singer and pastor
Marvin Winans, a family spokeswoman said.

Costner, who starred opposite Houston in “The Bodyguard,”
will speak as part of the official program, the spokesman said.

Houston’s close friend, singer and producer Ray J, 31, said
in a statement on Friday, “The world lost an icon but I lost my
close friend … Your smile will live in my heart forever.”

Police plan to lock down the streets near Saturday’s private
funeral and have said there will be no procession from the
funeral home she is resting in to the church. They have urged
the thousands of fans expected to crowd the area to stay home
and watch the funeral which will be broadcast live.

On Friday, flowers, candles, cards and balloons hung outside
the funeral home, church and her old elementary school that was
renamed after was closed. Small shrines dedicated to the singer
dotting the school.

Such has been the outpouring of emotion that in Los Angeles,
two radio personalities of KFI AM 640 station’s “The John and
Ken Show” — have been suspended after making disparaging
comments and jokes about Houston and her drug problems.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Patricia
Reaney and Bob Tourtellotte)

Houston will be laid to rest on Saturday after the noon
(1700 GMT) service at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New
Jersey, where she performed while growing up.

Police have urged the thousands of fans expected to crowd
the area to stay home and watch the funeral which will be
broadcast live.

The singer died in a Beverly Hills hotel room almost a week
ago on the eve of the music industry’s Grammy Awards. She was
found underwater in a bathtub in her hotel room, according to
police.

Other top names taking part in the program include Houston’s
mentor Clive Davis and Hollywood actor and producer Tyler Perry,
who donated his plane to fly Houston’s body from Los Angeles to
Newark.

Singer Elton John, Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey
and Bill Cosby are also expected to attend the service,
according to media reports. It is not yet known if Houston’s
ex-husband singer Bobby Brown will attend.

The death of the beloved pop star, who had a history of
addiction to alcohol and cocaine, stunned the music world, her
family and her fans.

Police plan to lock down the streets near Saturday’s private
funeral and have said there will be no procession from the
funeral home to the church.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office has not released
details of an initial autopsy and is awaiting results of tests
for drugs, alcohol and other substances that may have been in
her system.

Officials investigating her death have also issued subpoenas
for her medical records after finding prescription drugs in her
hotel room.

In Los Angles, two radio personalities of KFI AM 640
station’s “The John and Ken Show” — have been suspended after
making disparaging comments and jokes about Houston and her
addiction to drugs.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney; editing by Patricia Reaney)

More than 90 designers showed Fall/Winter 2012 collections to retail buyers, media and celebrities during semi-annual event and 250 others opted for other venues around the city.

While some gown designers gave a nod to the 1920s, sparked by films such as “The Artist,” daytime and less formal evening looks featured wearable takes on 1960s styles with longer hemlines seen in pencil, maxi, circle and pleated skirts.

Designer Michael Kors declared the demise of super-short hemlines. “I think it is going to be the death knell of the miniskirt,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be floor length but it can be from the ankle to the knee.

“For a lot of younger women, they have been in a crotch-high dress for a very long time, so I think longer is going to be really important.”

Along with Tory Burch and Diane von Furstenberg, Kors featured pencil skirts, some with matching jackets. Nanette Lepore mixed bright patterns and prints, while Betsey Johnson said she was inspired by the ’60s mod-inspired looks.

“There have been touches of late ’60s, early ’70s with more of a cosmopolitan, urban bent,” said Susan Cernek, Glamour magazine’s fashion development director.

“It’s not theatrical or poppy, it’s actually much more wearable because it references what people were really wearing in urban settings around that time period,” she said. “It’s great news for us because it’s really much more wearable.”

BURGUNDYS, PLUMS, PINKS

Realizing that impulse buying would be rare because of the jittery global economy, designers paid attention to detail and tailoring.

“People are making wiser choices to build their wardrobe,” said designer Dennis Basso. “I think she is building a wardrobe today as opposed to just making a quick impulse purchase on something that is only worn once.”

Saks Fifth Avenue senior fashion director Colleen Sherin was “cautiously optimistic” the upcoming season would entice shoppers to buy.

“People are more thoughtful about the purchases these days, so for them to part with their money they are shopping for things … that elicit some sort of emotional response because they are such beautiful special pieces,” she said.

Navy replaced black in some collections but the most common colors were jades, deep green, plum and burgundy in fabrics ranging from fur and leather to silk and satins.

Diane Von Furstenberg showed pink and berry sleeveless crepe dresses, a frosted lime jacquard coat and a cerulean blue, loose sleeveless top contrasting with a scarlet pencil skirt.

Ralph Lauren created fuchsia satin evening dresses with matching clutches, while Tommy Hilfiger featured plenty of burgundy and forest green.

“This is the season where we use a lot of color,” designer Narciso Rodriguez, adding he “worked with many shades of orange, red, rust, bordeaux, plum, everything, you know, in the red family.”

J Mendel and Proenza Schouler featured winter whites.

DECORATIVE FABRICS, LEATHER

Metallic shades of green, gold and silver were prominent on rich fabrics such as brocades and jacquards on labels ranging from Marc Jacobs to Christian Siriano, Chadwick Bell, Monique Lhuillier and Karen Walker.

“Everywhere you see a lot of pure gold and pure silver,” said Macy’s Fashion Director Nicole Fischelis. “The idea of metallic continues to be important as well as shine and shimmer.”

Prints were sprinkled throughout shows, including the jigsaw painted on blouses and dresses at von Furstenberg.

Many designers mixed fabrics like jacquards and brocades and leather, lace and fur trimmings. Marc Jacobs combined a black leather dress and tweed panels with a red paisley jacquard skirt.

“The overriding mood is one of an eclectic mix of layers, a mixing of fabrics and textures,” said Sherin.

Tweed and oversized plaid continued to be popular, along with buffalo check, blanket stripes. Kors matched a crimson and black plaid mohair bias skirt with a black cashmere halter cardigan.

Leather was another key trend in outer wear, dresses, skirts and slouchy, more relaxed trousers.

Ponchos, motorcycle jackets and coats embellished with fur or fake fur were also popular. Badgley Mischka created luxurious jackets in brocade and shearling and mink and fox fur. And innovative knitwear inspired many fashionistas, with big cable stitch knits seen at Derek Lam.

Cernek described Victoria Beckham’s military-inspired look as “firm but polite.”

“So many of the collections … across the board are firm but straightforward and very polite,” she added.

Fashion experts noted the craftsmanship, draping and layering and tight tailoring of the collections, such as the tailored pieces at Donna Karan.

“It’s a sophisticated, subdued, very polite reference to the past. There is nothing garish … or over the top,” said Cernek. “It is all very tight tailoring and sophisticated palettes and silhouettes with a lack of flashiness — or the flashiness appearing in really lux fabrics, is an interesting shift almost across the board.”

But Cernek said shoes in the shows were outrageously sexy.

“If you are looking for fun, you just have to look down at your feet.”

(Additional reporting by Patricia Reaney, Alicia Powell, Erin Geiger Smith and Jan Paschal; editing by Patricia Reaney and Bob Tourtellotte)

The spokeswoman declined to comment on financial terms of
the deal or elaborate on the planned book, saying further
details would be released in a statement on Friday.

Representatives for Knox, 24, declined to comment.

A bidding war broke out between U.S. publishers over the
rights to any memoir written by Knox with a price tag tipped at
around one million dollars, according to book industry insiders.

The book was considered a hot property because the world has
yet to hear all the details from Knox on her imprisonment and
murder trial since she was freed from an Italian jail last year.

An Italian court in October overturned Knox’s 2009
conviction on a charge of killing her British housemate,
21-year-old Meredith Kercher.

Also cleared was Knox’s boyfriend, Rafaele Sollecito,
leaving Ivorian drifter Rudy Guede as the only person convicted
in a killing investigators believe was carried out by more than
one person.

Kercher’s half-naked body was found with stab wounds and a
deep gash in her throat, in the apartment she shared with Knox
in Perugia, Italy.

Knox, a former University of Washington student, was released
from custody following the ruling and returned home to Seattle,
where she has largely avoided the public eye.

(Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by
Bob Tourtellotte)

A spokeswoman for the Whigham Funeral Home told reporters on Tuesday that a private funeral service will be held Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church, the New Jersey church where Houston once sang growing up. There will not be a wake, the spokeswoman said.

The body of the beloved singer, one of the biggest stars of her generation, was flown to New Jersey late on Monday from Los Angeles.

Fans had gathered outside the funeral home to greet a golden hearse carrying Houston that arrived just before midnight on Monday night under tight security.

Her death on Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel stunned the music world, her fans and her family. She had been found unconscious and underwater in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel, according to police. They have declined to speculate on the cause of her death at age 48.

An autopsy was completed on Sunday, and a final death report is pending completion of an official investigation and toxicology reports that may take weeks.

Houston, hails from music royalty and counts many stars who will likely attend the funeral service. She is the cousin of Dionne Warwick and the daughter of Cissy Houston, who backed up Aretha Franklin. The 69-year-old Franklin is her godmother.

The singer rose to fame on early hits such as “Saving All My Love For You” and “How Will I Know.” Her powerful, soaring voice was later marred by battles with cocaine and alcohol.

STRONG-WILLED

Houston died on the eve of the music industry’s Grammy Awards. Because of her admitted drug and alcohol abuse with stints in rehab as recently as May 2011, speculation arose that she might have died of a drug overdose.

“Ms. Houston was apparently discovered in the bathtub by a member of her personal staff,” who called hotel security, Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen said on Monday. She was pulled from the bathtub, but when paramedics arrived “she was unconscious and unresponsive,” he said.

Rosen declined comment on whether prescription drugs were in the room or the condition of Houston’s body. Detectives have sealed their inquiry, he said.

Meanwhile, the singer’s brother-in-law, Billy Watson, has dismissed talk the singer may have committed suicide, saying “She wouldn’t have done that to her daughter.”

Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, was in Los Angeles when her mother died.

The singer was photographed partying in Los Angeles leading up to her death and had planned to attend an annual pre-award party hosted by record producer and mentor Clive Davis on the night she died.

Her personal troubles, including a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, contradicted the innocent, fun-loving image that propelled her to stardom in the mid-1980s with early hits such as “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).”

Her friend and singer Chaka Khan told CNN late on Monday that Houston was aware of her addictions: “She was a strong-minded girl and I can’t say it was anybody’s fault … If you want to get high, you get high.” Houston once worked for Khan as a studio backup singer in the 1970s and 1980s,

Houston won six Grammys and more than 400 other awards in a 25-year career that also saw her star in such blockbuster films as “The Bodyguard”. Her 1992 hit cover single of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack capped a career highlight between 1985 and 1992.

As with the 2009 death of pop superstar Michael Jackson, Internet sales of Houston’s songs have surged after her death. “I Will Always Love You,” was the No. 1 download on iTunes on Tuesday, just ahead of Grammy winner Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”

Her albums, “Whitney Houston — The Greatest Hits”, “The Bodyguard” and “Whitney Houston” were also all among the top 20 selling albums on iTunes.

(Additional reporting by Eduardo Munoz, Editing by Jackie Frank)

“Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a poetic, mystical tale of the bond between a father and daughter, set in impoverished Louisiana with a cast of non-actors, won the jury prize for best U.S. drama and another for its cinematography.

“The Surrogate” claimed the audience award for U.S. drama with its witty and inspirational look at a man’s quest to lose his virginity while confined to an iron lung, and it could prove to be the bigger winner at box offices when it reaches cinemas.

The film, based on the life of poet and journalist Mark O’Brien, fetched what may be the highest selling price at the festival by the time all the deal-making ends — a reported $6 million from Fox Searchlight, the studio behind current Oscar hopeful “The Descendants.”

“Surrogate” stars Helen Hunt as an oft-naked sex therapist, John Hawkes as O’Brien and William H. Macy as a priest, and together they picked up a special Sundance jury prize for ensemble acting.

Director and writer Ben Lewin said after a screening on Saturday that he tried to capture O’Brien’s “self-deprecating humor and view of life as the absurd.” Upon accepting his trophy at the award ceremony, he quoted a line from his script: “Love is a journey, that’s it.”

Another festival favorite, the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” tells a miraculous tale of a quest to find an obscure 1970s Detroit folk singer known as Rodriguez who was rumored to have shot himself on stage. It picked up the audience award for world documentary and also won a special jury prize.

Malik Bendjelloul, making his directing debut, said his film began as a 6-minute TV story but ended up taking five years to turn into a feature film. It’s a touching portrait of a modest, inspirational singer who failed to make it in the United States and quit singing before learning he was a huge hit in South Africa.

Other fiction films that impressed the crowds at Sundance included “Smashed,” a refreshing comedy drama on alcoholism that picked up a special jury prize, and prison tale “Middle of Nowhere,” for which Ava DuVernay won the directing prize.

SEARCHING FOR HITS

Festival winners and movies that premiere at Sundance, which has debuted hits in past years such as “Little Miss Sunshine” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” often go on to become some of the most talked-about films for fans of independent cinema.

But this year’s festival got off to a slow start, marked by what Robert Redford, whose Sundance Institute for independent filmmaking backs the event, characterized as films that reflected the “dark and grim” times Americans are facing.

Some winners did serve that theme, including documentary winner “The House I Live In” by Eugene Jarecki. It made a case that America’s decades-long “war on drugs” had failed and mostly resulted in huge prison populations and hurt poor communities.

“The war on drugs is a terrible scar on America,” Jarecki said at Saturday’s awards ceremony, citing the large number of unfair drug penalties affecting minorities, as well as police and judges. He called it “tragically immoral and so heartbreakingly wrong and misguided.”

“The Invisible War,” which tells of previously unknown incidents of rape and sexual assault in the U.S. military, won the U.S. documentary audience award. Director Kirby Dick dedicated it to those in the military who speak out in hope that “this epidemic finally stops.”

Among world cinema, Chile’s “Violeta Went To Heaven,” based on the life of Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra’s journey from a poor upbringing to hero, won the jury prize for best drama.

The world fiction audience award went to Kashmiri tale “Valley Of Saints,” and “The Law In These Parts,” which looks at the system of law administered by Israel on Palestinians, was the jury’s pick for best world documentary.

Other world cinema premieres that impressed outside the competition included “Shadow Dancer,” British filmmaker James Marsh’s look at a mother who’s deeply entrenched in the IRA and forced to become an informant.

SHOWBIZ AT SUNDANCE

While Sundance has attracted more foreign films in recent years, its main focus remains its role as the premiere event for U.S. independent films and as a marketplace for buyers and sellers.

This year, while business was brisk, buyers were more cautious after several higher-profile movies from 2011 failed to perform as expected at the box office.

Festival films did not fetch the high dollar figures, and there were fewer deals compared with last year’s robust marketplace. But, as in year’s past, some deals won’t materialize until after the festival’s end on Sunday.

A flurry of deals did get done over the closing weekend, with Hollywood showbiz website Deadline reporting that rights to Stephen Frears’ “Lay The Favorite” were bought by Weinstein Co. for about $2 million.

But many of the widely hyped films going into the festival, including Spike Lee’s “Red Hook Summer” and closing film “The Words,” starring Bradley Cooper, were panned by critics.

Others, such as “Arbitrage,” starring Richard Gere as billionaire hedge fund magnate whose world falls apart, and “Red Lights,” with Robert De Niro playing a blind psychic, received mixed reviews but still found buyers thanks to their star appeal.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Sheri Linden)

Directed by Benh Zeitlin and set in impoverished Louisiana, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” picked up the jury prize for best drama with its tale of the bond between a father and a daughter.

The documentary winner, “The House I Live In,” was one of many documentaries that looked at a struggling America at Sundance 2012, with its examination of America’s long failed war on drugs and critiques of U.S. drug policies, its court system, prisons and their impact on minorities.

“The war on drugs is a terrible scar on America,” said director Eugene Jarecki.

Special juries of industry professionals vote on winners, and those are considered the top prizes, but audiences also vote for their favorites.

“The Surrogate,” which stars Helen Hunt and John Hawkes and is about a man’s quest to lose his virginity while mostly confined to an iron lung, won the Audience Award for best drama.

The film, based on the real life poet and journalist Mark O’Brien, fetched one of the highest selling prices at the festival – a reported $6 million.

“Love is a journey, that’s it,” said director Ben Lewin when accepting his trophy, quoting a line from the film.

The Audience Award for documentary was given to “The Invisible War,” about an epidemic of sexual assault in the U.S. military.

Other documentary special jury prizes went to “Love Free or Die,” about the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson; and “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” about the Chinese artist and activist who was detained for 81 days last year.

Sundance, which is backed by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute for filmmaking, is the largest U.S. gathering for independent movies. Festival winners go on to become some of the most talked about films in art houses.

In addition to prizes for U.S. films, Sundance also gives awards in world cinema. Chile’s “Violeta Went To Heaven,” based on the life of Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra’s journey from a poor upbringing to national hero, won the jury prize for best drama, and “The Law In These Parts” was the jury’s pick for best documentary.

“Searching for Sugar Man,” about the search for an obscure 1970s Detroit folk singer known as Rodriguez, won the audience award for best world documentary as well as a special jury prize.

(Reporting By Christine Kearney; editing by Mohammad Zargham)