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GONE: Singer Whitney Houston passed away last Saturday

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S longtime friend and pastor, Marvin Winans, has been asked by her family to deliver her eulogy, it has been reported.

Winans will address the congregation gathered for the star's funeral at the private ceremony at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church in New Jersey this Saturday.

Winans, who is also a Grammy award-winning singer and brother of fellow gospel singers CeCe and BeBe Winans, officiated Houston's wedding to Bobby Brown in 1992.

Whitney died on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel just hours before she was set to appear at producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards gala.

Her cause of death is still unknown, however family members are said to have told TMZ that the 48-year-old died from a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs, which had been mixed with alcohol.

Houston will be laid to rest on Saturday in a private ceremony, however her family announced that her funeral will be streamed online, allowing fans to bid her farewell.

On Tuesday (Feb 14) the state of New Jersey, Whitney's place of birth, announced that all public building were to fly flags at half-staff to honour her memory.