Dionne Warwick, like Kevin Costner, was called upon to make a touching tribute to her cousin, the fallen star Whitney Houston.
However, whilst Costner opted for personal anecdotes and his own memories of his friend and Bodyguard co-star, Warwick chose to read a poem which she felt the most appropriate way to explain "how I feel about Whitney".
And, despite the poem being a frequent one read at Christian memorial services, the words seemed particularly poignant when applied to Whitney's life:
"Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free. I'm following the path God laid, you see. I took His hand when I heard him call. I turned around and left it all. I could not stay another day, To laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks left undone must stay that way, I've found the peace on a sunny day..."
The message was simple; despite Whitney's full life, despite her joys and disappointments, she had now gone on to somewhere better.
"If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joys. A family shared, a laugh, a kiss, Oh yes, these things, I too, will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life's been full, I savored much, Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief. Don't lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your hearts and peace to thee. God wanted me now; He set me free."
Dionne Warwick joined Alicia Keyes, Stevie Wonder and Kevin Costner in leading the goodbye service for Whitney Houston.
Whitney Houston: 1963 - 2012
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