Whitney Houston fans: 'She was always there' through life's ups, downs

NEWARK -- There was no escaping their devotion.

Fans of Whitney Houston filled street corners Saturday, blocks from her star-studded funeral at New Hope Baptist Church, to share memories and celebrate the life of the music icon.

Some traveled from Canada and Miami to pay respects, bear witness and soak up the moment. For many, their relationship with the singer and her music was deeply personal.

"Whitney united me and my boo [boyfriend]," said Steven Whitson, 32. "I was living in Atlanta, Ga., he was in Washington, D.C. We met on Whitneyfan.com, and now we live together [in Washington]. I'm a blessed guy."

His friend, Eric Matlock, 23, of Pemberton, N.J., said it felt good to be among other Houston fans "because that's what she wants: for people to laugh and live and love to her music."

The duo joined Kisha Stephens, 32, of Maryland and two other die-hard fans in a pilgrimage of sorts, arriving in time to rehearse their favorite Houston songs in Newark karaoke bars Friday night.

"She was always there," Stephens said of the singer. "There was not a song that didn't fit a moment in your life -- a death in the family, if you needed motivating or a spiritual uplifting, Whitney was here . . . Gospel, R&B, soul, pop, she was 'the voice.' "

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Barricades and a heavy police presence kept the public six blocks from the church, but that did not deter a party-like atmosphere at times, with fans breaking out into spontaneous renditions of Houston songs.

As a group of mostly women grooved to "I'm Every Woman" on Sussex Avenue about noon, Melanie Moulton, 37, of Toronto turned her video camera on the scene, capturing herself in the foreground. Speaking with a broad smile to the camera, Moulton said: "If Whitney's going home, she's going home right."

Ziyadah Perry, a homemaker from Freehold, N.J., said she brought along her 5-year-old daughter Deziyah because she wanted her to witness history. "This is Black History Month and Whitney is part of black history and American history. It's a day to remember."

Perry, 34, said she grew up listening to her mother and grandmother playing Houston, whom she and her sisters would try to emulate. As a mother, the emphasis in public on Houston's addiction problems bothered her because the star contributed "so much more," Perry said.

"She did a lot for our troops, she really cared for people and my heart goes out to her daughter ," Perry said. "We all have our slips and falls . . . [Houston's] life, the contributions she made, outshone the negative things."

Michael Ocasio, 44, of Newark, said he had followed Houston's career since the 1980s and that like most Newark natives, the singer never forgot her roots. "[Newark] is considered the ghetto, so if you make it out of here, you're a superstar."

Fellow Newark resident Phillip Cobbs, 25, said the singer was the biggest entertainer to come out of the city, and her return for burial at the place where she was born and raised was an honor for its residents. A version of Houston's "Star Spangled Banner" still precedes the start of every Newark City Council meeting.

"It makes you sad that she's gone, but seeing how many people are celebrating her life makes you happy -- Newark can be on the news for something instead of all the murders," said Cobbs, a security guard.With Igor Kossov