Alicia Keys stepped in for the deceased star's Godmother Aretha Franklin to pay tribute to Whitney Houston with some words and a rendition of 'Send Me An Angel' at the star-studded funeral in Newark, New Jersey. Keys was one of many performers at the televised event, with legends such as Stevie Wonder, R Kelly, BEBE and CECE WINANS as well as Donnie McClurkin and KIM BURRELL also singing, reports The Inquisitr. Speaking during the service, 31 year-old Keys described Houston as "an angel," commenting "She reached back to so many people; she reached back to me, to Monica and Brandy . all these beautiful young artists, and just made us feel strong and capable and loved. So she's an angel to us, and has been an angel to us."
In related news, reports have come out suggesting that Franklin's absence from the funeral might not necessarily have been down to widely reported leg spasms and pains. A source told the New York Daily News that the soul diva was in fine spirits later on during Saturday when she performed at a sold out Radio City Music Hall before going on to dine with 40 friends at a hotel in the city, stating "It looked like everyone was having a great time."
It adds evidence, claims the publication, that a now-deleted clip on the 'Today' site was the real reason for the no-show, with Franklin reported as saying in an interview "Parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home, they have to make sure when they leave home, they have all the right things. She left home with all the right things, but she just kind of lost her way along the way." It's believed that this may have been a thinly-veiled attack on Houston's upbringing and has offended her mother Cissy.