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Whitney Houston’s body was flown to Jersey Monday as funeral arrangements are being finalized for the singer. NBC News is reporting that there will be a private funeral scheduled for Thursday and a public memorial on Friday. Friday’s public memorial service may be held at Newark’s Prudential Center, which hosts college and professional sporting events and seats about 18,000 people.

The White House said President Barack Obama’s thoughts and prayers were with Houston’s family, especially her daughter. Press secretary Jay Carney paid tribute to the singer’s “immense talent” and called it a tragedy to lose somebody so gifted at such a young age.

Houston was born in Newark and raised in nearby East Orange. She began singing as a child at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, where her mother, Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, led the music program for many years.

Mourners left flowers, balloons and candles at the wrought-iron fence around the tall brick Newark church where she got her start.