Fans mourn in New Jersey ahead of Houston funeral

NEWARK, New Jersey - Two days before Whitney Houston is laid to rest, tearful fans paid their respects to the pop superstar on Thursday in front of the Newark church where her funeral is to be held.

All day long, fans gathered outside the New Hope Baptist Church where Houston sang in the choir as a child and left mementos in her honor, such as heart-shaped Mylar balloons tied to the fence and roses placed on the ground.

Some lingered in the frigid winter rain before the red brick building, as their way of paying tribute to the singer some knew as "Nippy", the winsome girl who honed her powerful voice on the gospel standards.