Kevin Costner Whitney Houston Funeral Speech: Full Video, Transcript of Tribute

By Shallow Nation on February 18, 2012 - Comments { 1 } - in Obituary

Here is Kevin Costner’s Whitney Houston funeral speech; watch full video and see the transcript text of the moving tribute from the Oscar winning director and actor for his co-star in The Bodyguard, the 1992 movie that marked the big screen debut of the legendary singer. He delivered the remarks on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the ‘home going’ service held at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. Details and complete replay video are below after the jump.

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Kevin Costner’s address was among numerous memorable tributes to the music legend who died at age 48 on February 11, 2012 shared before the invited guests at the service officiated by the New Hope Baptist pastor, Rev. Joe A. Carter as well as the global audience via a live feed online and on television.

In the emotionally touching eulogy, as he at times fought off tears, Costner shared personal stories of his friendship with Whitney Houston whom he had handpicked to be his costar in the iconic movie, noting the common bond they shared in both growing up in the Baptist church. He went on to detail the resistance he got at the notion of casting her in The Bodyguard, saying, “I thought she was the perfect choice but the red flags came out immediately. I was reminded that this would be her first acting role. You could also think about another singer, was the suggestion — maybe somebody white. Nobody ever said it out loud, but it was a fair question, it was. There would be a lot riding on this. Maybe a more experienced actor was the way to go.”

He spoke also of Houston’s insecurities and her self-questioning: “Am I good enough, am I pretty enough, will they like me?” He lauded her for her towering achievements as a music artist as well as an actress saying, “Whitney, if you could hear me now, I would tell you, you weren’t just good enough, you were great. You sang the whole damn song without a band. You made the picture what it was. A lot of leading men could have played my part … but you, Whitney, I truly believe you were the only one who could have played Rachel Marron at that time. You weren’t just pretty, you were as beautiful as a woman could be. And people didn’t just like you Whitney, they loved you.”

Reflecting upon her legacy, he said, “You set the bar so high that professional singers, your colleagues, don’t want to sing that little country song, what would be the point? Little girls like you who dream of being you someday sing that song.”

Click here to read the full transcript text. Watch the complete replay video of the nearly 20 minute long speech below.

YouTube Link