Kevin Costner revealed that after receiving a 'broken' call from Dionne Warwick, he agreed to give a eulogy at Whitney Houston's 'electric' memorial.
However, despite wanting to grieve over the loss of his close friend following her tragic death, he explained, 'I got a call from Dionne Warwick and I could tell in her voice she was broken. I said yes to her when I had been saying no all week.' Warwick - who was a first cousin of Houston - then added, '"Kevin, can I ask you?" and I said,"Yes."'
The actor opened up to People about the memorial service, and expressed, 'I remember being in the pews, and I had never been in a church that was more electric. Two bands were playing...I thought this place was on fire.' Warwick - who was a first cousin of Houston - then asked, '"Kevin, can I ask you?" and I said,"Yes"'; Warwick and Houston seen in 1990 in NYC
'I had been working on this speech…and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,' the star expressed. At the beginning of his emotional eulogy, Costner had revealed that the hit song, I Will Always Love You, 'almost wasn't. She was meant to sing What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.'
'The church was the center of our social life and Whitney and I would laugh, knowing it was also the place where we could really get into big trouble, especially when you were allowed to sit with your friends and not your parents in the big church.' 'I wanted to tell her that the fame was rigged. That I didn't care how the test went, that she could fall down and start speaking in tongues. That somehow it was a kind of acting method.'
'A lot of men could have played that role. But you Whitney were the only person who could have played Rachel Marron.'