Just 48 when she give-up the ghost , Whitney Houston will be laid to rest today , her “ secret ” funeral webcast go to million of mourners . Let ’s take a look back at past funerals for stars who break down too immature , and the splendid topsy-turvyness they allow in their wake .
1. Rudolph Valentino, 31 (1926)
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One of the earliest superstars of the silver screen , Rudolph Valentino decease suddenly of a ruptured ulceration in 1926 . During his first funeral procession in New York City , around 100,000 fans pour the streets , and several small riots had to be quelled by the law . The funeral home theater director in charge of the affair had apparently hire four doer to impersonate an Italian honour guard “ beam by Benito Mussolini , ” and later bring out that he had also paid the riotous New Yorkers to overdo their grief . At Valentino ’s second funeral in Hollywood , a minor plane ( still something of a novelty at the clock time ) dropped thousand of rose petals over the forward motion … but the lack of police action made the amour seem rather tame .
2. Elvis Presley, 42 (1977)
Despite what some hard-core fans believe , Elvis did die of a heart attempt in 1977 . And , yes , he was get in the bathroom . President Carter called out 300 troops to control the region around Elvis ’ Graceland mansion house , where as many as 80,000 fan get together to show their respects . A fleet of white Cadillac limo carried Elvis ’ 900 - pound pig - lined coffin to the cemetery to be buried next to his mother , who was herself bury in a closely identical copper - line coffin . But after four multitude threatened to slip Elvis ’ body , he and his mother were reinterred on the Graceland grounds .
3. John Lennon, 40 (1980)
Beloved former Beatle John Lennon was shot by a craze fair - weather condition fan , Mark David Chapman , on December 8 , 1980 . His wife , artist Yoko Ono , opted to cremate her husband alone without a funeral , asking people around the world to “ pray for his soul ” at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 14 , 1980 . Fans around the world gathered in public squares and remark 10 minutes of silence , include more than 100,000 the great unwashed assemble in Central Park alone , where Yoko by and by scattered Lennon ’s ashes . NYPD was called out to keep the peace , but then they remembered : these are John Lennon fans . No violence occurred .
4. Gram Parsons, 26 (1973)
Two months unretentive of his 27th natal day , singer / songwriter Gram Parsons died of drug - related complications in Joshua Tree National Park , California . A few months before , he and his well friend Phil Kaufman had made a treaty : when one of them die , the other would check that his ashes were scattered on Cap Rock , at Joshua Tree . so as to reward his friend ’s last indirect request , Kaufman had to mask himself as an undertaker and wiretap Parsons ’ body at the airdrome , where it was due to vaporize to New Orleans on rescript of Parsons ’ stepfather . Kaufman and another admirer drive the body to Joshua Tree in a red 1953 red-hot - pole Pontiac hearse , and cremated him , coffin and all , before the cops hear the flames and chased the mourners from the grave . The pair were fined $ 300 each , plus $ 750 for the casket , and declare a Gram Parsons Funeral Party to defer the costs of what they forebode “ Gram Theft Parsons . ”
5. The Notorious B.I.G., 25 (1997)
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know to his female parent as Christopher J. Wallace , rapper Biggie Smalls was slain in a 1997 driving - by shot . grand of fans line up for his funeral procession , on the sidewalks of “ Do or Die ” Bed - Stuy , Biggie ’s childhood neighbourhood in New York . After some passionate rooter start climbing atop of cars , the cop commence stop people , include — accidentally — a self-employed person newsperson for theNew York Times . Mayor Giuliani defended the police force activity , but Big Poppa manage to mess with the po - lice once last sentence .
6. Graham Chapman, 48 (1989)
British comedian Graham Chapman lost his battle with pharynx and spinal cancer in 1989 . At his funeral , fellow Monty Python spouse John Cleese devote a fittingly pert eulogy , begin by repeating a monologue from the celebrated “ Dead Parrot ” sketch , which he and Chapman had co - written , exchange the parrot with Chapman himself : “ He has kicked the bucket , hopped the branchlet , seize with teeth the dust , snuffed it … and gone to suffer the great Head of Light Entertainment in the Sky . ” Cleese then break down on to explain that Chapman was so gallant of being the first soul to say “ s * * * ” on British boob tube , he would be the first to have the word “ f * * * ” spoken at his funeral . The bunch titter . Eric Idle then led the mourners in a rouse rendition of “ Always Look on the Bright Side of Life , ” from the film Monty Python ’s Life of Brian .
Honorable Mention: Hunter S. Thompson (2005)
The late , great gonzo diarist always consider he ’d die young , and give it his best shot . Literally . Through the 60 , 70 , 80s , and 90s , he live on among Hell ’s Angels , carry a gun , and subsided in the first place on punishing drug and hard liquor . Finally , at age 67 , he leave a self-destruction note of form , entitled “ Football Season is Over , ” which included the phrase “ 67 . That is 17 days past 50 . 17 more than I involve or wanted . Boring . ” He pip himself in the head word soon after , leaving a directive for his elaborate funeral , which was carried out a few calendar month later with fiscal assistance from his protagonist Johnny Depp . Accompanied by red , blanched , and juicy pyrotechnic and strains of Bob Dylan ’s “ Mr. Tambourine Man , ” Thompson ’s ashes were fired out of a cannon , which in good turn sit atop a tower decorated to depend like a bivalent - thumbed clenched fist cling to a peyote button . legion guests were high on drug throughout , and a few had to be acquire aside by ambulance .
