The New Jersey governor with a reputation for tough talk is showing his softer side this week.
Gov. Chris Christie has ordered that all the flags on public buildings in the Garden State be flown at half-staff Saturday, the day of singer and New Jersey native Whitney Houston’s funeral.
“Obviously, Whitney Houston was an important part of the fabric, the cultural fabric of this state,” Christie said during a press conference on Tuesday, adding that Houston is a part of the “pantheon of great New Jersey musical talents” such as Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
“Her accomplishments in her life were a source of great pride,” he added.
According to New York’s WPIX-TV (Channel 11), Christie will sign the order later in the week after coordinating the precise time and place of the singer’s funeral with her family.
The 48-year-old singer was found dead in Beverly Hills on Saturday, and according to TV Guide, was flown back to Newark late Monday night.
Christie issued a similar order last year following the death of Springsteen saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
The invitation-only funeral will be held at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston sang as a child, according to WPIX.