Amy Winehouse's family, friends say goodbye

Friends and family said goodbye to Amy Winehouse on Tuesday with prayers, tears, laughter and song at a private funeral ceremony in London.

Several hundred mourners attended the service at Edgwarebury Cemetery in north London, including the singer's father, mother, brother and close friends, along with band members and celebrities.

Media personality Kelly Osbourne, her hair piled beehive-high in an echo of Winehouse's trademark style, producer Mark Ronson and Winehouse's recent boyfriend, Reg Traviss, were among those present.

The soul singerwas found dead Saturday in her London home at the age of 27.

The Jewish service was led by a rabbi and included prayers in English and Hebrew and reminiscences from Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse. The cab driver and jazz singer, who helped foster his daughter's love of music, ended his eulogy with the words: "Goodnight, my angel, sleep tight. Mummy and Daddy love you ever so much."

The serviceended with a rendition of Carole King's So Far Away, one of Winehouse's favourite songs.

"Mitch was funny, he told some great stories from childhood about how headstrong she was, and clearly the family and friends recognized the stories and laughed along," said family spokesman Chris Goodman.

"He stressed so many times she was happier now than she had ever been and he spoke about her boyfriend and paid tribute to a lot of people in her life."

The family and friends then moved on to Golders Green Crematorium, where the singer was to be cremated. They planned tosit shiva, the Jewish traditional period of mourning.

The family was prepared for a funeral: Winehouse had a drug overdose in 2007, and her father said Monday that he wrote a eulogy then because he thought she might die.

Winehouse had struggled publicly with alcohol and drugs, and her erratic behaviour threatened to overshadow the fame she achieved with her albums Frank and Back to Black.

Winehouse had requestedcremation andto have her ashes mixed with her grandmother Cynthia's ashes. The singer had a tattoo of her grandmother on her right arm.

An autopsy on Monday failed to determine the cause of the singer's death. Police are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, which will take two to four weeks. Investigators at the scene of her death said it was "non-suspicious" and that no drugs were found in her home.

Her father Mitch visited the house Mondayand thanked mourners who had left flowers and cards. Mitch Winehouse said: "Amy was about one thing and that was love. Her whole life was devoted to her family and her friends and to you guys as well."

Blake Fielder-Civil, the ex-husbandwhom the family blames for turning Winehouse into a serious drug abuser, is in jail for burglary and had his request for temporary leave to attend the funeral denied. British newspapers are reporting that he is not included in Winehouse's $16-million will.

Her estate is growing by the day as her two albums sell briskly. Her most well-known work, Back to Black, is at thetop of 15 iTunes charts.

A third album she was working on when she died is expected to be a bestseller as well.