Whitney Houston fans remembered and celebrated the late pop star today, just a few blocks away from the site of her private memorial service.

Amid tight security, police in cruisers and on motorcycle and horseback kept the public away from the gathering at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Makeshift memorials were set up with heart-shaped balloons, flowers, candles and stuffed animals.  

Throngs of fans, some carrying placards and photos of Houston, others raising their voice in song, said they were there to pay their respects as they recalled the singer's impact on their lives.

Mechelle Williams of East Orange, New Jersey, said she just wanted to make her presence felt.

"Even if the family doesn’t know me … this is my personal way of being able to say, 'I love you Whitney,' " she said.

Adilah Quddus, of Newark, said she's mesmerized by "that voice."

"It comes from the soul on up," Quddus said. "I don't know where she gets it from. No one else can sing like that." 

Tags: Whitney Houston