Inside Prince's Star-Studded Jehovah's Witness Funeral
May 16 2016, Updated 4:22 p.m. ET
Photographer Kristin Kokkila captured exclusive moments from inside Prince's celebrity-filled Jehovah's Witness funeral — see the photos on RadarOnline.com.
Prince was honored by the Jehovah's Witness community this weekend during a private funeral service at Kingdom Hall in Minnesota, where he frequently visited.
According photographer Kristin Kokkila, "there were at least 50 police officers and two helicopters" on site, with many guests arriving by bus.
"High profile" attendees, including Prince protégée Sheila E., comedian Sinbad, and bassist Larry Graham, arrived by car and were quickly escorted to the back of the church.
Pamphlets at the ceremony featured a quote from Prince's song "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed," reading: "If I were to ever write down my life story, I could truly say with all the fame and glory, I was just a piece of clay in need of the potter's hand."
According to Kokkila, only three flower arrangements decorated the church's interior. A book was also laid out for guests to sign in.
"It was a beautiful service, a tribute to Prince," said attendee Richard Weiner.
"They talked about his faith, how he became a Jehovah's Witness in 2003, and his actions after that were to glorify God in words and deeds," he continued.
Following the service, Kokkila said a neighboring house began playing a Prince radio station, which first featured one of the music icon's biggest hits, "Purple Rain."
But not everyone in Prince's life decided to attend the funeral.
Sister Tyka Nelson opted to skip out on the service, claiming she had already paid tribute to her brother.
"Please Don't misunderstand...The grief process is a unique experience to each individual and Therefore I support any and all Memorials or Funerals that have happened and/or are being planned. However I will Not be in attendance, because I feel that once…is enough," she wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
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As RadarOnline.com reported, Prince, 57, was discovered unresponsive in an elevator at 9:43 a.m. on April 21, inside his infamous Chanhassen residence.
Now, investigators are looking into a possible drug overdose as the cause of death, and whether it had anything to do with the doctor allegedly prescribing him pills in the weeks before his death.
For more of Kristin Kokkila's work, visit her Photography Facebook page here.
