Bobby Brown Declares Love For Whitney At Concert

(NewsCore) - Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown declared his love for the pop icon during a concert with his band New Edition in Mississippi on Saturday night, Us Weekly reported.

Brown reportedly broke down back stage before the show in Southhaven, a few miles south of Memphis, and opted against joining his bandmates for the first song.

He appeared onstage for a second song and then, after another, Brown shouted, "I love you, Whitney," before blowing a kiss to the sky with visibly teary eyes.

During the ballad "Tenderoni," Brown, 43, broke down again on stage and asked the audience to sing along with him as he cried.

Houston died in a Beverly Hills hotel Saturday, aged 48. She and Brown were married for 14 years before splitting in 2006. They have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 18.

Before Saturday night's concert, a family member told People magazine that Brown was "beside himself."

"He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing, too," the source said.

Entertainment news website TMZ reported Brown was distraught and in and out of crying fits before performing.

Prior to the concert, the New Edition band members said in a statement to TMZ, "We are absolutely shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely death of our dear sister Whitney. As a group, we are extremely close; when one of us hurts, we all hurt.

"As much as we are in pain right now, we will continue to draw strength from God, as we support and comfort our brother Bobby, their daughter Bobbi Kristina and Whitney's mother Cissy Houston. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the entire Brown-Houston family today and always."

Read more: Us weekly