Detroit tribute concert celebrates Aretha Franklin
DETROIT: A spectacular concert celebrating the life and extraordinary career of Aretha Franklin brought thousands of joyful fans to their feet here on Thursday, honouring the “Queen of Soul” on the eve of her funeral.
More than 40 artistes took to the stage at what was billed “A People’s Tribute to the Queen”, powering through some of her greatest hits two weeks after her death in her Michigan hometown.
The music icon, beloved by millions around the world, died of cancer on Aug 16, closing the curtain on a glittering six-decade career that made her one of America’s most celebrated artists.
The concert spanned the R&B, gospel, jazz and blues, even classical genres in which Franklin excelled. Her grandchildren spoke briefly, delivering heartfelt thanks on behalf of their family and grandmother.
She influenced generations of female singers, from the late Whitney Houston to Beyonce, with unforgettable hits including Respect, Natural Woman and Say a Little Prayer .
“The concert is wonderful. I mean, for people who couldn’t be here, you just don’t know what you’re missing,” said Tembley Reynolds, 60, a medical records clerk from Saginaw, Michigan. “Everyone was great!”
Free tickets were snapped up within minutes of being made available online at the 5,000seat, waterfront outdoor Chene Park Amphitheatre, where Franklin herself had performed.
Dancing, excitedly taking selfies and filming parts of the concert
Ion their cell phones, the evening was a chance for Detroit to celebrate the life and legacy of a towering figure regarded as local royalty.
Performances included Franklin’s hits Freeway of Love — an anthem to the Motor City — and Say A Little Prayer, with an all-cast rendition of Respect scheduled to bring the house down in finale.
Her signature song, the feminist anthem became a rallying cry as African-Americans rose up nationwide in the 1960s to fight peacefully for racial equality.
Headliners included The Four Tops, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Angie Stone, while a gospel choir took everyone to church, rousing the crowd to their feet with an electric, upbeat performance of classics and a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace by Tasha PageLockhart.
The concert followed three days of public viewings of her open, golden casket that drew thousands — at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church, and the Charles H. Wright Museum for African-American History.