Detroit is bidding farewell to Queen of Soul in royal fashion
ARETHA FRANKLIN
HAD admirers the world over, but there’s no doubt the flame burned brightest in Detroit – the place she was raised and remained for most of her life.
It’s difficult to separate the singer from the city, so you better think that her town is saying farewell in royal fashion to its Queen of Soul, with a concert, public viewings and a funeral (on Friday, Aug. 31) that’s expected to be attended by at least one former president, civil rights leaders and many other musical luminaries. Here are some of the events and ways in which Detroit is paying respect to Franklin, who died August 16 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76:
Respect
Public viewings will take place at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which is also where civil rights icon Rosa Parks lay in repose after her 2005 death. The museum was the largest black museum in the US until the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington, D.C., in 2016.
Amazing Grace
The Friday funeral at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple is billed as an event for friends and family only. The all-star lineup of performers will include music greats like Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Shirley Caesar, Ron Isley, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Holliday and Franklin’s son, Edward Franklin. The service will reflect Franklin’s gospel roots. Scheduled to speak at the service is former US President Bill Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Cicely Tyson, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, Clive Davis and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. Smokey Robinson also plans to pay tribute with words, not music. The church also hosted Parks’ funeral, at which Franklin sang.
Freeway Of Love
Greater Grace Temple is calling on people with pink Cadillacs to line up before the funeral in an effort to create a ‘Freeway of Love’ in tribute to Franklin. That’s a nod to her funky ’80s tune of the same name that prominently featured the car in the lyrics and video.
I Say A Little Prayer
After the funeral, Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, along with her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin; brother Cecil Franklin; sisters Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin; and nephew, Thomas Garrett. Woodlawn is also the final resting place for Parks and many of the Motor City’s musical elite, including members of the famed Four Tops.
Rock Steady
The night before the funeral, a riverfront amphitheatre will rock and roll with musical tributes to Franklin. Chene Park will host a concert featuring Gladys Knight, Johnny Gill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Angie Stone, Keith Washington and many others. The Four Tops also will be among those performing. Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, the lone surviving original member of the quartet, said he and his bandmates shared a special bond with Franklin on stages and in studios over the decades. “I’m happy – we always love to do anything we can for ‘little sis,’” he said, adding that the performances “should be aweinspiring.”
I’m happy – we always love to do anything we can for ‘little sis.’”
Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir