R.I.P. the Queen of Soul
Legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin died last Thursday at the age of 76.
Surrounded by her friends and family, the undisputed Queen of Soul passed away in Detroit after battling pancreatic cancer.
Aretha Franklin will be laid to rest in Detroit, Michigan upon the conclusion of a four-day celebration later this month.
A public visitation will be held in Detroit on August 28th and 29th at the Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History. The funeral will be held on Friday August 31st at Greater Grace Temple for close family and friends only.
The organisers are working on a musical tribute with an array of major recording artists to be included. The venue is still being decided and further details will be released shortly.
https://youtu.be/KtBbyglq37E
Franklin had one of the recognisable voices in American pop music, recording iconic all-time soul classics like “Respect”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, and “I Say A Little Prayer”.
She started in music singing gospel with her sisters in her father church in Detroit, and made her first recording aged just 14.
Aside from a stellar back catalogue of hit singles and albums, she was one of many blues and soul legends to appear in the 1980 hit film The Blues Brothers. She was also the first woman entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when she was inducted in 1987.
She returned to the charts in 1998 with “A Rose Is Still a Rose”, written by Lauryn Hill, and in 2006 sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XL in her hometown.
In 2014, her incredible cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” on the Late Show with David Letterman won her a new generation of fans.
