Royal Send-Off For Aretha
• Funeral services for Aretha Franklin will be held on Friday, August 31 at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, and, as befitting a tribute worthy of the Queen of Soul, an all-star line-up of talent is set to perform at the service, including Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Holliday, Chaka Khan, Faith Hill, Fantasia, Ronald Isley and Franklin’s son, Edward Franklin.
Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak during the service, as is former Attorney General Eric Holder; Michigan Governor Rick Snyder; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, the Rev. Jesse Jackson; the Rev. Al Sharpton; singer Smokey Robinson; legendary record executive Clive Davis and actress Cicely Tyson.
The service will also reflect Franklin’s strong gospel roots — gospel stars Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, Marvin Sapp and Vanessa Bell Armstrong will perform, as will the Aretha Franklin Choir and the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir. The New York Times reports that The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta will deliver Ms. Franklin’s eulogy, and Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, the pastor of Greater Grace Temple, will be the officiant of the service. Greater Grace, which holds 4,000 people, was the site of Rosa Parks‘ funeral in 2005, where Ms. Franklin sang “The Impossible Dream” from the musical Man of La Mancha.
The list was provided to the Associated Press by Franklin’s longtime publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. Franklin died of pancreatic cancer on Aug. 15 at age 76.
