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Aretha Franklin’s Funeral Will Include Heartfelt Performances From Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, and Jennifer Hudson
Gone but not forgotten! According to a new statement released by Aretha Franklin‘s publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, to Deadline, the late Queen of Soul’s funeral will be held at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple on Friday, Aug. 31 and many stars are set to perform at the event. A few singers on the roster include Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and Jennifer Hudson, who will also play the late singer in an upcoming biopic about her prolific life.
Aretha’s funeral service will start at 10:30 a.m. and will only be open to Aretha’s close friends and family. But, according to The Associated Press, fans can still attend the idol’s public viewing on Wednesday, Aug. 29 and Thursday, Aug. 30.
After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Aretha, 76, sadly passed away on Aug. 16 at her Detroit home surrounded by her family and friends. “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart,” Aretha’s family said in a statement following her death. “We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”
In an exclusive interview with Closer Weekly, Aretha’s nephew Tim Franklin revealed that his late aunt “was a woman of faith.” He continued, “She grew up in the church, started out singing gospel, and she had a personal relationship with God. [Aretha] was a giver, never asked for anything, [and] never took anything.”
The gospel singer last performed in public at the Elton John AIDS Foundation 25th anniversary gala in November 2017 and, in that same month, she released her final album, A Brand New Me. Shortly before her death, Aretha opened up to her nephew Tim about her cancer battle. “I’m not giving up. God has control over this situation. And she said, ‘When He’s ready, I’m ready.’ She did what she preached to us, fight a good fight,” he recalled to Closer.
