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ARETHA FRANKLIN’S FUNERAL was held in Detroit today, where political dignitaries and music royalty joined family, friends and members of the public to bid goodbye to America’s ‘Queen of Soul’.
The service, a celebration of the life and legacy of one of the US music icon, is expected to last six hours at the Greater Grace Temple in her Michigan hometown.
The 76-year-old singer, beloved by millions around the world, died of cancer on 16 August, closing the curtain on a glittering six-decade career that spanned gospel, R&B, jazz, blues and even classical music.
Former president Bill Clinton and Smokey Robinson are among those due to give eulogies, with music from Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, who is to portray Franklin in an upcoming biopic.
Huge lines began forming on Thursday after it was announced that 1,000 members of the public would be allowed into the service, which was initially invitation only for friends and family.
Fans queued in funeral finery, vibrant dresses or even tracksuits and Aretha T-shirts, oblivious to the hot sun so determined were they to be a part of history, as neighbors stood outside their homes to watch.
“Aretha is my icon. She’s everything to me, like my mother,” said Ugochi Queen, a 46-year-old Franklin tribute artist dressed in black ruffles from Gary, Indiana.
She’s just my idol, I love her, I love her music, I love the legacy that she lived,” she said. “I need closure and that’s why I’m here.
‘Queen of our city’
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton accompanied her husband to the service. Actress Whoopi Goldberg was also among those invited. Huge blooms of lavender, white and pink roses adorned the church.
Outside, there was a heavy police presence, with roads sealed off, a helicopter circling overhead and officers patrolling on horseback. A screen broadcasting the funeral was erected in a nearby gas station.
Bishop Charles Ellis, the officiating pastor, has promised an upbeat and jubilant service that will be all about Franklin, uplifting her family in their time of grief and celebrating her gospel legacy.
She influenced generations of female singers from the late Whitney Houston to Beyonce, with unforgettable hits including “Respect” (1967), “Natural Woman” (1968) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968).
Franklin won 18 Grammy awards and was feted for her civil rights work, raising money for the cause and inspiring activists with her anthems.
She was voted the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine and for African American women in particular was a role model and a benchmark for success, feminism and empowerment.
“She’s the queen of our city,” said retired nurse Pat Bills, another of those who waited in line, dressed in vibrant salmon pink.
“I’m so thankful that they’ve opened this up to the public so we can be a part of it… She’s given us all so much to be proud of.”
Pink Cadillacs – some having been driven across the country – parked en masse outside the church, expected to follow her cortege to the cemetery where she is to be buried alongside her father and siblings.
‘Inspiring’
They are a nod to her 1985 hit “Freeway of Love,” an anthem to her Motor City hometown, in which Franklin sang about a pink Cadillac, the car company that was founded in Detroit in 1902.
Franklin is expected to make her final journey in the same ivory 1940 Cadillac LaSalle that transported the body of her father in 1984, and that of civil rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005.
Detroit regards Franklin as royalty. For three days she lay in a golden, open-casket, wearing a different outfit each day – red on Tuesday, blue on Wednesday, rose gold yesterday and a golden sparkling dress for her funeral today.
Thousands and thousands of members of the public lined up to see her one last time – at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church, and the Charles H Wright Museum for African-American History.
Yesterday, more than 40 artists performed for thousands at a free concert, billed ‘A People’s Tribute to the Queen’, powering through some of her greatest hits, culminating with ‘Respect’.
“It’s truly inspiring to see how many hearts, how many people my grandma has touched,” said her granddaughter Victorie Franklin.
The daughter of a prominent Baptist preacher and civil rights activist, Franklin sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr, as well as the inaugurations of presidents Clinton and Barack Obama.
She was awarded America’s highest civilian honor by George W Bush in 2005.
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Anyone who says the usual nonsense about building it around the M50 clearly doesn’t drive on the M50 regularly.
Dave, I hear the M50 is quiet between 3am and 4am. I personally think they’re fibbing.
In the event of an emergency id be hooring up the hard shoulder and stopping for nobody. Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. :-)
Dave this is a maternity hospital who services South Dublin. It’s a perfect location.
@Dave Harris: more then 2/3rds ot the poulation live outside of dublin, it;s the national childrens hospital not the dublin childrens hospital
It is neither of those things, they are talking about the national MATERNITY hospital….
Serious joke yet again. Why the likes of Blanchardstown and Tallaght hospitals were,’t given preference for the maternity and childrens hospitals is beyond me. They have more than adequit land and travel facilitys.
Can’t fathom that either. Surely cheaper land and far easier to travel to and park the further from Dublin. Bad enough for a couple of births, but a Children’s hospital will have many repeat visitors per family.
Because the high flyers who run these hospitals don’t live in Tallaght or Blanchardstown that’s why.
I agree, it should have been moved to the end of my street. Or better still they should build one at the end of everyone’s street
Great that’s just around the corner from my house, better start knocking the wife up
The land is owned by Vincents what you on about
@viking – why would it move to Blanchardstown!? It provides maternity services for Dublin South East and East Wicklow. Are you really that stupid?
The Rotunda Hospital is due to move to Blanchardstown
@The Viking: Not the maternity or children’s hospital, a hospital. there will be more. Blanch and tallaght will get theirs, just not this time.
Meanwhile you propose a stripping out of the city centre. coring the heart and installing stand alone drive through only monstrosities as far from the centre as possible.
How far out do you need to live before you can stop being ashamed of being a Dub?
@The Viking:, there’s more to a hospital than just parking and roads. Blanch was ruled out as a collocation site for the children’s hospital because it’s *not as good medically*. Maybe it’s just me but the quality and experience of the doctors and nursing staff beat parking and traffic considerations any day.
A Dub ? … The clue is in the name : National. As in, everywhere outside Dublin as well. There’s more to Ireland than bloody coddle & chips. …
@Platypus Parcel: is this the national childrens hospital or the south dublin childrens hospital ? im sure youre not aware but theres a whole world outside south dublin
It’s just called that, the rotunda I’d due to move to blanch and the combe to James or tallaght. People getting very hot up when they clearly don’t understand how the maternity hospitals work, and also that this article is not about the children’s hospital!!
Co-location is no longer considered necessary by international standards. Maybe the children’s hospital location should now be reconsidered
Shame they couldn’t refurbish holles st. It’s a wonderful old building full of character that will probably be sold off to one of the law firms.
Character doesn’t make a good hospital…
A wonderful old building. That’s the very reason why they are moving.
In saying that myself ant my daughter were both born in the same room. She was born the day after my 30th.
Good post code though
National Maternity Hospital Board meetings will now officially start with a decade of the rosary…
Archbishop of Dublin is already their patron.
@Liam Kennedy: Cos bishops know all about making babies…thought they banished him to south america?
@Get Lost Eircodes: I was also under the impression that the board of St Vincent’s was far more conservative than HS and potentially a source of problems if/when more liberal policies are to be adopted.
Will it actually be built, opened and made operational?
This is a great result for the mothers-to-be in the catchment of the NMH. The co-location with SVUH guarantees better patient outcomes for emergency cases, as well as better transport options for routine cases.
The “National Maternity Hospital” is a somewhat inflated title. It is the largest maternity hospital in the State but its intended catchment is only intended to be south of the Liffey.
The proposed National Children’s Hospital is just that, however, and should be located in the most optimal location to allow accessibility to children (and their parents) from the entire country. It should also be collocates with a general hospital with the necessary skills mix. St. James’s Hospital probably meets the latter criteria, it doesn’t in any way meet the former. In fact, I’d go so far to say St. James’s should be relocated out westward closer to the M50. There is still a requirement within the City centre for acute and emergency care, perhaps these functions could remain within the city in a satellite hospital, but the current location for St. James’s is not fit for purpose as a general hospital, let alone a Children’s Hospital.
what is the point of having a national maternity hospital. We have 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland all doing a great job.
I don’t believe all 19 are doing a great job.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/safety-statements-for-19-maternity-units-published-385219.html
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