Plans are coming together for Aretha Franklin's funeral, which is set to take place on August 31 in Detroit. And from the looks of things, the memorial service will truly be fit for a queen, with performances by some of the biggest names in music, including Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson. Former President Bill Clinton is also scheduled to speak at the service, according to a release sent to Refinery29.
Hudson, who's reportedly in talks to portray the Queen of Soul in a biopic, mourned Franklin's death with a heartfelt Instagram post featuring the late singer's rendition of The Beatles' "Let It Be."
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"I have no words , so I will let the Queen say it !" the two-time Grammy Award-winner wrote. "But I will Say while teaching me about your life , u taught me so much about life and schooled me in mine . I will never forget those teachings."
Stars Faith Hill, Shirley Caesar, Fantasia, Ron Isley, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Holliday, and Franklin's son, Edward Franklin, will also perform at the memorial service, according to a list Franklin's publicist provided to the Associated Press. Representation for Hudson and Wonder did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Franklin died on August 16 from pancreatic cancer. Throughout her life, she fought for social justice and sought to empower women to reclaim the respect they deserved. Most importantly, she paved a way for Black women in the music industry, and inspired generations of women and girls to identify their self worth and love themselves not despite of their skin color but because of it. She had a profound influence on everyone she met, as evidenced by countless tributes from artists spanning the music genre.
"The choir of angels now have the greatest voice of all time to lead, praise and join before Jesus ... To say I was humbled to be in [Franklin's] presence would be an understatement," country singer Faith Hill wrote.
Iconic R&B artist Chaka Khan also praised Franklin as "my Queen, my Mentor, my True Friend."
"I will always cherish our moments together and LOVE YOU FOREVER," Khan shared along with a slide show of photos of her with Franklin over the years.
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The choir of angels now have the greatest voice of all time to lead, praise and join in to sing before Jesus. I wanted to share this photo because it shows just how soulful Aretha was without uttering a word. To say I was humbled to be in her presence would be an understatement. pic.twitter.com/R2lxjXwDO8
— Faith Hill (@FaithHill) August 16, 2018
My heart ? is broken with the loss of my Queen, my Mentor, my True Friend ?
— Chaka Khan (@ChakaKhan) August 16, 2018
I will always cherish our moments together and LOVE YOU FOREVER. My heartfelt condolences to your family #ArethaFranklin #SoulSister #QueenofSoul ? pic.twitter.com/NB2UD7OhSI
There's no word yet on what the artists will perform or if they will sing something from Franklin's rich portfolio.
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