On August 16, 2018, legendary American songwriter, singer, pianist, as well as civil rights symbol, Aretha Franklin (age 76) passed away after a slow and painful battle with pancreatic cancer.
Aretha Franklin, born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee was known as the “Queen of Soul.” Franklin is considered to be one of the greatest singers to have ever lived. Rolling Stone ranked her #1 on their “100 Greatest Singers” list in 2010. Franklin has 112 charted singles, won 18 Grammy’s, and was the first woman to ever be inducted into The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Franklin is known as an important feminist and civil rights figure. Her most famous songs “Respect” and “Think” empowered women all across the globe in a time when women were fighting for their fundamental rights in the heart of the civil right’s era in the 1960s. When civil rights activist Angela Davis was jailed in 1970, Franklin offered to pay for her bail. “Angela Davis must go free, … Black people will be free. I’ve been locked up (for disturbing the peace in Detroit) and I know you got to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace. Jail is hell to be in. I’m going to see her free if there is any justice in our courts, not because I believe in communism, but because she’s a Black woman and she wants freedom for Black people.” said Franklin.
In the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, fans from across the U.S. gathered to view Aretha’s body while simultaneously honoring her by singing and sharing their memories of her in a beautiful ceremony. As the ceremony progressed, the lines of individuals waiting to condole with one another lengthened and more and more cars passed by, honking their horns and yelling out “Aretha Franklin!” to pay tribute to her. During the ceremony, fans professed that they felt that Aretha was like an extended family member. One fan, Camille Howard, stated that “she gave so much to this world” and she is worthy of this honor and praise.
While the crowd was filled with mixed emotions, cheering, sobbing and singing outside, inside the museum Franklin rested in an “open, gold casket, dressed in a red lace dress, red satin high heels and her hair perfectly coiffed in waves and pin curls” (CNN Entertainment). Her attire indicated her membership in the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Moving on, a private funeral was held for Aretha on August 31, 2018, at 10 a.m. at the Greater Grace Temple, Detroit, MI. Celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson gathered to pay tribute to her life.
Aretha Franklin’s songs and lyrics served as an inspiration to many, and her legacy and music will not be forgotten.