Queen of Soul’s Funeral: Fit for Royalty

Aretha Franklin, affectionately called the “Queen of Soul,” died on August 16th, 2018. According to cnn.com, she died in her home in Detroit at the age of 76 of pancreatic cancer.

The six hour funeral service was one fit for a queen, with celebrities such as Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande making appearances and Grande performing her song, “Natural Woman.” Singer Jennifer Hudson also performed “Amazing Grace” and activist Al Sharpton read a letter from former president Barack Obama, who was not able to attend the service.

During her life, Franklin had 44 Grammy nominations and 18 wins and performed at three inaugural ceremonies for US presidents, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Aretha was the first woman ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and also earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a singer, songwriter, actress, and pianist and her songs made a large impact on music of the time.

“She represented the best of our community and she fought for our community until the end,” Reverend Al Sharpton said at the ceremony.

Aretha Franklin’s songs and life will always be celebrated in the music community and the Queen of Soul will be respected and loved for the rest of time.

“I believe she was an influential artist that was ahead of her time. Aretha had an elegant voice that will inspire many to come,” said sophomore Alyssa Kaplan.