Franklin died from advanced pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. The long-time publicist of Aretha Franklin, Gwendolyn Quinn, announced that her funeral will take place on August 31 in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan.
This service will be for the family and friends of the late R&B songstress, and it will take place at 10 a.m. at Greater Grace Temple. She will be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. A public viewing will take place on August 28 and 29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in its inaugural year (1987), in its “Performers” category; moreover, Franklin was the winner of 18 Grammy awards.
Franklin’s performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at the Kennedy Center Honors back in 2015, earned her a lengthy standing ovation as she paid homage to honoree Carole King, who was the co-writer of the song. Franklin was able to move President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and the entire audience, and millions of viewers tuning in at home.
