Somber tone takes hold at Aretha Franklin's visitation

Second day of tributes to Aretha Franklin

DETROIT – More details are being revealed regarding what will happen during Aretha Franklin's funeral on Friday.

Lebron James will be in attendance, the processional will begin at 10 a.m. and there will be readings from multiple pastors, including TD Jakes.

Faith Hill will sing a tribute, early in the program, followed after by Ariana Grande.

Personal reflections will be given by former President Bill Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Tyler Perry, Cicely Tyson, Clive Davis and Smokey Robinson, as well as Pistons legend Isaiah Thomas.

Performances by Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder help round out the program. If everything goes as scheduled, the recessional will end by 3 p.m.

There was a somber change in mood Wednesday as Aretha Franklin lay in repose, bringing the world one step closer to saying their goodbyes on Friday.

Saying goodbye is different when Aretha Franklin was Miss Ree-Ree, the woman who lived next door.

Dee Jones remembered the colorful lady who would get real salty during those '70s days in the Boston Edison community of Detroit.

"We used to menace Aretha Franklin - I think I was between like 11 and 15 or 16. We used to ring her doorbell and run, we would ride our bikes across her grass," said Jones.

Wednesday, everything was different, including Franklin's clothing as she lay in repose. Gone was the hot regal red skirt suit and flashy red heels. On Wednesday, she was more serene in a shimmering, silvery baby blue gown, laced with sequin and matching shoes.

On Tuesday, people were in awe. On Wednesday, people were in grief.


About the Authors

Paula Tutman is an Emmy award-winning journalist who came to Local 4 in 1992. She's married and the stepmother of three beautiful and brilliant daughters. Her personal philosophy in life, love and community is, "Do as much as you can possibly do, not as little as you can possibly get away with".

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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