A memorial service celebrating the life of singer Aretha Franklin took place in Detroit today, where performers, fans, friends and family members joined to pay their respects to the "Queen of Soul".
The legendary singer, known for such anthems as “Respect”, “Natural Woman” and “Say a Little Prayer”, died of pancreatic cancer earlier this month, aged 76.
Icons including Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Ariana Grande performed at the city's Greater Grace Temple, as well as a host of local gospel musicians, while Bill Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Smokey Robinson paid tribute to the life of the beloved Aretha Franklin.
Live Updates
13:31
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the memorial service honouring the late soul and gospel star Aretha Franklin, who died earlier this month, aged 76.
13:34
Taking place at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit and presided over by the church’s pastor, Bishop Charles H Ellis, the event will feature musical tributes from Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande, Faith Hill, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson and Shirley Caesar, amongst others.
13:42
Gospel artists Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, the Aretha Franklin Choir, the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir and the artist’s son, Edward Franklin, will also perform.
13:47
Among those offering personal reflections on Franklin’s life and work will be former president Bill Clinton, civil rights icons the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, legendary soul singer Smokey Robinson and comedian Tyler Perry.
Detroit mayor Mike Duggan and Michigan state governor Rick Snyder will also speak on her contribution to Motor City history.
13:52
Here’s what’s happening:
Guests started arriving at 1.30pm GMT and the service will begin around 2.30pm with a musical prelude by the Aretha Franklin Orchestra, followed by the lighting of candles and a processional bringing together members of the clergy and Franklin’s family.
Prayers and readings from the Old and New Testaments will be read when the service itself commences at 3pm, which will intersperse personal reminiscences from Aretha’s friends and admirers with stars taking to the stage to honour the artist through song.
14:00
Aretha Franklin’s body was displayed for public viewing at Detroit’s Charles H Wright Museum of African American History, lying in state in a gold casket, on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Today it will be transported in a white 1940 Cadillac LaSalle hearse that was previously used at the funerals of Franklin’s own father, the Reverend CL Franklin, in 1984, as well as those of Temptations baritone David Ruffin in 1991 and Rosa Parks in 2005, at whose memorial Aretha herself sang at this same venue.
14:08
The streets outside the Greater Grace Temple, where thousands of fans are congregating to join in the celebration, are today lined with pink Cadillacs - a nod to Franklin's 1980s song “Freeway of Love”, which featured the car in its lyrics and video.
14:24
For today's full order of service, here's The Independent's Jack Shepherd with all you need to know about the memorial.
From Stevie Wonder to Ariana Grande, these are the performers and speakers at Aretha Franklin's funeral today
Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan are all performing
14:33
For some further reading on this great star while we wait for the service to begin, look no further than this superb assessment of her cultural impact by Lucy Jones.
The agony and ecstasy of Aretha Franklin
As the Queen of Soul dies at the age of 76, Lucy Jones pays tribute to the greatest singer of all time
14:37
Here, Graeme Ross picks out his selection of Aretha's 10 best songs, no easy task given the sheer size of her back catalogue.
Aretha Franklin's 10 greatest songs
From "Respect" to "Say a Little Prayer"
14:45
A word from Bishop Charles H Ellis, officiating at today’s service, on what he hopes to achieve:
"It is my goal and my aim to ensure that people leave here with some kind of spiritual awakening.
"This is not a concert, this is not a show, this is not an awards production. This is a real life that has been lived, that a person regardless of how famous she became no matter how many people she touched around the world, she still could not escape death.
"And hopefully, a lot of people here with money and fame and influence and friends and notoriety and wealth, hopefully they will think of their mortality and say there is something bigger than fame, there is something bigger than Hollywood, something bigger than being a recording artist and selling gold albums or what have you."
15:00
Right now guests are filing into the Greater Grace Temple to take their seats, many stopping to greet old friends and share stories about their friendship with Aretha Franklin.
Her gold coffin, glinting in the sun, was carried into the church a short while ago.
15:07
Ex-Donald Trump adviser Omarosa Manigault-Newman has arrived among the mourners.
15:09
Bill and Hillary Clinton have arrived in the auditorium, as has the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
15:15
The guests have been warned not to use their phones out of respect and told that, if they do so, they will be asked to leave by state police.
15:22
The Franklin family is about to arrive and the memorial will start in five minutes, the guests have just been informed.
15:28
The band strikes up "Say a Little Prayer" just as Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson arrive, chatting with Hillary Clinton and posing for photographs with Bill.
Grande will perform later after the Franklin family were moved by her rendition of "Natural Woman" on Jimmy Fallon's chat show earlier this month when the news of Aretha's passing first broke.
15:33
Flowers have been sent for today's memorial from singers including Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett and from the family of Otis Redding, as well as the Jackson family, Atlantic Records, Sir Elton John, Mariah Carey, Ray Charles, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Don King and Diana Ross.
15:36
The Aretha Franklin Choir is currently performing a selection of their idol's greatest hits, including a rousing "Still Waters Run Deep".
15:42
You can now stream the memorial live via The Independent's YouTube channel as proceedings get into full swing.
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