The funeral of soul singer Aretha Franklin will be held on August 31 in her home town of Detroit, her publicist has confirmed.
The late singer’s representative Gwendolyn Quinn was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the funeral at the city’s Greater Grace Temple will be limited to her family and friends.
Franklin will be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery along with her father, the preacher Rev CL Franklin, her sisters Carolyn and Erma, her brother Cecil and nephew Thomas.
The singer, who was known as the Queen of Soul, died aged 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/bfASqKlLc5
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 16, 2018
During a career that spanned seven decades, she became known for songs such as Respect, I Say A Little Prayer and Chain Of Fools.
Former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and singers Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney were among those to pay tribute to Franklin.
In a joint statement, the Obamas said: “Through her compositions and unmatched musicianship, Aretha helped define the American experience.
“In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade – our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.”
Franklin performed at Mr Obama’s inauguration ceremony in 2009.