Gladys Knight, The Four Tops and Johnny Gill are among 23 acts set to headline the memorial honoring the late Queen of Soul in Detroit, Michigan on August 30.
- Aug 24, 2018
AceShowbiz - Gladys Knight, The Four Tops and Johnny Gill will headline the Aretha Franklin memorial, which takes place in her adopted Detroit, Michigan next week, August 30.
A total of 23 acts are set to hit the stage to pay tribute to the late Queen of Soul as she is laid to rest after losing her battle with cancer on 16 August.
According to a performers list, obtained by TMZ, Ron Isley, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jenifer Lewis, and Angie Stone will also hit the mic, as will members of the soul legend's family, while sources reveal Nation of Islam leader Dr. Lewis Farrakhan is attending as a guest.
The memorial takes place at the Chene Park Amphitheatre.
Meanwhile, in a new Billboard tribute, producer and singer Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds has revealed he once gave Aretha dating advice as she embarked on a new romance in her 70s.
The star got to know the late Queen of Soul in the last few years of her life, and he reveals she was still feisty and looking for love.
"I was fortunate enough to do one show with her up in Oakland, California, probably in 2016," he tells Billboard. "I remember coming offstage and going back to see her and her saying, 'You was killing them out there, 'Face! I had to come out here and see what was going on!'
"We sat and talked for a little bit. She was actually dealing with the cancer, and her attitude was, 'I'm not going to let this beat me. I'm going to keep fighting this. I'm going to fight until the very last minute and keep doing what I do'.
"Even up to the point of that night, we talked about this guy she was starting to see. She gave me the story of what happened and wanted to get my advice on if he was for real or if he was foolish. Later, we talked on the phone, and she said, 'By the way, you was right about that guy. He didn't do enough for me'.
"This was her at 74 years old. There's no question that she lived her life all the way."
