Stevie Wonder and Others to Perform at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Faith Hill and gospel stars Shirley Caesar and Yolanda Adams will be among the performers at Aretha Franklin’s funeral in Detroit next week, a spokeswoman for Franklin’s family announced Friday.

Franklin, who died last week at age 76, will be celebrated at a private homegoing ceremony Aug. 31 at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

Among the other musicians expected to perform at the event are Jennifer Holliday, Ronald Isley, Fantasia, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, the Clark Sisters and Franklin’s son Edward.

The Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. of Salem Baptist Church in Atlanta will deliver Franklin’s eulogy, and Bishop Charles H. Ellis III, pastor of Greater Grace Temple, will be the officiant.

Greater Grace, which holds 4,000 people, was the site of Rosa Parks’ funeral in 2005, where Franklin sang “The Impossible Dream” from the musical “Man of La Mancha.”

In her career, Franklin won 18 competitive Grammy Awards, sang at the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, and sang at concerts for Jimmy Carter in 1977 and Bill Clinton in 1993.