Right at the top, KISS bassist Gene Simmons told HLN on Thursday that people may think he’s an odd choice to speak about the late Aretha Franklin, “but I loved Aretha like tens of millions of people.”
Then he choked up for a few seconds before giving a very heartfelt and personal recollection of his own introduction to and, eventually, interactions with the Queen of Soul. Included in the six-minute tribute, the story of how he once nearly was able to arrange a duet recording between Franklin and his then girlfriend, Diana Ross, by simply calling Aretha directly and asking if she’d be interested. She was, but it never happened anyway.
Funeral Arrangements
Aretha Franklin‘s life will be celebrated over several days at least two separate venues.
According to Detroit’s WXYZ TV, the public will be welcome to the viewing of Franklin’s body at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
But the actual funeral service will be limited to family and close friends — it will be held at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple.
The sepcific dates for the viewing and service have yet to be announced.
Source: CS / CS
