Starting about 50 minutes later than scheduled after a cavalcade of fans, celebrities, elected officials and religious leaders filed inside the sanctuary, the funeral for the legendary Queen of Soul is underway at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. The star-studded service — featuring speeches and musical tributes to Aretha Franklin by such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, former President Bill Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, singers Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill, Motown great Smokey Robinson, former Piston Isiah Thomas and others — follows a week-long celebration of Franklin's life and musical career, including three days of public viewings that drew thousands from her hometown, Michigan and a multitude of states beyond. Franklin died Aug. 16 at age 76 after a long bout with pancreatic cancer. Her funeral was scheduled to end at 3 p.m., but will run longer. Greater Grace Pastor Charles Ellis, at the beginning of the service, addressed the late start and asked speakers and performers to do their best to stick to the schedule. “It is our task to move this service along and honor the wishes of the family,” he said. "It took a little time to get in here, but I believe the Queen wouldn’t have it any other way.” Watch the live stream recap: Aretha Franklin's funeral 8 hours of respect, honor for Aretha Franklin Also: A list of all the celebrities in attendance at Aretha's funeral Speakers and performers obliged for the most part, including Mayor Mike Duggan, who announced early during the service that he and City Council plan to rename the riverfront Chene Park concert venue "Aretha Franklin Park." “Each time she soared, it felt like the people of Detroit soared with her because she never forgot her connection to the city,” Duggan said. “When Aretha Franklin sang, it felt like the voice of Detroit.” Among other highlights of the service: Former President Bill Clinton, in remarks that stretched about 12 minutes, said the secret to Franklin’s greatness was that she took her talent “and decided to be the composer of her own life’s song — and what a song it turned out to be.” He said Franklin “lived with power. Not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. I just loved her.” Clinton, who described himself and wife, Hillary, as "groupies" of Franklin, ended his remarks by playing a snippet of her hit song “Think” on his cell phone, which he held up to the microphone. “God bless you, Aretha,” Clinton said. “We love you.” Pop superstar Ariana Grande took the stage to sing a version of the Franklin hit, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Later, Jennifer Hudson gave a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace." Smokey Robinson told the crowd one of his “longest friends has gone home,” before breaking into an acapella version of “Really Gonna Miss You.” He sang, "… for the rest of my life, gonna be thinking about you. I’ll miss you my buddy. I’ll miss you my friend. I know that my love for you will never end. Will never end.” The Rev. Al Sharpton, in response to President Donald Trump’s comments that Franklin worked for him, said: “She performed for you. She worked for us.” He asked the crowd to help him teach Trump the meaning of respect. The Rev. Jesse Jackson told the crowd he was also in town for the funeral for Rosa Parks and watched as long lines of people formed to pay tribute to her, as they did this week for Franklin. Long lines, he said, for “the death of the icons and short lines for voting. Something is missing.” He said if people leave today and don’t register to vote, it would dishonor Franklin. Record executive Clive Davis told the crowd that Franklin loved Detroit. “She loved her life in Detroit, she loved her family and, Detroit, you led the world in loving Aretha,” said Davis, who signed Franklin to Arista Records. Hours before the service, fans began lining up, jostling for position as police shuffled them around the streets surrounding the west-side church. About 1,000 members of the public were expected to be admitted for what had been billed as a private service. Major networks set up outside to cover the event, sending up live shots through the morning and carrying a live-stream feed from inside the sanctuary. Earlier this morning, Franklin was honored during the changing of the guard at England's Buckingham Palace, featuring a rendition of her iconic song "Respect." Shepherded in through a long line of pink Cadillacs parked along the road near the church, Franklin's body arrived about 7:30 a.m. in a white 1940 LaSalle hearse. The vintage vehicle, made by Cadillac, once carried the bodies of Franklin's father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, in 1984; civil rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005, and singer David Ruffin of the Temptations in 1991. Franklin's body underwent several clothing changes during her public viewing at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and at her father's church, New Bethel Baptist. For the funeral the body is dressed in a sparkling gold dress, full-length, with sequined heels. Her casket is a 24-karat gold-plated Promethean made of solid bronze. Inside, there's champagne velvet lining. "Aretha Franklin" and "Queen of Soul" are embroidered in gold metallic thread. Bishop David Ellis III and Franklin's pastor, the Rev. Robert Smith Jr., led a solemn procession of the casket inside the church. Among early arrivals: Bill and Hillary Clinton, boxing great Tommy Hearns, the Rev. Jackson, actress Whoopi Goldberg, actor and producer Tyler Perry, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Michigan's U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, Motown greats Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight, City Council President Brenda Jones, former Mayor Dennis Archer, and gospel music stars including Dr. Bobby Jones, Bishop Paul Morton, Ricky Dillard and Dottie Peoples. Staff writers Brian McCollum, Cassandra Spratling, Rochelle Riley, Julie Hinds, Gina Kaufman, Nicole Avery, JC Reindl, Aleanna Siacon and Omar Abdel-Baqui contributed to this report.<doc-sep>“We can talk about all the things that are wrong, and there are many,” Wonder said. “But the only thing that can deliver us is love. So what needs to happen today, not only in this nation but throughout the world, is that we need to make love great again. . . . That is what Aretha said throughout her life.”<doc-sep>Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>
Products in this story are independently selected and featured editorially. If you make a purchase using these links we may earn commission. Franklin's star-studded funeral service begins at 10 a.m. ET on Friday morning at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit The Queen of Soul Is Laid to Rest: Watch Aretha Franklin's Moving, Star-Studded Funeral Service After thousands of fans paid their respects to the late Queen of Soul this week, Aretha Franklin will be laid to rest on Friday following a star-studded funeral. Scheduled to begin with a viewing at 8:30 a.m. in advance of the service at 10 a.m. ET Friday morning at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, the “Respect” singer — who died of pancreatic cancer on Aug. 16 — will be honored by her fellow celebrities and other high-profile speakers including Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande, former President Bill Clinton, Smokey Robinson and more. The day will begin with a viewing, during which many of Franklin’s recordings will be played. The late singer’s family is expected to process into the chapel for the service, which will include multiple readings from the Bible. "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives" Premiere - 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Aretha Franklin | Credit: Taylor Hill/Getty Greater Grace Temple pastor Bishop Charles H. Ellis will be officiating the service, and the Rev. Robert Smith Jr. will be serving as the Co-Officiant. The service is also expected to highlight Franklin’s Christian roots and pay homage to the start of her career when she focused heavily on gospel music. Gospel artists Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, The Aretha Franklin Choir and the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir have also been named as performers.