Aretha Franklin funeral: Jennifer Holliday performs as moving ceremony concludes
The ceremony in honour of the late Aretha Franklin has come to an end
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Your support makes all the difference.A memorial service celebrating the life of singer Aretha Franklin took place in Detroit today, where performers, fans, friends and family members joined to pay their respects to the "Queen of Soul".
The legendary singer, known for such anthems as “Respect”, “Natural Woman” and “Say a Little Prayer”, died of pancreatic cancer earlier this month, aged 76.
Icons including Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Ariana Grande performed at the city's Greater Grace Temple, as well as a host of local gospel musicians, while Bill Clinton, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Smokey Robinson paid tribute to the life of the beloved Aretha Franklin.
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Aretha Franklin's granddaughter Victorie Franklin addresses the crowd.
Discussing growing up with her grandmother, she said: "Nothing sounded better to me than the way my grandma sings.
"I love you Grandma, and I will make you proud."
Franklin's grandson Jordan, her niece Cristal and her nephew Vaughn also remember the "Queen of Soul".
The Franklin family speaks at the funeral (Getty)
For The Independent's full list of funeral proceedings and tributes, you can read more here.
Franklin's son Edward Franklin performs a tribute to his mother, singing "Mercy Mercy Me."
The soul singer's family continue to lead the ceremony as Franklin's niece Sabrina Owens reads her aunt's obituary.
Franklin's life was filled with accomplishments.
She was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian award - in 2005, from President Bush.
The "Queen of Soul" was also the recipient of honourary degrees from Princeton University and Harvard University.
In sad news, while attending Franklin's funeral, fellow Detroit artist Gladys Knight, 74, revealed she also has pancreatic cancer, the same cancer that took the life of Aretha Franklin.
Gladys Knight revealed she has pancreatic cancer (Getty)
As the performances continue at the star-studded funeral, Alice McAllister Tillman, a Detroit Native, performs her rendition of "Ave Maria" followed by Bishop Marvin Sapp's performance of "Perfect Peace."
Former US Attorney General Eric Holder takes the stage.
Aretha Franklin was a guest at Holder's farewell ceremony in 2015, where she sang "America The Beautiful."
He said: "She moved us in ways no artist has before or since.”
Former US Attorney General Eric Holder remembers Aretha Franklin (Getty)
Bill Clinton takes the stage to address the crowd as Hillary Clinton looks on.
"We started out as Aretha groupies," the former president jokes to laughs from the crowd.
Bill Clinton and Aretha Franklin (Getty)
Clinton pays tribute to the singer by remembering how she lived with courage, faith and power.
“She lived with courage," he said. "Not without fear, but overcoming her fears. She lived with faith. Not without failure, but overcoming her failures. She lived with power. Not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. I just loved her."
Bill Clinton gave the longest speech at Franklin's funeral (Getty)
Entertaining the crowd, Clinton recalls that he wondered: "I wonder what my friend's got on today," as he arrived at the service, referring to Franklin's numerous outfit changes throughout the week.
"She had the voice of a generation, maybe the voice of a century."
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