To honor the Queen of Soul, the Detroit concert venue Music Hall’s Jazz Cafe will re-open as “Aretha’s Jazz Cafe” to honor Aretha Franklin.
Franklin, who is known as one of the greatest recording artists of all time, died this past August of pancreatic cancer. She had toured for 56 years straight, recorded music for five decades, and placed more than 100 singles on the Billboard charts. Her music certainly left an impression on artists within the industry, as well as the people in her hometown of Detroit.
To honor the late singer, the Music Hall Jazz Cafe is planning a special opening gala tomorrow night with a handful of musicians who had played alongside Franklin in the past. Additionally, Detroit-based artists like Kimmie Horne, Gwen Foxx, Cherri Black, and more will perform. The gala, which will be hosted by Lola George, will be a free event, since Franklin had given so many free performances to Detroit throughout her years.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to create such a fitting tribute to Miss Franklin,” Aretha’s Jazz Cafe President and Artistic Director said in a statement. “We honor her wish to establish a downtown venue that would carry on her legacy, and will continue to bring audiences into the incredible world of music that she created, in particular opening musical worlds to each generation that comes along. Her many performances here, including her final full concert performed free of charge for fans at the Inaugural 2017 Detroit Music Weekend, make this the perfect spot for the city to celebrate her gifts.”
The concert and reopening of Aretha’s Jazz Cafe is tomorrow, October 11 at 7 p.m. While the event is free and general admission, reserved seats are available on the cafe’s website.
In addition to the event tomorrow, a special show, dubbed “Clive Davis Presents: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin,” will take place on November 14 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Music producer Davis has been planning the concert for a while, noting that Franklin was “truly one of a kind.”
“She was more than the Queen of Soul,” Davis said. “She was a national treasure to be cherished by every generation throughout the world. Apart from our long professional relationship, Aretha was my friend. Her loss is deeply profound and my heart is full of sadness.”
