Bill Clinton, Smokey Robinson to Speak at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

Former President Bill Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and singer Smokey Robinson are just some of the notable figures slated to speak at Aretha Franklin’s funeral, the family announced Friday. USA Today reports that former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Rev. Al Sharpton, and music mogul Clive Davis will also be present at the ceremony on Aug. 31 in Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple. More than a dozen singers—including Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, and Faith Hill—are also scheduled to perform at the service. Franklin performed at Clinton’s 1993 inaugural ceremonies, and the former president awarded the singer with the National Medal of Arts and Humanities in 1999. Robinson and Franklin have known each other since childhood, and Jackson has been Franklin’s “confidant and spiritual adviser” since the 1960s. The Queen of Soul passed away last week after battling pancreatic cancer.