Ariana Grande
NEW YORK —Ariana Grande will be among the performers who will pay tribute to Aretha Franklin at her funeral Friday.
Grande will be among entertainers Steve Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Faith Hill, Shirley Caesar, Chaka Khan and more. Franklin’s rep, Gwendolyn Quinn, says Franklin met Grande when the two performed at the White House in 2014 for then President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as part of the “Women of Soul” concert. Quinn says Franklin enjoyed meeting Grande at the time. Franklin’s family was moved by Grande’s performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” after Franklin’s Aug. 16 death.
Grande performed the song with The Roots on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Besides performers, speakers include former President Bill Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Smokey Robinson.