DJ Rob
Anyone with a pulse knows about the 8-hr spectacle that was Aretha Franklin’s funeral in Detroit on Friday, August 31.
Aside from the multitude of musicians performing - pop, gospel, R&B and soul artists among them - there were tributes and eulogies galore from multiple clergymen, former civil rights leaders, sports figures, actors, professors, a TV judge, and local elected officials, including the governor of Michigan.
Even three former presidents paid tribute, including one in person (Bill Clinton) and two others (Barack Obama and George W. Bush) who sent letters that were read aloud by Rev. Al Sharpton and Barbara Sampson, respectively.
But there are actually several musical acts remaining who could get the royal treatment upon their deaths - perhaps minus the marathon-like aspect of Aretha’s.
This blog decided to examine a dozen musical celebrities - all legends in their own right - who might (or might not) be able to commission world leaders, get constant news coverage and have millions watching as they are eulogized when that day eventually comes. They are evaluated below in alphabetical order.
Beyoncé is one of the most influential, most compelling singers of the 21st century. In the age of visual and social media, Beyoncé has a huge following and, like Aretha’s fan base, it crosses multiple generations. Beyoncé also has the benefit of having mixed it up with presidents and presidential hopefuls including former President Obama and the Clintons.
Both in her music and in her actions, Beyoncé has been seen as an empowering figure for women - even employing all-female band members for her concert tours. And, like Aretha, Beyoncé in her own way has taken on civil rights causes including the issue of police brutality in the black community.
Though she is immensely talented, her worldwide success is often seen as being attributed to - or at least enhanced by - her sexual image during the video era. Her alignment with the hip-hop community could also be seen as a turn-off by some of the establishment’s elite. Bottom line: As Beyoncé just turned 37 years old on September 4 and her legacy is still growing, it’s far too early to determine whether she could command the kind of royal send-off that Aretha Franklin just did.
Hi, I'm DJ Rob, owner and author of the music blogsite djrobblog.com. I live in Chicago, IL and have been doing the blogsite since January 2015. It features articles about music news, history and trivia - both old and new. The features I enjoy doing the most are my djroblists. I've done dozens of lists ranking everything from blue-eyed soul singers to Prince's greatest songs. I only recently started converting them to listly to increase interaction with my readers. Take some time to enjoy them and let me know what you think! And check out djrobblog.com when you can!
