Music News

"I try to have a little more empathy for myself and try to encourage these things that I'm naturally thinking and feeling, rather than thinking, 'That's too weird if I do that,'" Aaron Lee Tasjan says.

Music & Culture

Aaron Lee Tasjan Employs 'A Little More Empathy' And A Lot More Freedom In New Music

6:11pm September 05, 2018

by Jewly Hight

Tasjan got a scholarship to study jazz at Berklee then co-founded a glam rock band in New York before landing in the Nashville singer-songwriter scene.

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Music & Culture

At Aretha Franklin's Funeral, Gospel Was The Heart — And Backbone

5:43pm September 01, 2018

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Many of the performers and speakers, from Chaka Khan and Jennifer Hudson to Rev. William Barber and author Michael Eric Dyson, underscored the church legacy in the Queen of Soul's voice and civil rights work.

Music & Culture

A Funeral Fit For A 'Queen'

8:36am September 01, 2018

by Cheryl Corley

The star-studded funeral for Aretha Franklin gave family, friends and fans the chance to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul. It ended a week of events that aimed to celebrate the singer's life.

A woman holds a banner during the funeral service for Aretha Franklin at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., August 31, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC173F05A100

PHOTOS: Aretha Franklin's Soul Celebrated At Funeral

5:35pm August 31, 2018

by Laura Beltrán Villamizar

The icon was honored by musicians and dignitaries. Here is a visual testimony of the event.

Spectators gather daily to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in London. On Friday, a military band paid tribute to Aretha Franklin at the ceremony.

To Mark An American Queen's Funeral, Buckingham Palace Plays 'Respect'

2:06pm August 31, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Aretha Franklin, America's Queen of Soul, is being laid to rest in Detroit on Friday, and Queen Elizabeth's Buckingham Palace paid tribute.

Eminem, seen here performing in 2017, released his 10th album Friday morning.

Music & Culture

Eminem Releases Surprise Album, 'Kamikaze'

12:16pm August 31, 2018

by Otis Hart

The rapper's 10th album appeared on streaming services Friday morning.

A pink Cadillac outside the viewing of Aretha Franklin at the Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Tuesday.

Music & Culture

Pink Cadillacs Will Line Up For Aretha Franklin's Funeral

7:23pm August 29, 2018

by Cheryl Corley

Dozens of pink Cadillacs will be part of the tribute to Franklin, whose funeral is Friday in Detroit. The Queen of Soul's hit "Freeway of Love" motivated the motorcade.

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A man listens to Rev. Jesse Jackson speak Aug. 19 at New Bethel Baptist Church, the church where Aretha Franklin's late father Rev. C.L. Franklin was a minister and where she began her singing career.

Music & Culture

How To Stream — And Fully Appreciate — Aretha Franklin's Funeral

4:40pm August 29, 2018

by NPR Music

The 32 artists and speakers scheduled to attend Aretha Franklin's funeral all have a personal connection to the Queen of Soul, whether friend, acquaintance or protégé.

An impromptu memorial for Aretha Franklin outside New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit — the same church where Franklin's father Rev. C.L. Franklin was a minister and where she began her singing career. Taken Aug. 19, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan.

Mourning From The Ground Up: Aretha's Funeral Is Part Of A Joyful American Tradition

4:40pm August 29, 2018

by Ann Powers

While it's not wrong to observe decorum and sombre reflection in the wake of such a loss, there's no reason that honoring a life as monumental as Aretha's can't be joyful — and yes, entertaining.

Renée Fleming, photographed singing the national anthem during Super Bowl XLVIII, will sing at the memorial service for the late Sen. John McCain at Washington's National Cathedral.

Music & Culture

Renée Fleming, America's Go-To Diva, To Sing At McCain Memorial In Washington

1:35pm August 29, 2018

by Tom Huizenga

The versatile opera star will sing an Irish classic at the memorial service of Senator John McCain Saturday at Washington's National Cathedral.