The 'Respect' hitmaker reportedly has been asked by Clive Davis to do the tribute performance at the ceremony this coming Saturday, February 18.
- Feb 16, 2012
AceShowbiz - Aretha Franklin reportedly will not only attend the funeral of her goddaughter Whitney Houston but she will also sing in a tribute performance. According to ET, it was Clive Davis who personally asked the "Respect" hitmaker to do the tribute performance.
Earlier this week, Aretha paid homage to Whitney at her concert in North Carolina. The 69-year-old music veteran delivered a brief rendition of "I Will Always Love You" before asking concertgoers to join her in "acknowledging one of the greatest singers that ever stood before a mic."
Aretha has also penned an open letter to Whitney's fans. She recalled her first meeting with the New Jersey singer and remembered how she, from then on, watched her growth and development as an artist and "a role model for many young vocal aspirants - a rose who came into full bloom."
"It wasn't just the hits: Whitney knew how to be a star, and she was one of the brightest stars in the universe," Aretha praised the late singer. She regretfully stated that the fame was "perhaps too much, too soon" for her, and led to her struggle with drugs.
Regardless, "let us all applaud and remember Whitney for the beautiful, giving and caring young lady and talented artist she was, the great music and performances," she concluded. "Remember the hits. Forget the misses. A true superstar has gone on, flown away on the wings of love."
Whitney Houston's funeral will be held this coming Saturday, February 18 at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Gospel singer and pastor Marvin L. Winans, who is a longtime friend of the Houstons, will deliver the eulogy in front of "invite only" guests.
Coming to pay final respect to Whitney before she's laid to rest are Clive Davis, Chaka Khan, Diane Warren, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bebe & CeCe Winans, L.A. Reid, Ray J and Brandy among others. Words are, her ex Bobby Brown is not invited, and he's left "extremely disappointed."
