‘She gave us pride and a regal bar to reach’: Everything that happened at Aretha Franklin’s 8-hour funeral

Aretha Franklin was laid to rest Friday following a funeral in Detroit, the city she called home for most of her life. The 10 a.m. service, originally set to conclude at 3 p.m., ran more than two and a half hours behind schedule and was broadcast on TV and streamed live online. Below, are updates from the service: In the early 2000s, Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) received a surprise phone call from Franklin after becoming the mayor of Southfield, Mich. Franklin asked if Lawrence would attend an upcoming event, to which the mayor responded, “No, excuse me, ma’am, you mean Aretha Franklin, like the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin?” Lawrence learned firsthand how supportive Franklin was of other women: “She called me, the little black girl from the east side of Detroit, to say she was proud of me,” Lawrence reflected. She is part of a group of lawmakers, including Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), who introduced legislation to award Franklin posthumously with a Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian honors.