Smokey Robinson Spoke of Aretha Franklin As a "Featured Voice in the Choir of Angels"

On Friday at the funeral of the late Aretha Franklin, soul singer Smokey Robinson spoke about his friendship with Aretha Franklir at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. 

Robinson said he was 8 years old, outside shooting marbles with neighborhood friends, when he met Franklin's brother. He said he went over to her house and heard her playing the piano and singing. Soon after meeting as children, Robinson said that "from that moment on we've been so, so close, and so tight. I didn't know, especially this soon, that I was going to have to say goodbye to you."

During the service on Friday, he reflected on their days growing up together. "We talked about it many times, how we were the two who were left of our neighborhood friends. We were the longest ones. Now my longest friend has gone home, and you've gone to be with our Father - like we all will. I know you're celebrating with your family and our neighborhood friends who are all gone. And you're going to be a featured voice in the choir of angels."

In conclusion, the master tunesmith sang several lines from his song "Really Gonna Miss You," a touching ballad of loss: "We're going to miss you / It's really going to be different without you / For the rest of my life I'm gonna be thinking about you / I'll miss you by buddy, I'll miss you my friend / I know that my love for you will never end."

 

 

 

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