As Young Thug said on the I'm Up mixtape, "Ay fuck cancer." The disease has taken so many lives and most recently, Aretha Franklin passed away after suffering from pancreatic cancer. With so many of her friends and the most prominent entertainers attending her funeral today, the event was billed more as a celebration of the diva's life than a sad spectacle of her loss. With performances by many and a line-up of pink Cadillacs welcoming people to the Detroit venue, Aretha's farewell was extravagant, reminding everybody of her status as one of the top soul stars of all time. One member of the audience, Gladys Knight, was particularly touched by the funeral service since she recently bonded with Aretha over sharing the same disease.
Another legend in the game, Gladys Knight, surprisingly revealed that she had met up with Aretha Franklin recently and the two discussed how they both had pancreatic cancer. Knight was being interviewed as she reminisced on the good times she's had with the Queen of Soul, telling a story of the time she was so excited to stumble upon her friend "ReRe" at a hotel. She speaks in a very upbeat manner before getting sentimental, adding, "We shared the fact that we had the same disease."
The funeral was live-streamed around the world today with performances by Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, and others. Watch the video below of Gladys revealing her cancer diagnosis. We're wishing her all the best.
