FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Music legend Aretha Franklin, whose career began singing in the Detroit church of her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin at the age of 14 in the 1950s, will give back to those gospel roots as she leads a Revival for her hometown of Detroit for the third consecutive year. This year’s event will take place at Detroit’s Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, beginning Thursday, June 14 through Saturday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. nightly. The three-night celebration of faith will feature an impressive array of gospel vocalists and ministers – both local and national. Others joining Dr. Franklin, who will perform on two nights, with performances and sermons are GRAMMY®-winning recording artist Pastor Smokie Norful, Dr. Cissy Houston, Micah Stampley, Evangelist Dorothy Norwood, LaShun Pace and The Anointed Pace Sisters, Evangelist Ruby Terry, The Christianaires, Zie’l, the Little Rock Baptist Church Choir, Reverend Jim Holley of Detroit, Reverend Edgar Vann, Jr. of Detroit, and the Reverend Doctor Joseph Lowery, Co-founder and President Emeritus of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ is located at 19190 Schaefer Highway at Seventh Mile Road and the Reverend J. Drew Sheard is the senior pastor. The event is open to the public.
It’s no surprise that Franklin would organize a “good ‘ol church revival” for her hometown year after year, having grown up in Detroit ’s New Bethel Baptist — the renowned church pastored by her father Reverend C.L. Franklin. In addition to releasing her own landmark gospel albums, Songs Of Faith: The Gospel Soul Of Aretha Franklin and One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, the music legend enjoys and appreciates listening to others singing for the Lord. In previous years, Franklin has brought in great gospel talent for the Revivals including Detroit ’s own Karen Clark-Sheard, Beverly Crawford, Bishop Paul Morton of New Orleans , Candi Staton, Richard Smallwood, Daryl Coley, Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCs, BET’s Dr. Bobby Jones and many others.
Commenting on the Revival Franklin states, “I am looking forward to Detroiters coming out to worship with these great artists and pastors, strengthening and reviving their spirits, restoring their faith and for those who have left coming back into the fold.”
Aretha Franklin’s luminous career has spanned more than four decades. Known the world over by her first name and as the undisputed, reigning “Queen of Soul,” She has received countless international and national awards and accolades and has achieved global recognition on an unprecedented scale including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor, 17 Grammy awards, a Grammy Legend award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, and five American Music Awards. In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1979 she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Recently the seventeen-time GRAMMY®-winning recording artist was announced as the “2008 MusiCares® Person of the Year,” and will be honored during an annual GRAMMY Week gala — to be held in February 2008 in Los Angeles . Franklin is being honored for her extraordinary artistic achievements as well as her philanthropic efforts, which include Save The Children, Easter Seals and various churches and food banks in the Detroit metropolitan area. Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares® provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need by offering services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, while ensuring each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality.
In addition to a full summer touring schedule, Franklin is also busy working on both a musical production and major motion Hollywood biopic, based on her New York Times best-selling autobiography, Aretha Franklin: From These Roots.
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REVIVAL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, June 14, 2007
LaShun Pace
The Anointed Pace Sisters
Evangelist Dorothy Norwood
Reverend Edgar Vann, Jr.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Dr. Aretha Franklin
Dr. Cissy Houston
Micah Stampley
Evangelist Ruby Terry
The Christianaires
Zie’l
Little Rock Baptist Church Choir
Reverend Jim Holley
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Dr. Aretha Franklin
Pastor Smokie Norful
Evangelist Ruby Terry
Reverend Joseph Lowery, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
