SERVICE TO BE BROADCAST ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 31ST BEGINNING AT 10:00AM EST.
The Word Network, the largest African American religious network in the world, will air the celebration of life service for Aretha Franklin in its entirety.
“We are very appreciative to receive the support of The Word Network in ensuring that the ENTIRE Celebration Of Life Service for Ms. Aretha Franklin will be aired uninterrupted. The Word Network will graciously provide a live feed to all other Networks and Broadcast carriers authorized by the Franklin family,” stated Bishop Charles Ellis III of Greater Grace Temple.
The Service will begin at 10:00am EST. on Friday, August 31st.
The Word Network Logo (PRNewsFoto/The Word Network)
The Bounce television network and the Brown Sugar streaming service are teaming up to carry Aretha Franklin’s farewell memorial service live this Friday, Aug. 31. The funeral will take place at the Greater Grace Temple in Franklin’s beloved hometown of Detroit. Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Ronald Isley, Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, The Clark Sisters and Marvin Sapp are among the 19 artists scheduled to perform at the family-and-friends-only service. Smokey Robinson, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Former President Bill Clinton will be among the high-profile speakers.
Bounce and Brown Sugar will partner with Bounce’s local Detroit affiliate, WXYZ-TV,for the special event, airing and streaming WXYZ’s hometown coverage and commentary nationwide. “Celebrating the Queen of Soul” will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET. WXYZ news anchors and longtime friends of Franklin, Carolyn Clifford and Glenda Lewis, will host the hour-long event. The special will include highlights and remembrances of the legendary singer’s career interspersed with live reports from outside Greater Grace Temple as celebrities, politicians, friends and loved ones arrive to pay their respects.
The memorial service is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. Bounce (@BounceTV) airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations with corresponding cable carriage and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, special events, live sports and more.
Visit BounceTV.com for local channel information. Brown Sugar (@BrownSugarApp) is Bounce’s popular new streaming service featuring the biggest collection of iconic African-American movies available, as well as Bounce originals, live special events and more. It is available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com.
Brown Sugar also has Google Chromecast capabilities which allow video to play on televisions directly from mobile devices and tablets for consumers with Android and iOS devices. There is a free initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter. Visit www.BrownSugar.com for more information.
Brown Sugar and Bounce are part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
He was loved everywhere, and a mutual fondness endeared him to generations of gospel musicians, singers and listeners. He and his siblings helped shaped the course of gospel music in the late 60’s and were the architects of the sound now recognized as contemporary gospel music. The Hawkins Singers have individually and collectively chartered a course for gospel musicians and singers to follow, still to this day. Dr. Edwin Hawkins passed away on Monday January 15,2018.
For his impact, the four-time GRAMMY Award winner was heralded appropriately and colloquialized as “the Father of Contemporary Gospel”. His impact on sacred music has been felt far and wide and celebrated in audiences of all racial and age demographics. Whether through a recording, seminar or his annual Music and Arts Conference, Dr. Hawkins committed himself to enriching the sound and art of gospel music ministry and performance. Dr. Hawkins’ last recorded album “Testify” was released in 2008 but his work didn’t end there. When not working on his own music, he wrote for and produced many songs and albums for rising and independent gospel artists.
Hawkins’ performance with the San Francisco Symphony last December was a bit of a dream come true with reflective vastness of the reach of his genius. The pen was mightiest in Dr. Hawkins hand, he gifted us with a rich catalog of music that included much more than “Oh Happy Day”. Though his reputation preceded him, his demure demeanor often precluded the public from lauding him in the manner his discography deserves. Undoubtedly, his indelible mark on gospel music, will never be forgotten.
Songs like: “Kings and Kingdoms”, “Worship the Lord” and even “This Day” are sang in moments of worship, even though many singers and musicians are unaware they are Edwin Hawkins gems. Please keep the Hawkins’ family in your prayers as we pause to remember the man that touched the world and wrote the song(s) that made the whole world sing!
Friends, family and gospel luminaries are coming from far and near to celebrate the robust life of Dr. Hawkins. Scheduled to perform at the star-studded celebration filled with friends, family and beneficiaries in the gospel community he so graciously poured into for decades are: Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Winans, Bebe Winans, Beverly Crawford, Anita Wilson, LaShun Pace, Ted Winn,
Melonie Daniels-Walker, Chrystal Rucker, BSlade, Minister Carole King, Tibari and Bishop Yvette Flunder.
Donald Lawrence will serve as musical supervisor and Derrick Hall who was Dr. Hawkins’ music director is the celebration bandleader. Gospel innovators Kurt Carr and Ricky Dillard will step in as guest choir directors alongside Jonathan Grier and Rusty Watson, musical director for the Love Center Choir. The original Edwin Hawkins Singers will unite for a performance as will The New Edwin Hawkins Singers and the Dream Team. The two- day celebration will not feature a eulogy but Central City Productions (The Stellar Gospel Music Awards) founder Don Jackson, Bishop Carlton Pearson, Dr. Mary Beth Gentry and one of the first artists to ever stand in his shadow, Min. Richard Smallwood will stand to share remarks and reflections.
The two-day celebration of life for Dr. Edwin Hawkins begins tonight and will continue tomorrow evening at the Harbor Light Church in Fremont, California. The celebration is open to the public and viewing convenience for those unable to attend has been provided by local CBS affiliate KPIX, also viewable on Dr. Hawkins’ Facebook page.
Service info and details graciously provided by The Hawkins family.
