this is "nightline." tonight -- a sendoff fit fare a queen. pop stars. preachers. and a former president paying respect to the original diva, aretha franklin. the icon laid to rest today in a star-studded affair. a tribute to her gospel roots and lasting influence on music and political activist. >> the secret of her greatness was she took this massive talent and decided to be the composer of her own life song. what a song it turned out to be. >> from the ruby stilettos and the parade of pink cadillacs, this week motown royalty and music fans alike were taken to church.

♪ "nightline" will be right back.

♪ ♪ as the sun around the earth no shape revolving ♪ ♪ as the rose may bloom in early may ♪

♪ rest your mind assured that i'll be loving you always ♪ aretha franklin's dear friend stevie wonder honoring her with a stirring rendition of "as" as her funeral today. it was a soulful sendoff befitting a queen as she was laid to rest in detroit, ending a week of tributes for a trail blazer in music and activism, and a diva through and through. ♪ >> reporter: it was a home-going fit for a queen. ♪ >> reporter: aretha franklin, her heavenly journey eulogized. >> you're going to be one of the featured voices in the choir of angels. because, you know, you'd have to be.

♪ i'll miss you >> reporter: and serenaded by her friends. ♪ and you'll never walk alone >> reporter: musical legends in their own right. ♪ god bless aretha >> reporter: tributes paid by heads of state past and present. and adoring fans sending her off in perhaps the most fitting way in a resplendent procession of pink cadillacs. >> she was a black woman in a white man's world. she bore her cross. she fought the good fight. now it's time to crown the queen! >> reporter: in her beloved hometown of detroit, michigan, thousands gathered in honor of the original diva. ♪ you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ >> reporter: throughout her

five-decade career, she sang for royalty and inaugurated presidents. ♪ god bless america >> the secret of her greatness was she took this massive talent and this perfect culture that raised her and decided to be the composer of her own life song. and what a song it turned out to be. >> reporter: franklin died earlier this month at the age of 76, losing her battle with p pancreatic cancer. but as so many pointed out, through her life, her family, and that indelible music -- ♪ jesus jesus >> reporter: she lives on. >> she was classy enough to sing on the most prominent stages in the world. but she was homegirl enough to make potato salad and fry some chicken. >> so if she is the queen of soul, every time she sang, she sang from her soul. she sang from this special place that was in her soul, be it

gospel, be it jazz, be it blues, be it r&b, it was always from her soul. >> reporter: perhaps one of the most touching tributes coming from one who knew her best, her granddaughter victory. >> to see a woman so fierce, so courageous, gifted, so respected. and to be able to call that my grandmother, to know that i have that running through my blood, and that she's a part of who i am. >> reporter: and her grandson jordan. >> i'm sad today because i'm losing my friend. you showed the world god's love and there's nothing more honorable. >> reporter: to her family, a loving grandmother. but to the world, an icon and activist. >> all of her life, she supported the causes. she was ain before feminism was popular. she was a civil rights activist when it wasn't popular. and that's why we're all here. we don't all agree on

everything, but we agree on aretha. >> reporter: many calling her music the soundtrack of the civil rights movement. ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t >> the height of the civil rights movement, break out with a song where you're spelling out r-e-s-p-e-c-t. it moved the civil rights movement. people marched to that music. people asked for respect. literally, figuratively, theoretically. and she was central to that. >> reporter: her legacy indaerg her to dignitaries, to former presidents george w. bush and barack obama paying homage from afar. >> may the almighty comfort you in your grief and sustain you during this difficult time. laura and i send our heartfelt sympathy. may god bless you. george w. bush. >> let me sing a little prayer for you, and we'll be thinking of all of aretha's loved ones in the days and weeks to come.

sincerely, barack obama, 44th president of the united states. >> reporter: 17 top ten hits. 18 grammy awards. the numbers tell you everything and nothing. because aretha franklin's voice was as much a wonder as a rainbow. something of impossible beauty and not of this world. ♪ think that you're going to let yourself be free ♪ >> reporter: her church-bred greatness inspiring her activism, empowering so many. ♪ oh freedom freedom freedom >> she's probably, you know, the most influential vocalist of the last 40 or 50 years. ♪ looking out at the pouring rain ♪ >> reporter: those booming vocals heard on radio, big arenas -- and breaking barriers on the small screen. >> aretha franklin was on television being a black woman when we didn't see that many of them at all.

there was no shondaland, there was no "in living color," none of that was happening. we had to grab at images to try to put together like who we wanted to be, and like put them together and figure it out. aretha was central. >> reporter: today's ceremony capping off a week of tributes which began with a two-day public viewing at detroit's wright museum. her body carried in the same ivory 1940 cadillac hearse that brought her father, legendary minister c.l. franklin, and civil rights icon rosa parks, to their final resting places. mourners lined up to pay their respects to a diva to the end. in a gold-plated casket surrounded by roses. franklin dressed in red all the way down to those ruby still the low toes, ankles gracefully crossed. this the first of what would be four wardrobe changes before she was laid to rest. last night more than 40 artists

gathering to salute the life of a legend. ♪ you you you >> reporter: patti labelle performing "you are my friend." at today's marathon nearly eight-hour farewell, hollywood glamor met old-school gospel. ♪ ♪ i will keep you in perfect peace ♪ ♪ >> reporter: a star-studded crowd in their sunday best. a tapestry of faces that rocked industries and changed politics. whoopi goldberg. tyler perry. jennifer lewis. among the famous faces who came to pay their respects. >> she took the gifts god gave her, and she kept getting a little bigger every day. >> reporter: former president bill clinton front and center

reminding the audience to think about franklin's enormous influence. ♪ you better think think about what you're trying to do to me ♪ ♪ think that you're going to let yourself be free ♪ >> it's the key to freedom. god bless you, aretha, we love you. >> she represented the best in our community, and she fought for our community until the end. >> reporter: and today her community showed up to celebrate the daughter of a baptist preacher whose soaring career never lost sight of its gospel roots. ♪ >> reporter: the music worthy of the occasion with gladys knight. ♪ he is my living >> reporter: the clarke sisters. >> i hope she don't mind, i don't think she work, i'm going to come out of my shoes. >> reporter: fantasia kicking off her shoes during a gospel

overtu overture. ♪ and a pop princess with a soul tribute. ariana grande belting out "you make me feel like a natural woman." ♪ you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ >> reporter: clyde davis reflecting on over three decades of working with franklin. >> i was so privilege the, so privileged to be there and personally witness a magnitude of talent of this singer's singer, this musician's musician. >> reporter: the service not only a celebration of her life and music, but a testament to franklin's long history of activism. >> we thank her for what she did with dr. king. we thank her for what she's done with reverend jackson. we thank her for what she's done with all of us. >> she had money and could not buy ice cream. had a car and could not stop to buy gasoline. aretha came out of the bowels of

our struggle. >> in short, her status as a queen, unlike others who inherit a title, her title was earned. ♪ amazing >> reporter: her royal highness, the indisputable queen of soul, always. ♪ always ♪ i been loving you forever ♪ always up next, what comes to mind when you think aretha? there's only one word to describe the queen of soul. when we come back. ♪ ♪ if it feels like you live in the bathroom with recurring constipation and belly pain,

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♪ you know we're riding on the freeway of love against my back ♪ ♪ you know we're riding on the freeway of love in my pink cadillac ♪ some of her hits why upbeat and lighthearted like "freeway of love." when aretha franklin wanted to throw shade, watch out. as you're about to see she both embraced and embodied the term diva. here's my "nightline" coanchor dan harris. ♪ >> reporter: the voice. the dresses. the way she moved. aretha franklin.

can be summed up in one word. >> she was known for being a diva. >> she was the ultimate diva. >> yeah, she was a diva, but you know what? if anybody can proudly wear that crown, man, it's aretha. >> reporter: even oprah used it. >> they say diva supreme, i say, no, diva omnipotent. >> i always think the true meaning of being a diva is being head singer in an opera. being the number one girl, being the boss chick, being the one that gets it done? yes, she embraced it. >> reporter: one indelible example of aretha franklin embracing her divaness? 1998, a vh1 show called "divas live." franklin and those other mega stars gathered to sing "a natural woman." carol king, who wrote the song, was supposed to sing the first line. ♪ just forgive me i'ma sing this song ♪ >> reporter: watch her face as she learns that the queen of soul follows no one.

♪ i used to feel so uninspired >> reporter: of course a diva should also be expected to serve hall of fame-worthy shade. here's aretha franklin in an interview with "the wall street journal." >> when i say that the name adele, what comes to mind? >> uh-huh. young singer, good singer. >> taylor swift. >> great gowns. beautiful gowns. >> nicki minaj. >> nicki minaj, hm. i'm going to pass on that one. >> reporter: as we said, franklin embraced the term diva. here she is with diane sawyer in the year 2000. >> you like doing the diva thing? doing what a friend of mine called a diva step every now and then, yeah. and a diva move, sure. i love doing the diva thing. spur of the moment, you just do. and you just diva do.

>> that's what divas do, they just do. >> that's right, they just do. >> reporter: franklin even playfully lampooned herself. >> there's a snickers commercial that she's wonderful in. >> can we turn the ac up? i'm dying back here. >> it's on, can't you feel it? >> can you feel that? >> the conceit of the commercial is that people are bitchy, or divas, unless they have a snickers bar. >> oh, just eat a snikers, please. >> why? >> every time you get hungry you turn into a diva, just eat it. >> eww, turn into a diva! >> it was her tipping her hat to the fact, yes, i know i'm a little bit of a diva but that's how i am, love me or leave me. i think anybody that worked with her knew there was some stuff that was going to come with that but it was always positive. >> it didn't bother any member of the family, we sort of laughed at it. it was just a name that was given to her. to us, she was aunty.

>> reporter: in a very literal sense, aretha franklin also wrapped herself in her divaness. >> diva's also in the attire, in the clothes, in the furs, in the jewelry in the beautiful handbags and the hair always being done. i love that about her, i'm always excited to see what the next cool diva thing i'm going to experience is. ♪ i'ma sing a little song >> reporter: her powerhouse performances like this one on b.e.t. were enough to send her own wig flying. ♪ yeah yeah yeah free >> reporter: who can forget her performance at president obama's first inauguration and the hat that stole the show. who needs a mike drop when you have a mink to drop at the kennedy center honors? ♪ >> queen of soul, queen of schmoul, aretha franklin is queen of everything.

queen of pop, queen of rock, queen of soul, queen of gospel, queen of high performance. ♪ can you see >> queen of the national anthem. queen of. she's just queen of. just end it. ♪ land of the free >> reporter: while she may have been a diva, no one can deny that she earned it. ♪ and the home of the of the brave ♪ honoring the queen. with respect, not elizabeth, but aretha.

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♪ ♪ just a little bit just a little bit just a little bit ♪

♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t i know what it means to me ♪ ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t take out the ect ♪ >> respect with a royal flourish. at buckingham palace aretha got the royal treatment from the palace guard. we leave you with the fully orchestrated show of respect. ♪ respect

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