DETROIT (WXYZ) — On Friday, the family of Aretha Franklin and Mayor Mike Duggan came together to unveil the new Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, formerly known as Chene Park.
It was at Aretha Franklin's funeralback in August that Mayor Duggan announced Chene Park would be renamed after the gospel singer. The announcement received a standing ovation from the crowd. A few days later, City Council passed the resolution to rename Chene Park to the Aretha Franklin Funeral unanimously.
“I was very, very happy at that moment, even though it was a kind of a downer situation, us being at the funeral stuff, it was a very happy moment for our family,” said Aretha Franklin’s son Kecalf Franklin on what it was like finding out the renaming of the park at his mother’s funeral.
The renaming of the theater comes just before the height of the summer concert season. As many as 40 events are planned, and 150,000 guests are expected to enjoy the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre this summer.
“She was a magnificent force that sometimes people didn’t know where it came from," said Shahida Mausi, president of The Right Production. "She really did impact the world."
