Saturday, August 18, 2018
Aretha’s funeral set for Aug. 31 in Detroit
NEW YORK
Aretha Franklin’s funeral will be Aug. 31 in her hometown of Detroit.
The late singer’s publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, said Friday that the funeral, to take place at Greater Grace Temple, is limited to the Queen of Soul’s family and friends.
Public viewings will take place Aug. 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. Franklin died Thursday at her home in Detroit from pancreatic cancer. She was 76.
Meanwhile, the MTV Video Music Awards plans on honoring the legacy of Franklin – they’re just not sure how they will do it.
The VMAs will air live Monday. Show executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic tells The Associated Press on Friday that his team is “working on a lot of different options.”
The VMAs will be at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Jefferson Airplane co-founder: Botched surgery ruined career
NEW YORK
A co-founder of Jefferson Airplane is accusing a New York City hospital of destroying his musical career with a botched tracheotomy after heart surgery in 2016.
A lawsuit filed by Marty Balin against the operators of Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital alleges the singer and guitarist lost part of his tongue and has a paralyzed vocal cord due to injuries caused by the doctor who did the procedure. It also claims his left thumb had to be amputated because of care that was “reckless, careless and negligent.”
A lawyer for Balin, 76, and his wife sued Thursday in federal court in Manhattan. They’re seeking unspecified damages.
Balin, along with guitarist Paul Kantner, formed Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco in the mid-1960s at the height of the psychedelic era. The band’s signature hits include “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit.”
Stan Lee gets 3-year restraining order
LOS ANGELES
Stan Lee’s restraining order against a former business manager was extended for three years Friday, in another apparent step toward stability for the Marvel Comics mogul after a tumultuous year.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Keya Morgan to stay away from the Marvel Comics mogul and his family, making permanent a previous temporary restraining order that Lee’s lawyers had received.
The 95-year-old Lee has been the subject of a power struggle involving his daughter, Morgan, and others who sought roles in his business after the death last year of Lee’s wife, Joan, who was his de facto manager and closest adviser.
Associated Press