Aretha Franklin honored in Cleveland tribute

CLEVELAND (AP) - Franklin received a key to the city from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson during the Saturday event and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Case Western Reserve University...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

CLEVELAND (AP) – Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has been honored with a star-studded tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

The Plain Dealer reports that Lauryn Hill, Dennis Edwards of the Temptations and Chaka Khan were among those who entertained. The 69-year-old soul singer was not scheduled to perform, but toward the end of the three-hour event she took a seat at a piano and traded verses with Edwards in a rendition of “A Song for You.”

Franklin received a key to the city from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson during the Saturday event and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Case Western Reserve University.

The show ended a weeklong American Music Masters tribute to her.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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