Taylor Swift Holds Moment of Silence for Aretha Franklin at Detroit Concert

Taylor Swift held a moment of silence in remembrance of the late Aretha Franklin at her Tuesday night concert in Detroit — Franklin’s hometown.

“She did so much for music; she did so much for women’s rights; she did so much for civil rights,” Swift said in comments that we taped by fans and posted on social media. “She was one of those people where no matter what you said, no matter what glowing, positive thing you said about her, it would be an understatement. Words could never ever describe how many things she did in her lifetime that made the world a better place, and this is her home.”

“I would like it if we could have a moment of silence so that every single one of us could reflect on our love and respect for her and everything that she did in her life,” Swift continued. “So if we could please cut the lights, we’ll have a moment of silence for Aretha.”

In the past, Swift and Franklin have been linked by a less-friendly moment. During an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2014, when asked about various modern pop stars, Franklin simply commented on Swift’s “great gowns, beautiful gowns” rather than reflect on her musical talents. But it’s worth noting that the R&B icon sang happy birthday to Swift at the Women in Music Awards later that year.

Swift’s words come just days before Franklin’s funeral on Friday, which is scheduled to feature performances by Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Faith Hill, and Ariana Grande.

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