Music

Stevie Wonder choked back tears during an interview in which he revealed his last words to Aretha Franklin before she died.

Stevie joined "CBS This Morning" Friday and almost immediately got emotional when asked about his last real conversation with the Queen of Soul, which was about 2 months ago. Stevie -- who said Aretha couldn't talk when he visited her Tuesday -- said he told her to "say hello to my sister."

Stevie's sister died earlier this year. Reports say her decomposed body was found in her home.

Stevie revealed there were plans to do some music together ... including a duet with Aretha for a song he'd written. Aretha and Stevie were incredibly close. She covered Stevie's 'Until You Come Back to Me' and they performed it together at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in 2005.

8/17 -- The celebration will be a 4-day event. Her body will lie in state for 2 days at the Charles H. Wright museum, and her funeral will be held at Greater Grace Temple on August 31 -- just for close friends and family.

8:39 PM PT -- Family sources tell us the viewing will be an open casket. And, there will be singing ... lots of singing.

Aretha Franklin's family knows a massive turnout's expected to honor the legendary singer -- and a church just won't cut it -- so they'll hold her public viewing at a much larger venue ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the family tell us ... the memorial for the Queen of Soul will be held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. We're told the location was chosen to accommodate the thousands expected to show up. Aretha was also a frequent visitor.

As of now, no date's been set ... and it's unclear if it will be open casket.

Our sources say Aretha's family determined a traditional church service for her viewing just wasn't an option because of the projected turnout.

The museum was also the site of Rosa Parks' viewing in 2005.

As we reported ... Franklin died Thursday at her home in Detroit surrounded by friends and family after a long battle with cancer.

5:48 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us as they were leaving, a member of Thug's crew ran into a police cruiser, prompting the vehicle search which uncovered the weapons.

Young Thug was busted by cops after they allegedly found the rapper and members of his crew in possession of multiple weapons.

Thug held a party at Dave & Buster's Hollywood Thursday for the release of his new album, "Slime Language," that also was serving as his 27th birthday party. In a video shot outside the venue, officers can be seen escorting the rapper in handcuffs to a waiting police cruiser.

YT was booked just after 3 AM for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony.

He's currently being held on a $35,000 bond.

Wesley Snipes took a crack at his favorite Aretha Franklin tune and it was ... super entertaining.

We got the action star Tuesday night leaving Hyde nightclub on the Sunset Strip ... where he paid tribute to the Queen of Soul. Wesley bowed down to her and then exercised his pipes.

Our photog asks Wesley to take us out with an Aretha song. He finds it "impossible" but quickly changes his tune with "Mary, Don't You Weep."

Ariana Grande did something she did not want to do today, but powered through in honor of Aretha Franklin and then broke down in tears.

Production sources tell us Ariana was scheduled to appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Thursday ... but she was only going to do a comedy skit. She was not going to sing.

When she arrived on set, producers asked her if she would perform an Aretha song in honor of the late singer. Ariana told them she couldn't do it ... she was just too emotional in the wake of her death. She said Aretha was one of her heroes.

We're told Questlove then approached Ariana and convinced her it would be awesome for her to perform an Aretha song with the Roots.

Ariana changed her mind and opened the show with 'Natural Woman.' It's the first thing you'll see if you watch the show. Ariana brought the house down and got a standing O.

We're told when Ariana left the stage she broke down in tears.

Aretha Franklin taught us all the meaning of "Respect" ... and the iconic singer truly lived by those words ... so says the son of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King III says Aretha was committed to the cause as a friend and supporter of his dad.

In fact, Aretha's father, C.L. Franklin, marched alongside MLK during the civil rights movement. They were both Baptist ministers.

The R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Aretha Franklin has spread across Detroit, with memorials on display on some of the most famous buildings in the place the Queen of Soul called home.

The Fox Theatre, Comerica Park and Little Caesars Arena have all put up tributes to Aretha with the message "Forever Our Queen" ... while fans have added balloons and gifts to Aretha Franklin Way.

The Fillmore Detroit and the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts have also posted messages of love for Franklin on their marquees. A memorial has popped up in front of New Bethel Baptist Church, which was founded by Aretha's father.

Aretha passed away Thursday in her Detroit home, and has received an outpouring of heartfelt and emotional shout-outs from countless celebs ... including Barack and Michelle Obama.

She was 76.

Aretha Franklin's body has been removed from her home and is en route to a funeral home.

A hearse was spotted at the Queen of Soul's Detroit condo building Thursday, several hours after she passed away.

Family sources tell TMZ they have struggled this week, as news broke Aretha was in her final days of life. The family wanted privacy as they said goodbye and grieved, but also understood their relative was a national treasure and felt the grief must be shared.

The family has not announced plans for a funeral or a memorial, but there are already plans for multiple memorials in various forms in Aretha's hometown. In addition, a tribute concert will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City in November.

Even cancer couldn't drain Aretha Franklin's optimism ... and the Queen of Soul was looking forward to getting back on the mic, as late as last week ... so says the producer of her upcoming biopic.

Aretha was intimately involved in the pre-production of her biopic, spending hours with producer Harvey Mason Jr.

Harvey says Aretha has signed off on the perfect person to play her ... Jennifer Hudson, who has the pipes and the acting cred to pull off the role.

The movie centers around Aretha's journey to discover her true voice and who she wanted to be as an artist. The film doesn't have a release date and there are no plans to speed the production in the wake of Aretha's passing.

Al Sharpton wants someone to blast Donald Trump with a little of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" ... 'cause dude really needs it.

We got the reverend out in NYC Thursday and, of course, had to ask him about The Queen of Soul passing away several hours earlier. Al paid heavy tribute and went down memory lane when it came to her iconic performances.

But more than anything, Al says on the heels of Trump calling Omarosa a dog he, more than anyone else, should soak in the classic track. As we reported ... Aretha died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

Aretha Franklin, known for having one of the greatest voices in music history, and for hits like "Respect," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" ... died Thursday after a long battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Aretha passed away in her Detroit home where she was under hospice care. She'd been in failing health for many months and she was down to 86 pounds. One source told us he was informed more than a week ago that Aretha could go at any time.

She was surrounded by friends and family when she passed. Her family released a statement, saying, "In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family."

She had appeared incredibly frail in recent years, and rarely performed live. Her most recent appearance was last November for Elton John's AIDS Foundation 25th Anniversary Benefit.

Aretha's career is just incredible. Born in Memphis in 1942, her family eventually relocated to Detroit where she began singing in her father's church. She was such a powerhouse gospel singer, she landed a Columbia record deal in the early '60s.

Her string of chart-topping hits began with her Atlantic Records deal in 1967.

Aretha's achievements in the late '60s were remarkable for any artist, but especially so for a black woman in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. She held the record for the most entries on the Hot 100 list of any female artist for nearly 40 years, only to be dethroned in 2017 by Nicki Minaj.

She won 18 Grammys and was the first woman ever inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Aretha delivered a powerful rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" -- while wearing that unforgettable hat -- at Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration.

Throughout her career, Aretha was known for delivering incredible one-off live performances, including at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors show where she sang 'Natural Woman' in honor of the song's co-writer, Carole King.

The Queen of Soul was 76. She is survived by her 4 sons.

RIP

The perfect way to remember Aretha Franklin is through her music ... and the Queen of Soul is now topping the charts on iTunes.

Aretha has the No. 1 song, "Respect," and the top album, "30 Greatest Hits." She also has 3 more tracks in the Top 10.

It's not just her songs that are getting major play ... Aretha has the No. 2 music vid, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." The jam features George Michael.

The hits keep coming ... Aretha has 3 more tracks in the Top 40, for a total of 7 -- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is No. 2; "I Say A Little Prayer" is No. 4; "Chain of Fools" is No. 9; "Think" is No. 14; "Until You Come Back to Me" is No. 24; "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" is No. 36.

As we reported ... Aretha died in her Detroit home Thursday after a long battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

Aretha Franklin's death is making waves around the world -- and Hollywood is no exception, where hordes of people are paying tribute to her shining star ... and we were there to catch the crowds.

The Queen of Soul's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is quickly becoming a major center of attraction Thursday in the wake of of the iconic singer's death. Folks have been leaving flowers left and right -- and now it looks like a major gathering is happening as well.

As we reported ... Aretha passed away at her Detroit home. She died of advanced pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

1:40 PM PT -- Sophie just tweeted her own explanation of the photo, saying "Lol. Thank god I have a loving fiance. Periods are a bitch."

Joe Jonas should've asked for a box of tissues for his birthday.

Joe had a mini-crisis on his hands Wednesday in the Big Apple as he consoled fiancee Sophie Turner. The "Game of Thrones" actress looked distressed as they walked around the city.

It's not clear why Sophie was crying ... maybe she's lamenting Joe's final bday in his 20s? The middle Jo bro turned 29.

What a difference a few days can make ... Joe and Sophie spent Monday double fisting fruity drinks and sucking face in Miami.

Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ... and the org has already rolled out a new display to honor the singer.

Franklin -- who was inducted back in 1987 -- once gifted the HOF a Valentino dress she'd worn at Radio City Music Hall during an appearance in 1979. The Hall put that dress on display as a tribute to the Queen of Soul.

President and CEO of the Rock Hall, Greg Harris, tells us, "Lady Soul. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Franklin was an artist of passion, sophistication and command, whose recordings remain anthems that defined soul music. Long live the Queen.”

Barack & Michelle Obama say America has no royalty ... but the Queen of Soul is as close as we get.

The former Prez just weighed in on the passing of the legendary Aretha Franklin, saying from the time she began performing in her father's congregation, "every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine."

Obama adds that Aretha helped define the experience of being an American, helped us feel more hopeful and connected ... and sometimes helped us "just forget about everything else and dance."

And for that ... 44 says Franklin has earned and deserves nothing but our respect.

Aretha's performance at Obama's inauguration in 2009 was powerful and unforgettable ... one of the highlights of an historic day.