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“We’re Going Riding On The Freeway…” This news is super special because highways are often reserved for politicians. Yaaaassssss! Click here to read more.

The historic Chene Park Amphitheatre in Detroit was renamed to The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre following Aretha’s passing last year. Yesterday, the unveiling of the sign and the dedication happened with The Franklin Family and Mayor Mike Duggan. Click here to read more.

On This Good Friday: Brenda Franklin-Corbett, Aretha’s cousin, affectionately known as Cousin Brenda with the one and only Richard Smallwood, who ministered today at Triumph Church in Detroit. Cousin Brenda toured with Aretha for more than 50 years. Richard is like family to The Franklins. He loves Aretha; and Aretha loved Richard. In fact, Richard saw “Amazing Grace” three times and counting. Amazing Grace is open in theaters across the country. For locations and time listings, please visit http://amazing-grace-movie.com. Happy Easter!

Amazing Grace is in theaters nationwide tomorrow, April 19th (Good Friday). Get tickets now: http://amazing-grace-movie.com.

Aretha Franklin was just awarded a Pulitzer Prize (Special Citation). She is the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. Aretha is still opening doors for women in her death. Since 1944 (75 years to date), only 13 people have received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation (so this is not presented annually). Other recipients of the Special Citation includes Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Ray Bradbury, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, William Schuman, Milton Babbitt, Scott Joplin, Roger Sessions, Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein II.

GREAT NEWS: “Amazing Grace” expands to 15 cities tomorrow, April 12th before its wide release on April 19th.

Tomorrow, April 5th, Amazing Grace opens in New York City and Los Angeles. Check out the entrance of the Angelika Film Center in New York City. Other locations in NYC include Regal (E-Walk 13), AMC (Lincoln Square 13), and Cinemas (1, 2, and 3). In Los Angeles, the locations are AMC (Burbank 16), Pacific ArcLight Hollywood), Cinemark (Baldwin Hills 15), and The Landmark 12 (West Los Angeles). Amazing Grace opens wide on April 19th (Easter weekend).

It was a movie premiere with meaning — and lots of hometown heart — Monday night as Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace at last made its Detroit premiere, ahead of its nationwide release in April. … There was an extra resonance to the night: Monday would have been the singer’s 77th birthday.

Read more at USA Today.

Family members celebrated Aretha Franklin on what would have been the Queen of Soul’s 77th birthday Monday with a memorial service and a screening of a documentary film.

Read more at the Associated Press.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

“After decades of mystique and months of buildup, Aretha Franklin’s ‘Amazing Grace’ at last has a hometown premiere date. The late singer’s much-celebrated gospel film will premiere at the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Detroit Film Theatre on March 25 — the late Queen of Soul’s birthday. The black-tie event is private, though there will be limited complimentary ticket access for supporting patrons of the event’s three co-presenters: the DIA, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Freep Film Festival. – Detroit Free Press