Actor and former fashion model Cicely Tyson was praised for the church hat at Aretha Franklin's funeral at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit on Friday. The award-winning actress, who appeared in movies like The Help and Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, sat next to the famed director at Franklin's service. Tyson's hat turned heads and was widely celebrated on Twitter. Her name quickly became a top-trending Twitter topic.
Some tweets from netizens who supported her look have been shared below:
Cicely Tyson wore a pre-approved hat from Aretha ! Baby that thang is covering the whole church with the blood of Jesus #arethafranklin #arethahomegoing pic.twitter.com/VH50C4DQ58
— 💙JT Stan Account 11/25 💋 BLM (@pjlovespj) August 31, 2018
Cicely Tyson, the Black Community's Mother looks gorgeous.#ArethaHomegoing pic.twitter.com/KfDgOeJGk7
— N'Kosi O. (@NKosiOates) August 31, 2018
When auntie Cicely Tyson and her hat walked into the church I knew then what type of day it was going to be 🙌🏾 #ArethaFranklinHomegoing pic.twitter.com/stJsp4o9zW
— xoNecole (@xonecole) August 31, 2018
The Queen of Soul died at her home in Detroit on August 16 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 76 years old. "I am so saddened to report that the Queen of Soul and my good friend Aretha Franklin is gravely ill," Gwendolyn Quinn, her longtime representative confirmed to the Associated Press at the time. "I spoke with her family members this morning. She is asking for your prayers at this time. I'll have more details as I'm allowed to release."
The legendary singer is best known for hits like "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Respect," "Chain of Fools," "Freeway of Love," "Natural Woman" and "Baby I Love You."
Franklin's granddaughter, Victorie, elegized the Queen of Soul. "I remember when I was a kid people used to always ask me what does it feel like to be Aretha Franklin's granddaughter? I would always shrug my shoulders and go I don't know. It's just my grandma," she said.
Victorie added: "When I would go to her shows and watch her sing it would be the best feeling in the world. Nothing sounded better to me than the way my grandma sings. Her voice made you feel something. You felt every word, every note, every emotion in the songs she sang. Her voice brought peace."
She was overwhelmed by everyone's tributes. "It feels amazing to see a woman so fierce, so courageous, gifted, so respected and to be able to call that my grandmother, to know that I have that running through my blood and that she's a part of who I am," she said.
