Aretha Franklin made a special trip to Detroit earlier this week for the premiere of the upcoming film Sparkle. She appeared with leading actress Jordin Sparks, who stars in the picture alongside the late Whitney Houston.
Aretha also spoke on the loss, saying she is proud of Whitney's last artistic offering:
"I came out because it was Whitney's last performance. I am glad that if it had to be her last performance, it fell in the hands of [producer] Bishop T.D. Jakes."
On the red carpet Sparks said that while it was "good to be back" in Motor City, it's been hard to adjust to the loss of her mentor:
"It comes in waves. Sometimes I can't believe she's not here."
The film opens nationwide on August 17.
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