Darius Rucker paid tribute to Aretha Franklin at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in her hometown of suburban Detroit on Friday by performing her 1967 hit "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)."
"When I was a kid, only two people ruled my world—Al Green and Aretha Franklin," the singer said ahead of playing the song. "I've been watching everybody do their tributes to [her], but I said, 'I'm gonna wait 'til I get to Detroit to do mine," he added.
Franklin, who was suffering from cancer, died at 76 on August 16.
On that day, Rucker wrote on Twitter: "We lost one of the most important all time greats today. My love goes out to her family. Love you Aretha. That band in Heaven just got a lot better!!."
The legendary singer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010. Despite undergoing surgery and frequent illness, she performed on stage regularly, as recently as last year.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Entertainment News
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.