If you stop by the Franklin Ave. subway station today, you may see an Aretha Franklin tribute.
Aretha Franklin, the iconic singer known as the Queen of Soul, died on Thursday. Aug. 16 at 76 years old. She passed away in her home in Detroit due to pancreatic cancer.
New York street artists have taken to honoring the singer in a unique way, with some temporary stencil art at the Franklin Avenue subway station in Brooklyn.
“Saddened by the passing of Aretha Franklin and wanted to do something to show respect to the Queen of Soul,” one of the artists said in an email to Metro.
That artist behind the memorial is trying to keep a low profile, he said, in case MTA Transit Police aren’t too happy with the Aretha Franklin artwork — which was just done in spray chalk, he assured, and is easily removable.
Brooklyn County of Kings paying R-E-S-P-E-C-T to the #QueenofSoul Aretha Franklin with temporary street art @BPEricAdams @RobertCornegyJr @cmlauriecumbo @TishJames @RepJeffries @RepYvetteClarke @News12BK @NY1 @bklyner @TIDAL @Daydog @LondellMcMillan @Essence @TheRoot @BKStreetArt pic.twitter.com/asj8v13mGM
— Chris Wallace Way BK (@CWWayBK) August 16, 2018
The subway station’s upper and lower platforms both received the “Aretha” addition. The artists are the same who honored Biggie Smalls, the iconic Brooklyn-born rapper, on another spot a few streets away back in 2015.
Aretha Franklin tributes in NYC
The Aretha Franklin Avenue subway station art isn’t the first such tribute to the powerhouse singer. Earlier this week, the Franklin Street subway station in Tribeca saw an Aretha Franklin homage as well, with some of her lyrics pasted on the station’s steps and walls.
“Say a little prayer for Aretha,” one of the pop-up art pieces read on the station’s steps.
An event celebrating the life of Aretha Franklin is already scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 16 in Brooklyn, as well. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Celebrating the life & music of Aretha Franklin, “Queen of Soul” will start at 10:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Avenue, featuring a Dj set by Talib Kweli. Check out more on that here.
