Supernatural salute for Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin during Detroit Tigers’ tribute

Franklin, 76, died last week at her home in the Motor City, surrounded by family and friends after a lengthy illness.

Tributes have been pouring in for the woman whose songs came to represent both the women’s movement and the civil rights movement. When the rainbow appeared over the baseball field while the Tigers were honoring Franklin, many on social media called it a surprising, but fitting tribute.

Franklin’s image on the field’s big screen with the letters to one of her most iconic songs R-E-S-P-E-C-T was framed by the colorful phenomenon and captured in a photo the team posted on social media.

The Queen of Soul will be laid to rest next week after several days of public viewing at the Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History in Detroit and at New Bethel Baptists Church, which her father founded. A private funeral ceremony for family and friends is scheduled at Greater Grace Temple next Friday.