Cecily Tyson, defying time at 93 years of age, gave a show stopping reading — né, a full-on screen performance — at the homegoing service for Aretha Franklin this afternoon. After taking the podium in a glorious hat, Tyson delivered an adaptation of the poem “When Malindy Sings†by Paul Laurence Dunbar that was aptly fashioned into “When Aretha Sings.†She sang. She cried out. She eventually even lost the knot in her pearl necklace. See a portion of Tyson’s address above.
Give Cicely Tyson an Emmy for Her Performance at Aretha Franklin’s Funeral
