Van Wezel Welcomes Valerie Simpson And Damien Sneed For A Tribute To Aretha Franklin: The Queen Of Soul

The Van Wezel has announced special guests for the upcoming performance A Tribute to Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul on Wednesday Feb. 9th at 8 p.m.

In A Tribute to Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul, 6-time Grammy Nominee and renowned singer and songwriter, Valerie Simpson plays the role of soul legend, Aretha Franklin. Simpson is half of the songwriting-performing-producing entity known as Ashford & Simpson. Their award-winning collaborations began in the late '60s when she, along with her late husband Nick Ashford, penned classic hits such as, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand," "I'm Every Woman," and many others that were made famous by Aretha Franklin.

A Tribute to Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul features Damien Sneed who pays homage to the icon with fresh renditions of the beloved hits including "Respect," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Think," "Until You Come Back To Me," "Daydreaming," "Natural Woman" and more. Damien Sneed is a musician, vocalist, and composer who toured with Aretha Franklin and developed a strong mentor relationship with the soul legend.

The performance features an all-star cast of jazz, gospel and soul musicians and vocalists. Sneed's multi-media tribute honors the life of Aretha Franklin, an iconic industry titan for the ages.

Tickets are $37-$77 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattison's at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office.

For the latest Safety Protocols, visit the Van Wezel's Safety Page. Protocols will be revisited and revised as circumstances evolve.

Future updates can be found at www.VanWezel.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.