Detroit (CNN) The hearse that brought Aretha Franklin's body to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit on Tuesday has historical significance.

The ivory, two-door 1940 Cadillac LaSalle also transported the body of Franklin's beloved father, the legendary pastor and civil rights figure the Rev. C.L. Franklin, decades ago.

"Ironically around this time," funeral director O'Neil Swanson II told CNN. "He died in July 1984."

This week, Franklin's home city of Detroit has transformed into a massive tribute to the beloved singer.

Read More