Detroit singer Ortheia Barnes, who was known for her rich alto voice , her ministry and her work in Africa, died Friday in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands where she had gone to perform, the Detroit News reports. She was 70.
Swanson Funeral Home in Detroit tells The Associated Press her funeral is May 26 at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church.
Barnes-Kennerly recorded in the 1960s for independent Detroit music labels Mickay Records and Coral Records. She opened shows for Motown Records performers Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight.
Armstrong says if Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, Barnes-Kennerly “was the empress.”
She later turned her career toward speaking and the ministry.
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RIP my dear lady 🙁
My sincere condolences to friends and family. What a wonderful voice we have lost.