About 500 people holding tickets for the premiere of Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace" tonight will not be greeted for overbooking.

Those who obtained free tickets through the Detroit Institute of the Arts or the Gratil Film Festival were notified by email.

Their tickets will be honored during a specially organized screening at 19:30. Tuesday at the Detroit Film Theater, site of the first edition of tonight. Free parking for Tuesday's participants will be offered at the John R grounds at the DIA.

Aretha Franklin in "Amazing Grace" in 1972 (Photo: Alan Elliott)

Those who received their first night tickets through the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will be staying tonight.

An e-mail addressed to the concerned ticket holders has reported "an unexpected interest from the family and friends of Aretha Franklin".

"There was a lot more interest than even the family had expected," DIA spokeswoman Christine Kloostra told Free Press. She said that given the situation of Monday night – Franklin's birthday, the first of his hometown – "we made every effort to welcome friends and family."

"It's nobody's fault, and it's the best solution to what turned out to be an unexpected situation," Kloostra said.

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Aaron Velthoven, Executive Producer of the Film Festival, said:

"As one of three co-presenters of the premiere of 'Amazing Grace', with the Detroit Film Theater of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright History Museum African-American event organizers have given us the opportunity to give an award of tickets for tonight's event to our customers on a first-come, first-served basis.

"This morning, we learned that the main organizers had overbooked the event and that the tickets of our customers are now valid for tomorrow evening, Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30 pm Detroit Film Theater Detroit Institute of Arts.

"This is an unfortunate circumstance and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment that it may have caused to our customers."

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