Aretha Franklin, has left us. She was called the Queen of Soul but that does not nearly describe what Aretha could do with whose prodigious vocal gifts.
ReRe’s landmark recordings in the 1960s and early ’70s, such as “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman” made her not only a voice of an era but also a presence in American popular culture for more than half a century.
Aretha was in hospice care at her home in Detroit. This week she received guests who stopped by to say farewell including Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson, and former husband Glenn Thurman. The cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer, according to Ms. Franklin’s publicist. The diagnosis four years ago did not stop the Queen of Soul, who performed until November 2017.
Ms. Franklin was nominated for 44 Grammy Awards, winning 18, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and Grammy Living Legend honors. 14 of her singles sold a million or more copies, the most of any female recording artist. A Kennedy Center honoree in 1994, she was the recipient of the National Medal of Arts, in 1999, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2005. Aretha was the first woman elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1987. In 2008, she sang at Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration.
Click ▶️ to hear Tanya Hart’s Hollywood Live report:
I’m sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin.
— Ms. Ross (@DianaRoss) August 16, 2018
Salute to the Queen. The greatest vocalist I’ve ever known. ?????????? #Aretha
— John Legend (@johnlegend) August 16, 2018
Let’s all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many many years. She will be missed but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever. Love Paul pic.twitter.com/jW4Gpwfdts
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) August 16, 2018
Rest in peace Aretha. ❤ pic.twitter.com/QT7HeY5SIf
— Patti LaBelle (@MsPattiPatti) August 16, 2018
It was a double thrill for me to perform on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera on my 85th birthday and have the Queen of Soul (and heart) Aretha Franklin singing with me….she will be missed by the world. pic.twitter.com/74VM9IYejI
— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) August 16, 2018
Remember when she stepped in last minute for Pavarotti at the Grammys and just shook us all to our core and made us question the universe by singing Nessun Dorma? #RipArethaFranklin https://t.co/Fg5tbxpl9R
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) August 16, 2018
“Looking out on the morning rain
I used to feel so uninspired
And when I knew
I had to face another day
Lord, it made me feel so tired
Before the day I met you
Life was so unkind
But you’re the key to
My peace of mind.”
Her voice/swagger was peerless.
Thank you, #ArethaFranklin pic.twitter.com/5gp0OP10Jf— Ava DuVernay (@ava) August 16, 2018
The greatest voice in American popular music has been stilled. Our beloved #ArethaFranklin has gone. For me, she was a musical lighthouse, guiding and inspiring with every note. I loved her so and love her still. Goodbye, Queen of Soul.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) August 16, 2018
