Barack Obama on Thursday paid tribute to the late “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, praising her “unmatched musicianship” that he said “helped define the American experience.”
“Every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine,” the former US president said in a statement.
“In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade – our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.
She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human.”
“And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance
Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/bfASqKlLc5
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 16, 2018
Watching Aretha Franklin perform at the White House, and on so many other occasions, made time stand still. @BarackObama and I are holding Aretha’s family in our hearts right now. She will forever be our Queen of Soul. pic.twitter.com/NhHsbKijpl
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 16, 2018
Barbra Streisand says not only was Franklin a uniquely brilliant singer, but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world too.
This photo was taken in 2012 when Aretha & I performed at a tribute celebration for our friend Marvin Hamlisch. It’s difficult to conceive of a world without her. Not only was she a uniquely brilliant singer,but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world pic.twitter.com/Px9zVB90MM
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) August 16, 2018
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been criticised for his statement in which he, while conveying his condolences, noted that Franklin worked for him.
Source: EWN
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