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Celebs, fans mourn the death of Queen of Soul
Fans, music legends and US presidents paid tribute to Aretha Franklin, 76, the greatest soul artist of all time, died on Thursday. Many music lovers gathered at New York City’s landmark Apollo Theatre and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to pay their respects to the legendary artist.
The artist known for hits such as Respect, I Say a Little Prayer and A Natural Woman, died on August 16 at her home in Detroit from pancreatic cancer after a long struggle with health problems.
“My heart feels empty,” said Sheila Black, 51, as she recalled listening to Franklin’s Another Night Without You to get over her heartbreak. “Her music will live forever. I’m just so sad that we had to lose her.”
Celebrities, too, mourned the death of the singer. “I can’t remember a day of my life without Aretha Franklin’s voice and music filling up my heart with so much joy and sadness. Absolutely heartbroken she’s gone, what a woman. Thank you for everything, the melodies and the movements,” singer Adele wrote on Instagram.
Singer Elton John hailed her as the “greatest soul artist of all time.” He wrote on Instagram, “The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music: Music from the heart, the soul and the Church. Her voice was unique, her piano playing underrated — she was one of my favourite pianists.”
Singer Paul McCartney wrote on Twitter, “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.”
Recalling her contribution to the Civil Rights movement in the US, former US President Barack Obama said, “Through her compositions and unmatched musicianship, 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. 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.”