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Today, the entire world is remembering the incredible legacy of the late great Aretha Franklin, including the first African American President and First Lady of the United States.
From singing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at Barack Obama's first (and historic) inauguration ceremony in 2009, to performing at the Obama White House, to bringing Obama to tears during her 2015 performance of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" at the 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, the Obamas are among the many lives that Franklin touched.
Taking to social media to pay tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time, Obama wrote:
"America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Aretha Franklin grew up performing gospel songs in her father’s congregation. For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine. 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.
Aretha may have passed on to a better place, but the gift of her music remains to inspire us all. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. Michelle and I send our prayers and warmest sympathies to her family and all those moved by her song."
Michelle Obama also shared her respects to the Queen of Soul on her social pages.
Photo credit: Mandel Ngan
She wrote: "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."
We second that. Aretha Franklin will "forever be our Queen of Soul."