Jessye Norman is a barrier-breaking icon that will live on forever. I heard her name often enough growing up and being an arts school kid. Proud to share a hometown with her. https://t.co/ybfFPeoB4i
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
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
In 1993 NY Post columnist Liz Smith wrote: "[Aretha Franklin] must know she’s too bosomy to wear such clothing, but she just doesn't care what we think, and that attitude is what separates mere stars from true divas.”
Rest in power, Aretha. You were not only the Queen of Soul, but a warrior, a survivor, an icon, and a protector. You are Detroit’s heartbeat. Rest well, Queen.
The Obama Diary 