--- title: Aretha Franklin's Death has inspired heartfelt reactions description: Celebrities and fans took to social media to mourn the passing of musical icon and Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. canonical: https://time.com/5365810/aretha-franklin-death-reactions/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-16T14:22:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T18:13:15.000Z og:title: Celebrities Share Tributes to Aretha Franklin After Her Death og:description: "Salute to the queen" og:url: https://time.com/5365810/aretha-franklin-death-reactions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ae009ed4604231b/698937a00a4a227b0f9d36bb/aretha-franklin-death-celebrity-responses.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Elton John AIDS Foundation Commemorates Its 25th Year And Honors Founder Sir Elton John During New York Fall Gala - Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Celebrities Share Tributes to Aretha Franklin After Her Death twitter:description: "Salute to the queen" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ae009ed4604231b/698937a00a4a227b0f9d36bb/aretha-franklin-death-celebrity-responses.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Greatest Vocalist I've Ever Known.' Celebrities Are Responding With Powerful Homages After the Passing of Soul Icon Aretha Franklin > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7dd56938-5c15-4419-853a-ee34176a5552&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:13 PM UTCPublished: Aug 16, 2018 2:22 PM UTC  NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 07: Aretha Franklin performs onstage at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Commemorates Its 25th Year And Honors Founder Sir Elton John During New York Fall Gala at Cathedral of St. John the Divine on November 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/WireImage) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 07: Aretha Franklin performs onstage at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Commemorates Its 25th Year And Honors Founder Sir Elton John During New York Fall Gala at Cathedral of St. John the Divine on November 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/WireImage) Nicholas Hunt—WireImage  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:13 PM UTCPublished: Aug 16, 2018 2:22 PM UTC Musical icon [Aretha Franklin](http://time.com/4898601/) died at the age of 76 in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday morning. The legendary [Queen of Soul](http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19680628,00.html), known for her diva-worthy range and hits like “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman,” was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up singing in the her father’s church in Detroit before becoming an international superstar. During her 6-decade career, Franklin won 18 Grammy awards and was the [first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame](http://time.com/4930561/kira-pollack-time-firsts-iphone/) in 1987. It should come as no surprise that the music icon was widely mourned by celebrities and fans alike, especially by her fellow musical artists. Many of them took to social media to share their condolences, relating emotional tributes and stories to a singer whose work had a profound impact on not only her industry, but culture as a whole. > [](https://twitter.com/johnlegend/status/1030092369906024448) > [](https://twitter.com/ava/status/1030098649395724289) > [](https://twitter.com/Lin%5FManuel/status/1030096908188938240) > [](https://twitter.com/MichaelaAngelaD/status/1030094344437551104) > [](https://twitter.com/chancetherapper/status/1030101065713233920) > [](https://twitter.com/ValerieJarrett/status/1030093050457018368) > [](https://twitter.com/Andy/status/1030093978186776576) > [](https://twitter.com/donwill/status/1030094601351254016) President Donald Trump also commented in tweet, and later an official statement. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1030116078125568006) “I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well. She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific — Aretha Franklin — on her passing. She brought joy to millions of lives and her extraordinary legacy will thrive and inspire many generations to come. She was given a great gift from God — her voice, and she used to well. People loved Aretha. She was a special woman. So just want to pass on my warmest best wishes and sympathies to her family.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5365810/aretha-franklin-death-reactions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5365810/aretha-franklin-death-reactions/"},"headline":"'Greatest Vocalist I've Ever Known.' 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