Aretha Franklin, otherwise known as the 'Queen of Soul'; one of the most universally recognised and talented singers, songwriters and pianists to have ever lived, sadly passed away of advanced pancreatic cancer on Thursday 16th of August 2018 at her home in Detroit. Recent new articles reported of her extreme ill health during the past few days causing her to be gravely ill, more so then, than ever and she was surrounded by family during her death.
The long-reigning legendary soul singer was battling with the illness since 2010, but despite this Franklin only retired from touring last year showing her true musicianship and her commitment to music, however she was planned for two performances later on this year, but had to cancel due to the doctors orders. Her last performance was in New York City at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine for Elton John's 25th anniversary gala for the Elton John Aids Foundation on 7th of November 2017. Sir Elton John has dedicated a heart-felt Instagram post to the star captioned,
"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. I was fortunate enough to spend time with her and witness her last performance - a benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation at St John The Divine Cathedral. She was obviously unwell, and I wasn't sure she could perform. But Aretha did and she raised the roof. She sang and played magnificently, and we all wept. We were witnessing the greatest soul artist of all time. I adored her and worshiped her talent. God bless her. My condolences to all her family and friends. We shared the same birthday - and that meant so much to me. The whole world will miss her but will always rejoice in her remarkable legacy. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. @arethasings #RIP #ArethaFranklin #QueenOfSoul @ejaf "
Tributes have flooded in from presidents, musicians and celebrities all over the globe such as: Donald Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tony Benett, Ms Diana Ross... the list goes on. Many other well established individuals who were influenced or associated with Aretha have also written their tributes online across various social media sites,
No comments:
Post a Comment