Celebrities Pay Tribute to the Late Aretha Franklin on Twitter

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, has passed away at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer.
The singing sensation’s representative Gwendolyn Quinn confirmed the news on Thursday.

Franklin, who was known for hits that include “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Natural Woman,” received many tributes on social media from celebrities as well as the president.

President Donald Trump tweeted, “The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!”

Former president Barack Obama tweeted, “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. ”

Paul McCartney remarked, “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. Love Paul.”

According to Franklin’s publicist Gwendolyn Quinn, who spoke to the Associated Press through a family statement, Franklin died Thursday at 9:50 a.m. at her home in Detroit. The statement said
“Franklin’s official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin’s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute” in Detroit.

The family said: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”

“We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

Apple’s Tim Cook tweeted, “We mourn the passing of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Her voice will keep lifting us, through the music she gave the world. Our thoughts are with her family, her loved ones and fans everywhere. Take her hand, precious Lord, and lead her home.”

Hugh Jackman said, “One of the highlights of my career was singing with #ArethaFranklin at The Tony Awards. It was an out of body experience for me. One of greatest singers of all time. You will be missed by all.”