Getty Hillary Clinton honored Aretha Franklin with a nod to one of her most famous songs on early Thursday morning.
Hillary Clinton honored the late Aretha Franklin in an eloquent tweet earlier Thursday morning, after news of Franklin’s passing was made public.
Clinton tweeted, “Mourning the loss today of @ArethaFranklin who shared her spirit and talent with the world. She deserves not only our RESPECT but also our lasting gratitude for opening our eyes, ears and hearts. Rest in eternal peace, my friend.”
Mourning the loss today of @ArethaFranklin who shared her spirit and talent with the world. She deserves not only our RESPECT but also our lasting gratitude for opening our eyes, ears and hearts. Rest in eternal peace, my friend.
Clinton’s play on ‘RESPECT’ was, of course, a nod to one of Franklin’s most famous songs, when she spells out the word and says, “Find out what it means to me.”
Franklin was a long-time symbol of the striving for equality and respect for all races, genders, and ethnicities, having been quoted as saying, “We all require or want respect; man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.”
Franklin passed away on August 16 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, with her family and friends reportedly by her side.
Several other notable politicians have spoken out of her passing. Former president Bill Clinton tweeted, “Like people all around the world, Hillary and I are thinking about Aretha Franklin tonight & listening to her music that has been such an important part of our lives the last 50 years. We hope you’ll lift her up by listening and sharing her songs that have meant the most to you.”
CNN Commentator Marc Lamont Hill tweeted of Franklin, “Although Aretha Franklin garnered unparalleled success as a singer, people never fully appreciated that she was writing, arranging, and playing too. She wasn’t just a magical voice. She was a MUSICAL GENIUS.”