Today, we celebrate the life of Aretha Franklin, who passed away on August 16th 2018.
This past weekend, the film Respect hit theaters. Respect is a biopic that chronicles the life of the Queen of Soul. It's only fitting that this the film was released around the three year anniversary of her death. In Respect, Jennifer Hudson portrays the legendary singer, and her performance has been met with critical acclaim. Today, Hudson shared a 2016 clip of Franklin singing and playing the piano to Twitter:
Franklin’s legacy certainly does live on in musicians like Hudson herself. Other musicians who have cited Franklin as an inspiration include Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, and Amy Winehouse. Blige happens to be one of Hudson’s co-stars in Respect; ironically, Blige portrays Dinah Washington who was one of Aretha Franklin’s biggest inspirations. Blige told Oprah:
"When I first heard that it was Jennifer [playing Aretha], I was happy because that's a no-brainer. Jennifer is an amazing singer. She has that thing in her voice like Aretha has in her voice. She could sing anything."
Not only did Hudson get the seal of approval from Blige, but one of Franklin’s dearest friends, Smokey Robinson took to Twitter to praise Hudson’s performance:
Can't wait to see the new movie @IAMJHUD. Aretha would be proud! #Respect https://t.co/dEryH9tHj7— Smokey Robinson (@Smokey Robinson) 1628865961.0
Robinson shared a photo of him and Hudson along with the sentiment that she made Franklin proud. Robinson and Franklin were not only good friends, but they were also contemporaries. The two were both inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year, 1987. Franklin was the first female inductee.
Three years ago, the world lost one of the greatest singers to ever live. Aretha's music will continue to inspire p… https://t.co/IND8F6Dd1h— Aretha Franklin (@Aretha Franklin) 1629125533.0
The Aretha you know is only half the story. Don't miss @IAMJHUD as the Queen of Soul in #RespectMovie – Only In The… https://t.co/MVgMezzxvb— RESPECT: The Aretha Franklin Movie (@RESPECT: The Aretha Franklin Movie) 1627585200.0
Respect is in theaters now.
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