Banyak Orang Kehilangan Sosok Aretha Franklin

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DETROIT -- Kiprah, talenta, dan semangat penyanyi legendaris Aretha Franklin membuat banyak orang kehilangan. Para figur publik pun memberikan penghormatan terakhir lewat media sosial, termasuk Presiden AS Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Barack dan Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, musisi Paul McCartney, Toni Braxton, dan diva Mariah Carey.

"Aretha Franklin. Sang ratu soul. Sosok ikon. Seorang penyanyi sejati. Musisi terhebat sepanjang hidupku. Kekuatanmu menyuarakan musik dan hak asasi membuka pintu bagiku dan banyak orang lainnya. Kau adalah inspirasi, mentor, dan sahabatku," kata Carey lewat akun Twitter @MariahCarey.

Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul. The Icon. The ultimate singers' singer. The greatest singer and musician of my lifetime. The power of your voice in music and in civil rights blew open the door for me and so many others. You were my inspiration, my mentor and my friend. You showed me I could sing the songs I wanted to sing and bring God with me. You've inspired millions everywhere yet never left home, never left church. Today the entire world mourns your home-going and celebrates all the brilliance you left behind. I will forever cherish the moments I spent in your presence. Your indelible impact was earned not only by your incomparable voice but by your bigger than life personality, wit and humor. I say a BIG prayer for you. You will forever have all our RESPECT. Love, Mariah ♥️

A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Aug 16, 2018 at 9:45am PDT

Sang seniman yang terkenal dengan julukan Ratu Soul meninggal dunia pada usia 76 tahun. Mendiang mengembuskan napas terakhir di kediamannya di Detroit, Amerika Serikat, Kamis (16/8).

Dikutip dari laman Vox, belum ada informasi detail mengenai penyebab kematian perempuan kelahiran Memphis, Tennesee, AS tersebut. Akan tetapi, awal pekan ini dia telah dilaporkan sakit parah. Sejak 2011, dia juga dikabarkan berjuang melawan kanker pankreas.

Lebih dari 60 tahun karier Franklin telah menembus batas dan memecahkan banyak rekor. Selama hampir 40 tahun, dia memegang rekor Billboard sebagai penyanyi perempuan dengan jumlah lagu terbanyak (73 lagu) di Hot 100, sebelum akhirnya dilampaui Nicki Minaj tahun lalu.

America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Aretha Franklin grew up performing gospel songs in her father’s congregation. For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine. Through her compositions and unmatched musicianship, 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. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human. And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance. Aretha may have passed on to a better place, but the gift of her music remains to inspire us all. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. Michelle and I send our prayers and warmest sympathies to her family and all those moved by her song.

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama) on Aug 16, 2018 at 9:38am PDT

Tembang pertamanya yang masuk ke tangga lagu, "Won’t Be Long" dibesut pada 1961 ketika Franklin masih berusia 18 tahun. Pada 1987, dia menjadi perempuan pertama yang namanya tercantum dalam Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Franklin memutuskan pensiun menggelar konser pada November 2017 dengan alasan masalah kesehatan. Pada saat yang sama, perempuan yang selalu menafikan diagnosis kankernya itu merilis album ke-42, bertajuk A Brand New Me.