The Queen of soul music, Aretha Franklin died in her home in Detroit at the age of 76 on Thursday, August 16.
Read: Aretha Franklin (1942 – 2018): Life and Times Of The Queen Of Soul Music In Pictures
Born in 1942, she was one of the best selling artistes of all time with over 75 million records sold worldwide. Apart from her music, The iconic singer was also a strong activist who was very active with her music and her opinions during the civil rights era.
Here are 10 best quotes from the multiple award-winning artistes.
– “Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that”.
– “Be your own artist, and always be confident in what you’re doing. If you’re not going to be confident, you might as well not be doing it”.
– “We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right”.
– “Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, it’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening”.
– “I am doing what I love to do, and you cannot beat that, especially when the audience appreciates what you prepare for them. It’s very, very gratifying”.
– “Trying to grow up is hurting. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don’t, it hurts even more”.
– “I’ve been around long enough for people to know who I am and what my contributions are. They know me as more than just an artist. I think they know me as a woman as well”.
– “Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well”.
– “Let’s start with the church. As you know, it’s my background, it’s a natural setting for me and it’s definitely my roots”.
– “People really don’t have to give you anything, so appreciate what people give you”.