Country music world pays its respects to the Queen of Soul
Willie Nelson and Faith Hill among the stars remembering Aretha
Last updated 17th Aug 2018
Like a true Queen, Aretha Franklin was always inspiring others. She’d been doing so since she made her debut in the mid-1960s. She was the reason Kelly Clarkson started singing the way she does. She taught Martina McBride where to take a song. She influenced Reba and her music will live forever for Travis Tritt.
As word of Franklin’s passing spread, nearly everyone in the the country community women, men, beginners and legends had something to say on social media about how the soul singer touched their lives. While some had never met Franklin, some country stars were able to share memories of the time they’d spent with her, both on and off the stage.
Newcomer Abby Anderson had never met the legendary singer, but she shared how much she treasured Franklin’s music. “My mom showed me a video of Aretha Franklin when I was seven to convince me to stay in piano lessons. It worked. She changed my life and I listen to her every day. To the woman whose voice and music will live forever, long love the queen,” Anderson wrote on Instagram with a video of her singing and playing Franklin’s 1967 “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Franklin may of passed on, but her influence, her charisma and passion will still continue to encourage others to get involved in music.