good afternoon to the Franklin family
this is a celebration of a life that was
extremely well led and there is there is
joy in that there's there's happiness
even in that but I I cannot ignore the
sadness that I feel in saying goodbye to
a woman I was privileged to know and who
I long admired before I ever had the
chance to meet her whether I was a
teenager in a basement party in New York
City looking for that special someone to
dance with - ain't no way or a departing
Attorney General of the United States
surprised and delighted that she came
and saying America at my farewell
ceremony Aretha Franklin has always been
a part of my life and I think all of us
can truly truly say that it is hard to
imagine that that magnificent voice has
been stilled that compelling presence
has gone too soon
now she was born a princess her family
made her so but it was through her
talent determination and care for others
that she became a queen
her family shared her with Detroit
Detroit shared her with America this
nation shared her with the world but she
was always ours
she was always ours our princess and
ultimately our queen the issues that
mattered to her were the same concerns
of a people proud of her and who she
never forgot she was that rare queen who
never lost the common touch she could
drop her fur coat on the stage of the
Kennedy Center in front of those with
great power and great wealth and
continue to care about the plight of
poor unfairly treated people in
forgotten parts of this country in her
voice was shared the joys the sadness
the pain and the faith of a people
through the power of her artistry her
voice became universal for all people
now you felt that in her music it was
lyrical it was sweet it was earthy it
was sensual it was righteous and it was
powerful she moved us in ways that no
artist ever had before or since Aretha
Franklin commanded respect she deserve a
deceived it and she also made it
possible for others now hers was a
consequential life beyond the impact
that she had as a great singer and that
should never ever be forgotten in ways
not known to many she was a part of the
movement that set this nation free and
she made one song in particular her own
and it became one of the anthems for
another movement that made women more
equal in short her status as a queen
unlike others who inherit a title her
title was earned
it has been said that hers was a
once-in-a-lifetime voice that is simply
not true
her gift was almost otherworldly there
has never been there will never be
another voice melded to the consummate
artistry that was miss Aretha Franklin
we should all count ourselves fortunate
that we lived at a time when God deign
to share one of his true and unique
gifts with us those who came before us
and those who will come after us will
not have the same privilege that we all
have had she made our lives richer and
she made our lives better
she made this country both more
sensitive and more just a free three
francs comforted us she moved us and she
inspired us God
sang through her I know that she is in a
better place
and is surrounded not now by so many
that she missed for far too long our
days will be a little less bright in our
lives just just a bit empty that is the
impact that this wonderful woman had on
all of us we must now find joy in her
continuing ability through recordings or
videos to connect with one another
especially with those that we love with
her music in the unique way in which she
describes so much of what we all
experience
now I'm gonna end by by paraphrasing
words from what I was probably my
favorite Aretha Franklin song though she
won't call anymore and will sit and wait
in vain our love is true and it's all
for you
Aretha Franklin rest in peace my queen
[Applause]