Lester b pearson full biography of aretha
•
'No one did it better' - Reaction to Aretha Franklin's death
Reaction to the death of soul icon Aretha Franklin, who died Thursday:
"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." — Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, in a statement.
___
"This morning my longest friend in this world went home to be with our father. I will miss her so much but I know she's at peace." — Smokey Robinson, in a statement.
___
"The most consistent voice in music for 60 years has been Aretha Franklin's voice... The world of music has lost a bit of its soul." — Jesse Jackson, in an AP interview.
___
"It's difficult to conceive of a world without her. Not only was she a uniquely brilliant singer, but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world." — Barbra Streisand, via Twitter.
___
"A national treasure to everyone. But to me personally, Aretha Franklin was my dear, dear friend, my hom
•
Aretha Franklin's sons battle over handwritten wills 5 years later
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Five years after her death, the final wishes of music superstar Aretha Franklin are still unsettled.
An unusual trial begins next Monday to determine which of two handwritten wills, including one found in couch cushions, will guide how her estate is handled.
The Queen of Soul, who had four sons, did not have a formal, typewritten will in place, despite years of health problems and efforts to get one done. But under Michigan law, it's still possible to treat other documents — with scribbles, scratch-outs and hard-to-read passages — as her commands.
The dispute is pitting a son against other sons. Ted White II believes papers dated in 2010 should mainly control the estate, while Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin favour a 2014 document. Both were discovered in Franklin's suburban Detroit home, months after her death from pancreatic cancer in 2018 at age 76.
“Does it surprise me that someone passed away before they had their ducks in a row? The answer is never,” said Pat Simasko, who specialises in wills and estates and teaches elder law at Michigan State University College of Law.
“This can be settled any time, on the steps, halfway through trial,” he said. “And hopefully
•