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Home · Entertainment

Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson & More Celebs Celebrate Aretha Franklin On Her Birthday

The Queen of Soul Would Have Turned 79 Today
Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson & More Celebs Celebrate Aretha Franklin On Her Birthday
By Kisha Forde · Updated March 25, 2021

To celebrate Aretha Franklin on what would have been her 79th birthday today, many celebrities, including Mariah Carey, Ledisi, and Tevin Campbell, took to social media to show their appreciation for the legacy of the soul singer and record-breaking artist.

Happy DIVA week!!!! Highlighting some of my favorite moments w/these incredible timeless QUEENS of everything!!!!! Enjoy! And LOVE to all the “Typical Aries” (said like Ms. Franklin) in all the land!
Happy Birthday Queen of Soul! pic.twitter.com/72dTmC1eX0

— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) March 25, 2021

The Queen Aretha Franklin was born on this day in 1942. pic.twitter.com/cPfxhx6bZH

— Tevin Campbell (@tevincampbelll) March 25, 2021

I love you. I’m so glad we met and laughed together. Folks are still fussing over you down here. 🤣💫✨⚡️This generation has honored you beautifully. Still….it makes me miss you more. You’ll always be the 👑Queen of Soul Ms. Aretha Franklin! Happy Birthday 3/25! pic.twitter.com/jHa3hkxzun

— ledisi (@ledisi) March 25, 2021

Happy Birthday to my idol. The Queen…#ArethaFranklin ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/x3Ih4j2Tr9

— Stephanie Mills (@PrettyMill1) March 25, 2021
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patrice Covington (@patricecovington)

One of the most touching tributes to the late singer comes from Jennifer Hudson, who took to her Instagram to showcase a mural in development in her honor. Hudson will star as Aretha in an upcoming biopic of the soul singer called RESPECT, which is set for debut later this year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Hudson (@iamjhud)

Cynthia Erivo, whose turn as the Queen of Soul in the National Geographic series Genius: Aretha ended last night, also paid tribute, acknowledging how the Detroit singer opened doors for her before she was even born.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cynthia Erivo (@cynthiaerivo)

Beyoncé also highlighted the singer’s “heavenly birthday” on the homepage of her official website, Beyonce.com.

Franklin helped break barriers when her career began at just 12 years old. She went on to be one of the most recognizable and revered singers to date, becoming the first-ever female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. She was also honored with a Pulitzer Prize for her contribution to music posthumously in 2019. Her legacy continues to be an impactful influence for decades to come.

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