Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are among the first to offer their condolences to the Queen of Soul's family.

AceShowbiz - U.S. President Donald Trump and his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have paid homage to Aretha Franklin, who died on Thursday, August 16.

Obama and his wife Michelle were among the first to offer their condolences to the Queen of Soul's family after she lost her fight against pancreatic cancer at the age of 76.

They had been big fans of the legendary musician, who performed the U.S. National Anthem at Barack's 2009 inauguration, and moved him to tears at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, where she belted out (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman in tribute to singer/songwriter Carole King, who was being saluted at the event.

"Aretha helped define the American experience," the former leader wrote on Twitter. "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. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace".

"@BarackObama and I are holding Aretha's family in our hearts right now," Michelle Obama added. "She will forever be our Queen of Soul".

Aretha also took centre stage for Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993 and at a 1997 celebration as he won a second term in office, and he and his wife Hillary issued a joint statement to mourn the passing of "one of America's greatest national treasures".

"She will forever be the Queen of Soul and so much more to all who knew her personally and through her music," they continued in the press release. "Our hearts go out to her family and her countless fans".

And current President Donald Trump commented on the icon's death on Twitter, posting, "The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is dead. She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!".

Meanwhile, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey have also added their tributes on social media.

"RIP to our 'Queen of Soul'," wrote Mary. "True royalty has left our planet. She was the epitome of a strong woman. I'm so grateful to have known you and sung with you. You have blessed us with so much inspiration. I will forever miss you. Thank you for everything".

Calling Aretha the "ultimate singers' singer," Mariah added, "You were my inspiration, my mentor and my friend... Today the entire world mourns your home-going and celebrates all the brilliance you left behind. I will forever cherish the moments I spent in your presence. Your indelible impact was earned not only by your incomparable voice but by your bigger than life personality, wit and humor. I say a BIG prayer for you. You will forever have all our RESPECT".

And British soul sensation Adele shared her grief with fans on Instagram.

Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul. The Icon. The ultimate singers' singer. The greatest singer and musician of my lifetime. The power of your voice in music and in civil rights blew open the door for me and so many others. You were my inspiration, my mentor and my friend. You showed me I could sing the songs I wanted to sing and bring God with me. You've inspired millions everywhere yet never left home, never left church. Today the entire world mourns your home-going and celebrates all the brilliance you left behind. I will forever cherish the moments I spent in your presence. Your indelible impact was earned not only by your incomparable voice but by your bigger than life personality, wit and humor. I say a BIG prayer for you. You will forever have all our RESPECT. Love, Mariah ♥️

A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on

"I can't remember a day of my life without Aretha Franklin's voice and music filling up my heart with so much joy and sadness," she wrote. "Absolutely heartbroken she's gone, what a woman. Thank you for everything, the melodies and the movements".

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