Aretha Franklin Dead at 76: Barbra Streisand, John Legend and More React

Th legendary singer died on Thursday, leaving behind a legacy few artists will ever match.

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin died on Thursday, leaving behind a legacy few artists will ever match.

Franklin was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and undoubtedly influenced some of music's biggest stars. Not surprisingly, everyone from Barbra Streisand to John Legend have taken to social media to pay their respects to the Queen of Soul.

Streisand shared a photo of the two together along with an emotional message.

"This photo was taken in 2012 when Aretha & I performed at a tribute celebration for our friend Marvin Hamlisch," she wrote. "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."

Meanwhile, Legend posted: "Salute to the Queen. The greatest vocalist I've ever known. ?????????? #Aretha."

Nicki Minaj opened up her Beats 1 show Queen Radio on Thursday by paying tribute to the iconic vocalist.

"We’ve lost one of our icons. Someone we’ve all been inspired by," the "Chun-Li" rapper shared. "I remember being in school learning ‘Respect,' and that felt like a mini national anthem for us. It’s so weird how everyone grew up with that song. What I love about the song is not just saying give me respect, it’s demanding respect. I like strong and iconic women. She was unapologetically the queen. She never made apologies for being a queen, but the queen. The queen of all queens."

Alicia Keys also honored Franklin on the show, saying, "You start thinking wow, this beautiful and incredible life and woman. I was listening to her music while I was driving in. She’s so special. I feel sad, but really inspired and celebratory. She was able to touch so many people, divinely. She touched me. Some of my greatest songs were inspired by hers that I loved. Talk about queens— she was definitely the queen. She stepped into the room and everyone bowed down."

Read on for more tributes to Franklin:

Check out this epic moment between Franklin and former president Barack Obama:

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