Barack Obama is remembering a woman who he cherished and who sung at many of his most pivotal events, Aretha Franklin. He wrote on Facebook:

“America has no royalty. But we do have a chance to earn something more enduring. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Aretha Franklin grew up performing gospel songs in her father’s congregation. For more than six decades since, every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine. 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.

Aretha may have passed on to a better place, but the gift of her music remains to inspire us all. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace. Michelle and I send our prayers and warmest sympathies to her family and all those moved by her song.”

Michelle Obama also took to Twitter to remember the legendary singer.

Rolling Stone writes that the former President and Franklin shared a special bond saying:

“Three years ago at the Kennedy Center Honors, a 73-year-old Aretha Franklin took the stage in a floor-length fur coat, sat down at the piano and brought President Obama to tears. Her performance of ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ was so rousing that it elicited a standing ovation a full minute before she was even done singing. It would last for just as long after she lowered her mic and bowed. Obama was among the thousands standing for the first lady of soul, and as she sang, the camera caught the president and the first lady swaying their heads and pumping their fists…”

Watch that performance below.