One of the great musical icons, Aretha Franklin, passed away on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76. She had endured a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Around the world, people mourned her passing and shared what her music and her inspiring message had meant to them.
While we may see the singer as an American musical icon, her reach was much broader. This is was illustrated perfectly on August 31, 2018. As the world mourned, and Aretha’s life was celebrated in the United States, The Band of Welsh Guards of the British Army performed their own fitting tribute.
During the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace they performed what is perhaps Aretha’s most famous song: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”
On their YouTube page, the British Army shared what Aretha and her music meant to them. Her impact was felt far and wide and even inspired this unexpected group to pay tribute to the icon. From the British Army:
“The Band of the Welsh Guards are world famous for their musical versatility and professional performance, and this morning [they] paid tribute to another musical icon and one that has been of huge influence and inspiration to our musicians – Aretha Franklin, whose funeral was being held in Detroit 3,748 miles away, at the same time of the Queen’s Guard Change…
There was only one tune that would do for today’s ceremony: the 1967 Aretha Franklin hit “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” a declaration from a strong confident woman who knows that she has everything.”
This isn’t the first time that the guards at Buckingham Palace have used music to uplift the spirits of not only people in their own country but the people of the United States. One Twitter user shared his experience of being in London on 9/11/01:
“The time when I had the greatest respect was the changing of the guards on 12 September 2001, when lots of [Americans] gathered at the palace because they couldn’t [fly] home and this happened,” wrote Adam Bede on Twitter. “I cannot imagine what it must be like to feel so far from home when an atrocity has happened and all flights are grounded. I think all music played by the guards that day was by US composers & of course the national anthem which showed solidarity that we are one world,” he said in a separate tweet.
Watch their wonderful performance in the video below and please like and share to spread a message of R.E.S.P.E.C.T!
