DETROIT – Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder talked about the impact Aretha Franklin had on the state of Michigan while speaking at her funeral Friday at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.
"Aretha was a special person to the state of Michigan, to all of us in the state," Snyder said. "Many of you know how many awards she won, and she deserved every single one of those."
Snyder said in the 1980s, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources declared Franklin's voice a natural resource of the state.
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"That's something special, folks," Snyder said. "That strikes out right in the heart."
He said the Queen of Soul isn't a title, but a feeling and an emotion.
"She had a God-given voice, a talent, a musical skill that people only dream of," Snyder said. "But she did more than that. She took not just the triumphs of her life, she took the challenges and the tragedies and brought a special humanity to her words, to her voice, to her music, that most musicians would only dream to have."
Snyder said Franklin's "Respect" is the song that always breaks out at family events. He said she used her presence, her voice and her music to make the world a better place.
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"The work she did for civil rights, the work she did for women's rights, that was making a profound difference in our society," Snyder said. "We should be proud, and that's why she's the Queen of Soul, also."
You can watch Snyder's full remarks in the video posted above.