At a White House event to honor Aretha Franklin, and other "foremothers" of American music, President Barack Obama misspelled the singer's famous song "Respect."
"As someone who always shares this house with brilliant, creative, talented, somewhat stubborn women, I think Women's History Month is the perfect time to honor a few more — the women of soul," Obama said, before introducing the singers.
"When Aretha first told us what R-S-P-E-C-T meant to her, she had no idea it would become a rallying cry for African-Americans, and women, and then everyone who felt marginalized because of what they looked like or who they loved," Obama said,
CBS News reports.
The audience laughed after Obama misspelled "respect," but the president continued.
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"They wanted some respect. Later, when somebody asked her why it had such an impact, she said, 'I guess everybody just wants a little respect.' Today, they still do," he added.
The event also included performances by Patti La Belle, Ariana Grande, Melissa Etheridge, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, and Tessanne Chin.
The concert, "In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul," aired live on the White House website and is scheduled to appear on PBS on April 7.
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