A number of prominent stars paid tribute to their dear friend, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died at age 84 on Monday (Oct. 18) due to complications from COVID-19. The country’s first Black national security advisor rose to the top ranks in government in a four-decade career of public service that included stints as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State (2001-2005) during the George W. Bush administration.
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Legendary producer Quincy Jones tweeted that he was heartbroken to hear the news about the passing of his “dear friend & brother. There will never be enough superlatives to describe his greatness… but to say that Colin Powell was a man of intelligence, integrity, humility, kindness & generosity of spirit would be a good beginning…I will be forever grateful for the countless times we spent together & our hours long conversations on the phone.”
Jones sent his love to Powell’s wife, children and grandchildren, adding, “God Bless you General, you made everyone who had the pleasure of being in your presence want to be a better person.”
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American Idol judge and music icon Lionel Richie also paid homage to the man he dubbed a “true American hero and an incredible friend,” while Barbra Streisand had high praise for the four-star general who pulled off the rare feat or earning respect from both sides of the aisle in Washington thanks to his reputation for earnestness and strict discipline.
Though he long defended his part in making the case for the Bush administration’s false claim that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction and was an imminent threat to the U.S., in 2006 he told Barbara Walters that it would always “be a part of my record. It was painful.”
Politically outspoken legend Streisand pegged that admission as another badge of honor for Powell. “Honorable men admit their mistakes. Colin Powell did that about Iraq,” she wrote before taking a shot at one of her favorite political targets. “Donald Trump thinks admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness. But it is really a sign of strength.”
Streisand said she was “so sad” to hear about the death of her South Bronx native friend, who she said she once spent three days with at a retreat, where they “shared stories and laughed about our NYC accents. He was a Republican but worked with Democrats like the true patriot he was.”
And, in a bid to stave off the rising tide of misinformation from the conservative media and social media posters attempting to cast doubt on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines — Powell was fully vaccinated — she also noted that the man President Biden called a “friend and patriot of unmatched honor and dignity” died from “Covid because his body was not only fighting Parkinson’s disease, but also a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma…which stops the body’s ability to fight infections.”
See the tribute tweets below.
2/3 but to say that Colin Powell was a man of intelligence, integrity, humility, kindness & generosity of spirit would be a good beginning…I will be forever grateful for the countless times we spent together & our hours long conversations on the phone…
— Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones) October 19, 2021
3/3 My thoughts & prayers are with your beloved Alma, children & grandchildren…God Bless you General, you made everyone who had the pleasure of being in your presence want to be a better person. ❤️
— Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones) October 19, 2021
Colin Powell – a true American hero and an incredible friend. I will miss you. pic.twitter.com/b9AcK7MkrY
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) October 19, 2021
I am so sad to hear about the death of my friend Colin Powell. We once spent 3 days together at a retreat and shared stories and laughed about our NYC accents. He was a Republican but worked with Democrats like the true patriot he was. pic.twitter.com/61NKHR6Maz
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) October 18, 2021
Honorable men admit their mistakes. Colin Powell did that about Iraq. Donald Trump thinks admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness. But it is really a sign of strength.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) October 19, 2021
A note to anti-vaxxers…here’s the truth: Secretary of State Colin Powell died of complications from Covid because his body was not only fighting Parkinson’s disease, but also a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma…which stops the body’s ability to fight infections.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) October 19, 2021
Thank you Colin for your 35 years in the service and all you’ve done for our country! May you Rest In Peace. God bless Alma and the entire Powell family during this difficult time. 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/5bhwzktJtS
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 18, 2021
Colin Powell lived his life being first but always put himself second – to his country, to his soldiers, to his family.
May his selflessness and patriotism inspire all of us, every day.
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/FuFxocfXea
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) October 18, 2021
For 20 years I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage of the National Memorial Day concert with General Colin Powell. I share the loss of a dear friend with our country who has lost one of it’s greatest patriots. #ColinPowell pic.twitter.com/eKV4Oa4wpO
— Joe Mantegna (@JoeMantegna) October 18, 2021
Jill and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and a patriot of unmatched honor and dignity, General Colin Powell. Time and again, he put country before self, before party, before all else—in uniform and out. He will be remembered as one of our great Americans.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 18, 2021