R.I.P. ARETHA FRANKLIN, the Queen of Soul, has died at age of 76

16 August 2018

The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has died at the age of 76.

Franklin died Thursday due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, according to a the singer’s family. She passed away in her Detroit home, surrounded by family and friends.

“In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart,” Franklin’s family said in a statement. “We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”

“We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

One of the best-selling artists of all time, Aretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee to Barbara and Clarence LaVaughn Franklin. Her mother was an accomplished piano player and vocalist, while her father was a preacher with what many claimed a “million-dollar voice,” all of which would heavily influence Franklin.

At the age of two, Franklin’s family relocated to Buffalo, New York, a short stint that would last only three years before her father moved the family to Detroit, Michigan, where he became the pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church. By 1948, her parents would separate, with Barbara moving back to Buffalo with her half-brother, Vaughn.

Recorded live at the age of 14, Franklin’s first album, Songs of Faith, was released in 1956 and spawned two Gospel radio singles 'Never Grow Old' and 'Precious Lord, Take My Hand'. She supported the album by touring with The Caravans and the Soul Stirrers featuring Cooke, who inspired her to bridge her gospel sound into pop music.

She’s the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Berklee, et al. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’s been a recipient of the National Medal of Arts. She’s been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has an asteroid named after her.

With 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top 10 pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 No. 1 R&B singles, Aretha Franklin remains the most charted female artist in the chart’s history. She won 18 Grammy Awards. She’s sold over 75 million records. This isn’t a death you forget. This is a legend you remember forever.

Franklin is survived by four children.