Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul who sold tens of millions of R&B and pop albums with iconic hits like “Respect” and “Chain of Fools,” has died. She was 76.
Franklin died in her hometown Detroit after struggling with health problems in recent years and falling seriously ill within the past week.
Franklin was perhaps best known for “Respect” – the Otis Redding cover that her powerful voice transformed into a bold anthem and demand for dignity adopted by the feminist movement in the 1970s.
She also had a string of 20 No. 1 R&B singles, stretching from 1967 to 1985. Those iconic tunes helped earn her 18 Grammy Awards and consistently placed her on most critics’ lists of the greatest singers of all time.
In 1987, Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She performed at the inaugurations of three presidents – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
President George W. Bush presented Franklin with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
Franklin, who had battled undisclosed health issues in recent years, canceled planned concerts earlier this year after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest up.
She was originally scheduled to perform on her 76th birthday in March in Newark, New Jersey, and at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April.
Last year, the icon announced her plans to retire, saying she would perform at “some select things.”
One of those select events was a gala for Elton John’s 25th anniversary of his AIDS foundation in November in New York City, where Franklin closed the event with a collection of songs including “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Freeway.”
As news of her illness emerged in recent days, tributes have been pouring in from musicians and fans from throughout the world.
Stevie Wonder and the Rev. Jesse Jackson visited her in recent days at her Detroit home.
At her concert in Detroit on Monday night with Jay-Z, Beyonce thanked Franklin for her “beautiful music” and said “we love you.”
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton tweeted Monday that he and Hillary Clinton “are thinking about Aretha Franklin tonight & listening to her music that has been such an important part of our lives the last 50 years.
“We hope you’ll lift her up by listening and sharing her songs that have meant the most to you,” Clinton wrote
