The queen of soul, Aretha Franklin dies at 76

Aretha’s family revealed this in a statement via her publicist, which reads:

“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. 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.”

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis and raised in Detroit by a gospel singer mother and reverend father. Franklin and her sisters grew up singing in the church, and at age 14, she launched her recording career with the album Songs of Faith.

In 1960, Franklin signed to Columbia and began making jazz-influenced R&B records. In 1966, she joined Atlantic. Her first single for the label is her 1967’s classic, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You). Aretha released many more hits with Atlantic throughout the late 60s and early 70s. Aretha left Atlantic in 1979 but continued to make hits.

The queen of soul worked with André 3000, Adele and memorably, brought President Obama to tears during a performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman in 2015.

During her remarkable half-century career, Franklin broke boundaries, inspired millions, and changed the shape of popular music. In 1987. She became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2005, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2010, Rolling Stone named her the greatest singer of all time.

At the time of her death, Aretha had reportedly been working on a final album, partly produced by Stevie Wonder.

CNN