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Aretha Franklin, a legendary singer, started her career as a teenager in her father's Detroit church, singing gospel songs. She shot to fame, scoring her first national hit in 1967 with her powerful version of "Respect."
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Franklin became a household name after signing with Atlantic Records in the late 1960s. Her breakthrough hit, "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," was followed by a string of soul classics like "Baby I Love You," "Think," and "The House That Jack Built," solidifying her status as a global icon by 1970.
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After her breakthrough with "Respect" in 1967, Franklin continued to dominate the charts with 77 Hot 100 hits and won 18 out of 44 Grammy nominations. In 1987, she made history as the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and later earned the title of Greatest Singer of All Time by Rolling Stone.
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Despite her iconic status, the Queen of Soul confessed to still getting nervous before significant performances, such as before Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. In an interview with talk show host Rachael Ray, Franklin revealed she had only slept for three hours the night before, fearing the cold weather might affect her voice. "I was a little nervous that morning," she admitted.
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Despite her immense success, Franklin kept much of her personal life private. Born in Memphis in 1942, she was raised by her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, in Detroit. By the age of 17, she had two sons and later had two more children. Franklin married twice, with reports of domestic abuse from her first husband. Tragedy struck when burglars shot her father in 1979, leaving him in a coma until his death in 1984.
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In the summer of 2011, Franklin performed at concerts and talk shows to promote her album 'Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love,' looking healthy and slim. Earlier that year, she had been hospitalized for an undisclosed operation. In an interview with 'PEOPLE', Franklin denied having weight loss surgery but did not directly address rumors of cancer, despite having lost 85 pounds.
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Aretha Franklin, died on August 16, 2018, at the age of 76. Her publicist confirmed that the cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer.
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"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 the statement. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family...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."
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Aretha battled health issues for years. According to a source, her condition took a turn for the worse, and her death was anticipated. Despite her illness, Franklin kept her health struggles private, not wanting the public to know.
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Aretha Franklin's cancer doctors said that she was incredibly kind and respectful during her treatment. "As a person, she was extremely kind, she was respectful, she was funny — she treated people like me and my team members as her friends," said Dr. Manisha Shah of Ohio State University. "There is no phone call that would end without her asking about us. Most of the time she would ask about us first. ... It’s because who she was: She was really down-to-earth."
Discover the legacy of Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, whose powerful voice and timeless hits captivated audiences worldwide.
Learn about the circumstances surrounding her untimely passing and the profound influence she left on the world of music.