'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin dies at age of 76
- 6 years ago
The singer Aretha Franklin has died at the age of 76 in her home in Detroit... after suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Tributes have been pouring in from celebrities and past and present presidents, honoring the "Queen of Soul."
Our Ro Aram takes a look back at her life.
In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Aretha Franklin had more than 20 hit singles, including "Respect" and ″I Say a Little Prayer."
She also became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
As the daughter of a Baptist preacher, Franklin was inspired by the gospel music she sang in church.
Her uniquely emotional and powerful voice put her at the forefront of 1960s soul music along with Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Wilson Pickett.
However, she struggled to find fame with Columbia Records which had trouble classifying her style and tried to steer her toward pop.
In the mid-60s she rose to stardom after switching to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler put her voice in a setting that combined gospel, soul and rock.
Franklin was also active in the U.S. civil rights movement and sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr..
She also performed at the presidential inaugurations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Clinton said America had lost one of its greatest treasures, while Obama said her voice offered "a glimpse of the divine."
Tributes from other celebrities and fans poured in, including those from John Legend, Diana Ross Elton John, and many others.
Franklin's ailing heath forced her cancel a number of world tours, and her last performance was in early November last year, for the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.
Tributes have been pouring in from celebrities and past and present presidents, honoring the "Queen of Soul."
Our Ro Aram takes a look back at her life.
In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Aretha Franklin had more than 20 hit singles, including "Respect" and ″I Say a Little Prayer."
She also became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
As the daughter of a Baptist preacher, Franklin was inspired by the gospel music she sang in church.
Her uniquely emotional and powerful voice put her at the forefront of 1960s soul music along with Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Wilson Pickett.
However, she struggled to find fame with Columbia Records which had trouble classifying her style and tried to steer her toward pop.
In the mid-60s she rose to stardom after switching to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler put her voice in a setting that combined gospel, soul and rock.
Franklin was also active in the U.S. civil rights movement and sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr..
She also performed at the presidential inaugurations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Clinton said America had lost one of its greatest treasures, while Obama said her voice offered "a glimpse of the divine."
Tributes from other celebrities and fans poured in, including those from John Legend, Diana Ross Elton John, and many others.
Franklin's ailing heath forced her cancel a number of world tours, and her last performance was in early November last year, for the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.