Aretha Franklin, dies aged 76

Aretha Franklin, the “queen of soul”  has died in Detroit at the age of 76.  

The legendary singer was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and announced last year she was retiring from music.

Franklin had more than 20 US number ones over a career spanning seven decades.

She gave her final performance last November at a gala in New York held in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation.

In a statement, her family said:

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.

The family also confirmed her death was due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.

Born in Memphis in 1942, Aretha Louise Franklin made her first recording when she was just 14. But her career did not truly take off until she signed for Atlantic Records in 1966.

She went on to have a string of hits, among them I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

She struggled to find fame in the early years, with record label Columbia unsure how to frame her impressively powerful voice.

Sir Elton John led the tributes on his Instagram account, writing:

The loss of Aretha Franklin is a blow for everybody who loves real music.

Music from the heart, the soul and the church. Her voice was unique, her piano playing underrated… I adored her and worshipped her talent. God bless her. My condolences to all her family and friends.

Annie Lennox said:

She has reigned supreme. and will always be held in the highest firmament of stars as the most exceptional vocalist, performer and recording artist the world has ever been privileged to witness.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W Bush in 2005, when she was saluted for “capturing the hearts of millions of Americans.

Ten years later she reduced President Barack Obama to tears when she sang (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman at a Kennedy Center Honours ceremony, having previously performed at his inauguration.

Respect – US number one and double Grammy winner in 1967 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman – a top 10 US hit in 1967 Chain of Fools – reached number two in the US in 1968 Think – another US top 10 hit in ’68 I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) – number one in the US & UK in 1987.

Top 7 things you should know about Aretha Franklin

1. Aretha Franklin taught herself to play the piano without knowing how to read music.
2. She got her start in Detroit as a child performing in her father’s church choir.
3. As a teenager she traveled with Reverened Martin Luther King Jr, she later gave a soul-stirring performance at his funeral in 1968.
4. She was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1987.
5. Her rare four-octave vocal range was the magic behind her power house presence.
6. In 2005, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of freedom, an honor she received for her lifetime achievements in the arts.
7. She has performed at three US presidential inaugurations.