Overnight Aretha Franklin passed away at home in Detroit, surrounded by family and friends.
After news broke that Franklin had been placed in hospice care three days ago, her inner circle flooded to her side. The official cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer, confirmed by her oncologist Dr. Philip Phillips.
Today the world mourns for Aretha Franklin, a voice who will be remembered for generations to come.
Singing gospel from the age of 14, Aretha Franklin’s official career began after being signed to Colombia Records at age 18. By 1964 she was becoming a household name, performing both in theatres and on television programs around America.
Under Atlantic she would release I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You), Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, and her unparalleled version of Otis Redding’s Respect, which we can all agree was once-in-a-lifetime.
From there her voice would reach billions, touring throughout her life, appearing in films as herself, and surreptitiously earning the title ‘Queen of Soul’. A name well earned, and not forgotten.
Before her passing Franklin was visited by Stevie Wonder and Jesse Jackson, among others. Tributes from Beyoncé, Barack Obama, Carole King, Barbara Streisand and more have been flooding in – and no doubt will continue as the world takes a moment to pay respect to one of the best.
