Aretha Franklin, the legendary singer and icon, known for her classic track Respect, among many others, has died today at age 76, according to her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn.
The cause of death is advanced pancreatic cancer.
Franklin had quite the eventful life. When she was twelve, Franklin gave birth to her first child. The singer also suffered from many ailments, including depression, alcoholism and her weight. According to biographies, Franklin was "overwhelmed by fear and obsessed with control" and was afraid her fans would forget her. Franklin also was terrified of flying, she often took buses to travel to gigs.
Franklin still remained relevant even to this day. In 2015, she sang for Pope Francis in Philadelphia. She announced her retirement last year, after releasing her newest album, "A Brand New Me." She said last February, "This will be my last year. I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert. This is it." The reason behind her stepping back from performing was so she could enjoy her time with her grandchildren.
Her final performance was in November 2017 for Elton John's AIDS Foundation Fall Gala. Franklin died in Detroit, which is where she spent most of her childhood and adult life.
Between 1967 and 1974, she hit the R&B Top Ten 33 times. Her 1968 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Respect was the first of eight consecutive times she would take home the award . Franklin was a constant presence on the radio throughout the late Sixties and early Seventies. She sang her own songs, rock and R&B covers, and many other styles and genres.
