(Detroit, MI) — Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul” is dead at the age of 76. Born in 1942, she honed her skills as a singer at an early age in her father’s church in Detroit, singing gospel music until she was discovered and started singing professionally at the age of 18, signing with Atlantic Records.
She won 18 Grammys, has had 20 songs that hit #1 in the charts and sold 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists ever.
She left Atlantic for Arista records after a cameo in “The Blues Brothers” introduced her to a new generation of fans.
Franklin recorded bestselling records in R&B, soul and pop, but always considered Gospel her favorite, redefining and blending many of those labels.
She was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has been inducted in to other similar institutions honoring music achievement. In 1994 she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and more recently had a street named for her in Detroit.
Her association with Arista continued until 2003 when she founded her own record company, Aretha Records.
Ill health the past few years took a toll on her, and she was forced to retire from singing last year.
She died Thursday morning from complications associated with Pancreatic Cancer. Funeral arrangements are pending.
