Aretha Franklin, the Memphis-born singer known as the Queen of Soul, died Thursday of advanced pancreatic cancer at age 76, said her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn.
Franklin’s hits, such as Respect, I Say A Little Prayer and Chain Of Fools, are still associated with her powerful gospel voice, more than 40 years after their release.
“Her voice is literally a national treasure,” media mogul Oprah Winfrey said in a 2003 broadcast.
“She is the undisputed Queen of Soul for all times.”
Oprah Winfrey, seen with Franklin in 2011, described the singer’s voice as ‘a national treasure.’ (Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press)
Franklin, who turned 76 in March, has been battling health problems, but continued to perform until as recently as last year. She has been secretive about her health issues, which have included periods out of the spotlight and at least one surgery.
More recently, Franklin continued to book public appearances, but health concerns occasionally forced her to cancel or postpone.
In the past few years, she regularly cited doctor’s orders for cancelling notable concerts, including a Canada Day show in Toronto on the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and several New Jersey gigs, such as the one to mark her 76th birthday in March.
Franklin is seen performing at an Elton John AIDS Foundation event in New York in November 2017. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Gospel roots
Franklin got her musical start singing in the gospel choir with sisters Carolyn and Erma at their father’s church in Detroit, where the family moved when she was a toddler.
She found fame when she signed with Atlantic Records, recording her first hit, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), in the late 1960s. The song was followed by a string of soul hits, including Baby I Love You, Think and The House That Jack Built, making her world famous by 1970.
Respect was a giant hit for Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who was just 25 when the track was released. (Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
“Aretha’s vocal technique is simple enough: a direct, natural style of delivery that ranges over a full four octaves, and the breath control to spin out long phrases that curl sinuously around the beat and dangle tantalizingly from blue notes,” wrote Time magazine in a 1968 cover story.
Franklin’s success continued into the 1970s with hits such as Spanish Harlem, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Day Dreaming.
The singer returned to her native gospel sound with the 1972 album Amazing Grace, which became a top 10 hit, making it one of the most successful gospel-pop crossovers ever.
Franklin signed with Arista when her contract with Atlantic Records ended in the late 1970s. She started her own label, Aretha Records, in 2004.
“Fifty-two years of recording for other people, I thought at this point it’s time for you to record for yourself,” she told Time magazine.
“That way there wouldn’t be so many spoons in the soup; there would only be one Aretha spoon.”
Franklin is seen performing on tour with George Michael in 1988. (Rob Kozloff/Associated Press)
Across her career, Franklin racked up 20 No. 1 hits and sold millions of records. She won 18 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, and she was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1987. Rolling Stone magazine named her the greatest singer, male or female, of all time.
She said one of the highlights of her career was singing My Country, ‘Tis of Thee at former U.S. president Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, 2009.
“I only had three hours sleep that night,” she told talk show host Rachael Ray in a subsequent interview. She was worried the cold weather would hurt her voice, she said. “I was a little nervous that morning.”
Kept personal life private
Though she was a critical and commercial success, Franklin managed to keep much of her private life a mystery.
Franklin was born in Memphis, Tenn., in 1942. She was mainly raised by her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin in Detroit.
She had two sons by the time she was 17 (she went on to have two more), and she was married twice. There were reports that her first husband hit her in public at least once, and that he shot her production manager.
More tragedy followed when burglars shot her father in 1979. He lapsed into a coma and didn’t reawaken before his death in 1984.
Franklin also suffered from a severe flying phobia after experiencing an uneasy flight in 1982. Thereafter, she mainly used a tour bus to travel.
Franklin is awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom in 2005. (Douglas A. Sonders/Getty Images)
Despite her troubles, Franklin’s fans will likely only remember her voice.
“Aretha Franklin’s voice is one of the glories of American music,” Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times.
“Lithe and sultry, assertive and caressing, knowing and luxuriant, her singing melts down any divisions between gospel, soul, jazz and rock, bringing an improvisatory spirit even to the most cut-and-dried pop material.”
He continued: “Ms. Franklin doesn’t need the tuxedo-clad orchestra or oversize gowns or a slide show to prove she’s a star — she has her voice. There are enough divas in the world already, but there’s only one Aretha Franklin.”