Aretha Louise Franklin, America’s famous singer and songwriter is dead at the age of 76.

Aretha Franklin, America’s undisputed Queen of Soul dead at 76.

ICMS, Inc Reports

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

Aretha Franklin, commonly referred to as the “the undisputed Queen of Soul,” died today at the age of 76 in her Detroit home with family and friends at her bedside. She was reportedly gravely ill in recent weeks from pancreatic cancer and receiving hospice care.

Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018.)

News of her failing health was widespread in the new media over the past couple of days and many famous celebrities and visitors such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and Stevie Wonder visited her bedside to pay their respects. Beyoncé and Jay-Z who while performing in Detroit’s Motor City on Monday dedicated their concert to her and declaring “We love you,” to the iconic singer and song writer.

Aretha Franklin (The 1960's)

Born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee USA, Aretha’s family relocated to Detroit Michigan when she was 5 years old.  She was just 10 years old when her mother Barbara died. Her father, Clarence LaVaughn “C. L.” Franklin raised her with the help of famous celebrity friends and public figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and Mahalia Jackson who frequently visited his home and Church. Her father “C. L.” Franklin was famous on his own right as a preacher at Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church. 

Aretha was a mother of four children. She gave birth to her first child, a boy named Clarence at the very young age of 12 years. Her second child, another son named Edward came two years later at the age of 14. Several years later she gave birth to two other sons, Teddy Richards and Kecalf Cunningham, in 1964 and 1970.  Early motherhood and associated parenting challenges did not prevent Aretha from beginning a gospel singing career at the age of 14. She was managed by her father and J.V.B. Records signed her on enabling her to release her first gospel album in 1956 titled “Songs of Faith.” At the age of 18, she signed onto Columbia Records and moving into secular music and charting a number of single hits on American pop and R&B charts.

Aretha Franklin (The 1960's)

Aretha had an illustrious singing and music career which lasted over sixty years establishing her as one of the most influential music artists in American music history. Her accomplishments are numerous and include among others, winning 18 Grammy Awards and selling over 75 million records globally. She was the first female music performer inducted into the renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recording 112 charted singles on the Billboard and setting the record for the most charted female artist in the trade magazine’s history.

Some of Aretha’s popular and well known music hits include "Rock Steady", "Jump to It", "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who", "Chain Of Fools", "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", "Something He Can Feel", "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with George Michael), and a remake of The Rolling Stones song "Jumpin' Jack Flash".

Read more:

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul and 'greatest singer of all time,' dies at 76

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Has Died of Pancreatic Cancer at Age 76

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has died

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