She Will be Greatly Missed

On August 16, the world has lost another musical legend. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died of advanced pancreatic cancer in her hometown Detroit. She was 76 years old at the time of her passing.

She was an icon to everyone around the world, and she had such a fantastic legacy. She began her musical career at the young age of 18 and was a self-taught pianist. She was top of the charts in the late 60’s, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976, and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and later sang at former president Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Some of her famous hits include “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “Respect.”

It was reported a few days before her death that she was gravely ill and on the final stage of pancreatic cancer. She was placed under hospice care and surrounded by family and loved ones. She may be gone, but may the Queen of Soul’s legacy continue to live forever.