American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin has passed away at age 76. Also known as the ‘Queen of Soul’, the musician sadly passed away from advanced pancreatic cancer whilst in her home in Detroit.
With hit singles such as Respect, Think, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Chain of Fools and I Say a Little Prayer, her powerful anthems have become a soundtrack for both the civil rights and female-empowerment movements in the past and earned Franklin the title of being the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
According to NBC News, a statement released by the family said: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.“
Aretha is survived by her children.
The news comes just over a month after celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain passed away.
