The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin Has Died.

Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul has died at the age of 76. According to her family, she died on Thursday from advanced pancreatic of the neuroendocrine type cancer. She was surrounded by family and friends when she died in her Detroit home.

In a statement, the singer’s 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.”

The family also expressed gratitude for the outpour of love from people all over the world. The statement said, “We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

About a week ago, there was outpouring love and support on social media for the soul singer, as she struggled with her illness.

Aretha Louise Franklin was born to Barbara and Clarence LaVaughn Franklin on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. After her mother’s death, Franklin was raised by her grandmother.  She admired her dad preaching sermons in church and learned to play the piano by herself.

She dropped out of high school by her to pursue a legitimate career.

Franklin had a powerful career. She won her first Grammy for “Respect” in the debut category for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. She was honored on numerous occasions including the SCLC Drum Beat Award for Musicians by Martin Luther King, Jr., only two months prior to his death. Franklin’s list of accolades are endless. She’s sold over 75 million records and won 18 Grammy Awards.

She has honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Berklee and more. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’s been a recipient of the National Medal of Arts.

She’s the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She’s been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has an asteroid named after her.

The world has lost an amazing soul indeed. Aretha Franklin is survived by four children.