Long-reigning Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who had been battling pancreatic cancer for about 8 years, passed on at 9:50 am, Thursday August 16 2018, surrounded by family and friends at her home in Detroit.
An official statement by the family read:
“Franklin’s official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin’s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute.”
“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.
“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.”
76 year old Aretha Franklin, universally acclaimed the “Queen of Soul” was one of America’s greatest singers in any style. The mother of four was a professional singer by her late teens and a superstar by her mid-20s, recording hundreds of tracks and dozens of hits over the span of a half century, including 20 that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts.
Her records sold millions of copies and the music industry couldn’t honor her enough.She won 18 Grammy awards and in 1987, became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Succeeding generations of R&B singers, among them Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys, openly emulated her.
Aretha has passed away on the same date the “King of Rock n’ Roll” Elvis Presley died 41 years ago.
