Aretha Franklin Passes Away at 76
Aretha Franklin passed away today at 9:50am at her home in Detroit. She was 76 years old.
According to her oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips, the cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type. She was surrounded by family and friends at the time of her death.
Dubbed the Queen of Soul, Aretha has had one of the most legendary careers in show business. She has sold over 75 million albums, won 18 Grammys, sung at three presidential inaugurations, and was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Some of the greatest vocalists of all time — including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey — cite Aretha as an influence. And quite frankly, anyone who performs anything with an R&B influence should cite her as an influence because she helped shape the genre. She was one of the first big vocalists the music industry has ever seen and, without her, a lot of your artists wouldn’t exist.
Born on March 25, Aretha and I share a birthday, so that’s one more thing that made me love her. She was a once-in-a-lifetime talent and her music will live forever. Rest in peace, Aretha.
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