The world has lost one the titans of popular music, an artist so revered that her title, the Queen of Soul, went entirely unchallenged. Aretha Franklin was 76 years old.
Over the course of her career Franklin had dozens of hits, among them Respect, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, I Say a Little Prayer, Chain of Fools, Ain’t No Way, Think, The House That Jack Built, I Knew You Were Waiting and Freeway of Love, to name just a few.
She performed for presidents, won 18 Grammys, and sold out shows wherever she traveled until last year, when doctors ordered her off the road.
She also had the unwavering respect of musicians, actors, artists, directors, politicians and other celebrities around the globe, and today tributes are flooding in on social media.
Smokey Robinson, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Hugh Jackman, Shania Twain, Elton John, Shonda Rhimes, Al Sharpton, Annie Lennox, Diana Ross and Bill Clinton are just a few of the luminaries paying their respects.
“This morning my longest friend in this world went home to be with our Father,” wrote soul legend Smokey Robinson. “I will miss her so much but I know she’s at peace.”
