Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died Thursday, Aug. 16, surrounded by friends and family in Detroit, Michigan, TMZ reports.
Born March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, Franklin eventually moved to Detroit, where she grew up singing gospel songs.
A one-of-a-kind singer whose unmistakable voice left an indelible mark on the music industry, Franklin was reported to be “gravely ill” with cancer shortly before her passing.
She spent the last few months of her life outside the public eye as she dealt with her declining health.