New Urban In Special Report: Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Passes Away at Age 76

The undisputed Queen of Soul, on the cover of her 1980 self-titled album (and NUY 40+ favorite), ARETHA

Tonight, the performing arts world and music fans around the globe mourn the passing of Aretha Franklin, the woman who for over 60 years has been known as the "Queen of Soul".   The legendary singer passed away several hours ago at 9:50 am EST (3:50pm CET) in her home in the city of Detroit after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her death has been confirmed by her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn. 

Describing the loss "one of the darkest moments of our lives,"  Franklin's family has said they "are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart."  While in hospice care earlier this week, it was publicly noted Ms. FranklinAfter received visits from some of the world's leading figures in music.  The singer later passed away at her home in Detroit, Michigan surrounded by family and loved ones.

"It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin," her family said via a statement issued by her longtime representative.

A young Aretha in the 1960s (Courtesy)

Born Aretha Louise Franklin on March 25, 1942,  Ms. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was a minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records. After signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect",  "Spanish Harlem", "Think", and the Carole King composition "You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". By the end of the 1960s music industry crowned her "The Queen of Soul", and much of her music secular music and gospel music performed in her father's church provided the real-time soundtrack to the 1960s Civil Rights movement in America.

Franklin sold more than 75 million records during her lifetime, making her one of the best-selling artists in modern music history. She was nominated for 44 Grammy Awards and holds a record 18 Grammy Award wins.

During one of her many appearances at the White House, Ms. Franklin in 2015

Ms. Franklin recorded 112 charted singles appearing on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the Billboard's history.  Some of Franklin's  popular and well known hits include "Rock Steady", "Jump to It", "Freeway of Love", "Who's Zoomin' Who", "Chain of Fools", "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", "Something He Can Feel", "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with George Michael), and a remake of The Rolling Stones song "Jumpin' Jack Flash". She continued to record and collaborate with younger artists well into her later career, including vocalists as Lauren Hill and Mary J. Blige and John Legend. She also developed an interest in opera in the 1980s, famously performed the aria "Nessun Dorma" in place of her ailing friend Luciano Pavarotti at 1998's Grammy Awards - when the opera giant could not attend due to the onset of illness. The performance was seen live by over one billion viewers, and Ms. Franklin performed it live once more in Philadelphia for Pope Francis.

In 1987, Ms. Franklin became the first woman to be awarded induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Franklin is listed in at least two all-time lists on Rolling Stone magazine, including the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.  

 The golden voice of the 'Queen of Soul' is so much a part of the cultural DNA of Michigan that in 1986 the Michigan State Legislature declared Aretha Franklin's voice to be a precious natural resource. The Michigan Women's Historial Center & Hall of Fame has stated that " Her seminal works like 'Respect' and 'Natural Woman' endure as treasures of our time because they possess that ineffable quality of emotional richness that one can only define as 'soul'...the strength and unique quality of her voice, not to mention her inimitable sense of rhythm and styling, have set her apart from many vocalists, earning her a permanent place in music history." As another interesting aside, this pillar of American soul music also has a star named in her honor by NASA, the asteroid, "249516 ARETHA" since 2014.

A star so bright she  even inspired NASA: the asteroid 249516 ARETHA (Courtesy: NASA)

Aretha Louise Franklin is survived by her four sons and a host of extended family. We'd like to leave our viewers with a clip showcasing to the power of one of the greatest voices in American music history as she performs at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to friend and the composer of "Natural Woman", Carole King - a performance that reduced then President Obama, one of her biggest fans, to tears.