Aretha Franklin has struggled with her health for years. Sources even have reported as soon as Monday as say her health had taken a turn for the worse. But this was no surprise to those close to her, as she had been ill for a long time and just didn't want the public to know about it.
Being the superstar she was, Aretha Franklin came from a humble start. She started singing as a teenager in Detroit in her Father's church. It wasn't until 1967 that she scored her first hit "Respect."
In her long showstopping career, Aretha had 77 Hot 100 chart entries, had 44 Grammy nominations and 18 wins. Aretha Franklin then became in 1987, the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and named the Greatest Singer of All Time by Rolling Stone.
Sending nothing but love and prayers to the woman who taught us all Respect
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Remembering The Life of the 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin
By December Savage-Brown