‘Queen of soul’ Aretha Franklin dies at 76

Singer Aretha Franklin, the ’Queen of soul’, died at her home in Detroit yesterday. According to her publicist, the singer, who was 76, died “surrounded by family and loved ones”. The representative said the singer was suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer.

A family statement said: “In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.” Yesterday, people prayed for Franklin in the Detroit church where her father was once a pastor.

The soul artist, known for her unique and powerful voice and the author of such classics as Think and her signature song Respect, cancelled planned concerts earlier this year after her doctor ordered her to stay off the road and rest. US president Donald Trump tweeted: “She was a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!”