Legendary Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Death at 76

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, August 16, 2018

Aretha Franklin

Legendary Aretha Franklin, known as the Queen of Soul, has died. She was 76. Her family announced on Thursday that Franklin had passed away at 9:50am at her home in Detroit, surrounded by family and friends. The official cause of death was due to advanced pancreatic cancer. Scores of radio outlets and networks are airing tributes, including WAWZ-HD2/New York which has flipped to "All Aretha All the Time" to mourn her death.

Soul icon Sam Moore was a label mate and close friends with Franklin, and joined many others in paying tribute to the Queen of Soul last year at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Moore shares his memories of his close friend of many decades:

"Aretha Franklin and I have been friends and label mates for more than sixty years. I adored her and I know the feelings were mutual. While I'm heartbroken that she's gone I know she's in the Lord's arms and she's not in pain or suffering anymore from the damn cancer that took her away from us. I'm going to hope, pray and count on the fact that I will see her again sometime. Rest in the Lord's arms in love, Re," said Moore.

Of interest, the only time Franklin played as a studio sideman was in 1971, lending keyboards to Moore's recording of "Part Time Love," for Moore's album titled 'Plenty Good Lovin' produced by King Curtis. That album wasn't released until many years later.

"Aretha helped define the American experience," said former President Barack Obama in a statement. "In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade -- our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace."

Syndicated Tom Joyner said, "There are a lot of self-proclaimed Kings and Queens out here, but Aretha Franklin is one of the special ones who is more than worthy of owning that regal title. She has represented her people well and super-served us with live performances, recorded music, activism, and fierce support of the city she loves so much, Detroit. As a friend, she has allowed me, my family, and my co-workers into her private world and that's one of the reasons why I am so protective of her legacy and her love. All hail the Queen of Soul!"