{"id":417,"date":"2018-08-16T15:14:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T15:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=417"},"modified":"2018-08-16T16:12:11","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T16:12:11","slug":"barrier-breaker-queen-soul-remembering-aretha-franklin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2018\/08\/barrier-breaker-queen-soul-remembering-aretha-franklin.html","title":{"rendered":"Barrier Breaker and Queen of Soul: Remembering Aretha Franklin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Aretha Franklin, the undisputed \u201cQueen of Soul,\u201d passed away on the morning of Thursday, August 16, 2018. Franklin had been battling pancreatic cancer and finally succumbed to the disease. She was 76 years old at the time of her death.<\/p>\n

A statement from Franklin\u2019s family confirmed her cause of death. The statement said, \u201cFranklin\u2019s official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklin\u2019s oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute\u2026 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. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin had been struggling with her health for several years and announced her retirement from touring last year much to the disappointment of her many fans. Franklin had been a professional singer and accomplished pianist since her late teens and was a superstar before she was 30. She was a multi-octave mezzo-soprano filled with gospel passion and tastes that were both sophisticated and eccentric. She recorded hundreds of tracks including 20 that topped the R&B charts. The peak of Franklin\u2019s career, however, came during the late 1960\u2019s with some of her most iconic hits including \u201c(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,\u201d \u201cChain of Fools\u201d and the classic \u201cRespect.\u201d Such was her vocal prowess that it has been considered the height of stupidity for other singers to try and tackle her songs. They will inevitably be compared to Franklin, and they will almost inevitably come up short.<\/p>\n

Though she is best known as one of the greatest singers of all time, Franklin was more than simply a superstar. Political and civic leaders saw her as a friend and a peer. She was a longtime friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and she sang at the dedication of his memorial in 2011. Franklin was also not afraid to use her talents to help advance her causes. \u201cRespect\u201d was described as \u201can appeal for dignity\u2026a call to action\u201d by Rolling Stone magazine, and Franklin herself stated that \u201cRespect\u201d was more than just a catchy tune. \u201c[\u2018Respect\u2019] was a battle cry for freedom and many people of many ethnicities took pride in that word,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cIt was meaningful to all of us.\u201d In 1968, she was pictured on the cover of TIME magazine.<\/p>\n

Franklin\u2019s overwhelming popularity began to fade in the 1970\u2019s, but she managed to make a comeback in 1980 after switching record labels and continued to perform and record through the 1990\u2019s and into the new millennium. \u201cMusic is my thing, it\u2019s who I am,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m in it for the long run. I\u2019ll be around singing, \u2018What you want, baby I got it,\u2019 having fun all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aretha Franklin is the sort of talent that will be missed for generations. Her vocal skills were nearly unparalleled, and she smashed through gender and racial barriers without hesitation. There is no doubt that even many years after her passing she will continue to reign as \u201cQueen of Soul\u201d in many people\u2019s hearts. In fact, this is one crown that may never truly be passed on to be worn by another.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aretha Franklin, the undisputed \u201cQueen of Soul,\u201d passed away on the morning of Thursday, August 16, 2018. Franklin had been battling pancreatic cancer and finally succumbed to the disease. She was 76 years old at the time of her death. A statement from Franklin\u2019s family confirmed her cause of death. The statement said, \u201cFranklin\u2019s official…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":616,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[123],"tags":[145,155,119],"class_list":["post-417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-singer","tag-activist","tag-performer","tag-singer"],"yoast_head":"\nBarrier Breaker and Queen of Soul: Remembering Aretha Franklin<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Aretha Franklin, the famous \u201cQueen of Soul,\u201d passed away on August 16, 2018, from pancreatic cancer. 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