Washington, Aug 16 (EFE).- American singer Aretha Franklin, known as the “Queen of Soul,” died at her home in Detroit, her representative, Gwendolyn Quinn, said Thursday. She was 76.
Franklin died surrounded by family and friends after being treated for pancreatic cancer, Quinn said.
The soul singer, born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942, had worked in the music industry since the 1950s, charting with such hits as “Respect” and “Spanish Harlem,” and winning 18 Grammys.
In 1979, she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became the first woman to earn a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Franklin, known for a powerful voice that enchanted millions of Americans for decades, sang at the inaugurations of former Presidents Barack Obama in 2009 and Bill Clinton in 1993.
Her last performance was in November 2017 at a concert for the Elton John Foundation in New York.