LEGACY: Aretha Franklin passed away on August 16, due to pancreatic cancer.
By Esther Whang, Staff Writer
The Queen of Soul passed away last Thursday surrounded by family and friends in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. After her death, many singers and those who knew Franklin paid tribute. Artists such as Ariana Grande, Madonna, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson sang songs as tribute to the famous Queen of Soul. Her doctor, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, said the cause of death was neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.
The Queen of Soul left behind a history of records and memorable feats no one else has been able to do. She recorded nearly 50 studio albums, received 18 Grammys, and in 1987, she was the first woman to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said Associated Press writers Mesfin Fekadu and Hillel Italie. Many of her songs in the late 90’s topped the charts, and the impact of several of her songs are never to be forgotten. Franklin’s song “Respect,” released in 1967, helped influence the feminist movement and took a stand on civil rights. Franklin herself stood as an activist in the civil rights movement, using her voice to stand strong in what she believed. “One of the most prescient examples of Franklin’s commitment to civil rights was when she offered to post bail for revolutionary activist and scholar Angela Davis in 1970,” TIMES writer Cady Lang said. Along with her contribution to feminism and the civil rights movement, she was also a renowned singer who sung at special occasions. Franklin sang at Michael Jackson’s funeral, and sung the National Anthem at the event of the Democratic National Convention. Former president Barack Obama, a big fan of Franklin’s, also wanted her to sing at his presidential inauguration in 2009.
A recent resurgence of popularity in Franklin’s music occurred this year, as her album “Greatest Hits” placed seventh on the Billboard 200, Franklin’s highest album ranking in 46 years. On August 19, several of her songs ranked on Spotify’s “Viral 50.”
As a celebration of her death, the treasured singer will be set upon display for two days, the week of August 28 and 29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan. After the display, Franklin will be buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, where Franklin and her influence on the world will be treasured forever.