The singer Aretha Franklin has died at the age of 76 in her home in Detroit... after suffering from pancreatic cancer.<br />Tributes have been pouring in from celebrities and past and present presidents, honoring the "Queen of Soul."<br />Our Ro Aram takes a look back at her life. <br /> In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Aretha Franklin had more than 20 hit singles, including "Respect" and ″I Say a Little Prayer." <br />She also became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.<br />As the daughter of a Baptist preacher, Franklin was inspired by the gospel music she sang in church.<br />Her uniquely emotional and powerful voice put her at the forefront of 1960s soul music along with Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Wilson Pickett.<br />However, she struggled to find fame with Columbia Records which had trouble classifying her style and tried to steer her toward pop.<br />In the mid-60s she rose to stardom after switching to Atlantic Records, where producer Jerry Wexler put her voice in a setting that combined gospel, soul and rock.<br />Franklin was also active in the U.S. civil rights movement and sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr..<br />She also performed at the presidential inaugurations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. <br /> Clinton said America had lost one of its greatest treasures, while Obama said her voice offered "a glimpse of the divine."<br />Tributes from other celebrities and fans poured in, including those from John Legend, Diana Ross Elton John, and many others.<br /> Franklin's ailing heath forced her cancel a number of world tours, and her last performance was in early November last year, for the Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York.<br />Ro Aram, Arirang News. <br />
