Aretha Franklin, forever known as the Queen of Soul, dead Thursday at the age of 76. Her remarkable catalogue of hits - "Respect", "Chain of Fools" "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman", to name a few - ingrained in multiple generations of fans, who found solace, strength and hope through her unique ability to draw out a song's universal emotions. Franklin sang for royalty, presidents and the Pope….

The first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she also won the Presidential Medal Freedom in 2005, 18 Grammy awards and wept when a street was dedicated to her in Detroit - her hometown - where she died, surrounded by loved ones after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family saying, "We lost the matriarch and rock of our family." Born in Memphis, Franklin first sang in the church… her father the noted preacher and civil rights leader C.L.

Franklin. Twice married, she had two children by age 17, and later two other sons. Health issues caused her to cancel several recent shows - she last sang publicly at an Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in November. World leaders, corporate titans and entertainment giants expressing their love and respect… Barbara Streisand saying, "It's difficult to conceive of a world without her."