She had been battling advanced pancreatic cancer, and her family had asked for prayers.
Aretha Franklin, the preacher’s daughter whose powerful voice made her the long-reigning «Queen of Soul» with such hit songs as «Respect» and «Chain of Fools,» died on Thursday at the age of 76, officials said. Franklin, who won 18 Grammys and had some 25 gold records, died at her home in Detroit, according to one of her publicists. She had been battling advanced pancreatic cancer, and her family had asked for prayers.
