According
to a statement on behalf of Franklin's family from her longtime
publicist Gwendolyn Quinn, Franklin died at 9:50 a.m. at her home in
Detroit, surrounded by family and friends.
The
"official cause of death was due to advanced pancreatic
cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by
Franklin's oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer
Institute in Detroit," the family statement said.
Paying
tributes to her, former United States President, Obama said "Aretha
helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel
our history, all of it and in every shade -- our power and our pain,
our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won
respect. May the Queen of Soul rest in eternal peace."
In
his words, legendary soul singer and Franklin's friend of more
than sixty years, Sam Moore said,
"I
adored her and I know the feelings were mutual. While I'm heartbroken
that she's gone I know she's in the Lord's arms and she's not in pain
or suffering anymore from the damn cancer that took her away from
us," he said in a statement. "I'm going to hope, pray and
count on the fact that I will see her again sometime. Rest in the
Lord's arms in love, Re."
Franklin's
fans paid tribute with flowers and a crown left on her Hollywood Walk
of Fame star in Los Angeles.
According
to a statement by her family, "In one of the darkest moments of
our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express
the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our
family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, and cousins knew no bounds," Franklin's family said.
"We
have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and
support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all
around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have
felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her
legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our
privacy during this difficult time."
Funeral
arrangements will be announced in the coming days, the statement
said.
Franklin
had been reported to be in failing health for years and appeared
frail in recent photos, but she kept her struggles private.
In
February 2017, Franklin announced she would stop touring but she
continued to book concerts. Earlier this year, she canceled a pair of
performances, including at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, on doctor's
orders.
The
singer's final public performance was last November, when she sang at
an Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York.
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