One of America's most revered black women in music history finally succumbed to a terminal illness in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan surrounded by family members and other close loved ones.
CNN News reported on Thursday (August 16) that Aretha Franklin (pictured) was declared dead just before 10 a.m. in the morning of the day the national media outlet's report was published online. In the weeks prior to CNN's official report, other news sources claimed that Franklin was "gravely ill" and in hospice care.
Final memorial services for Franklin will be announced in a matter of days, according to her family's official statement. The "Respect" performer was 76-years-old when she died. Franklin's cause of death has been confirmed as the advanced, neuroendocrine type of pancreatic cancer. Watch a video about her life, passing, and impact below.