Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, has died today (August 16) at her home in Detroit due to advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, her family revealed in a statement via her publicist. She was 76 years old. Franklin’s family stated:

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. 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.

Last year, Aretha Franklin announced a semi-retirement from live performance. In March, she canceled two upcoming concerts, citing doctor's orders to rest. In mid-August, it was reported that Franklin was “gravely ill.” Her last live performance took place in November 2017 at a fundraiser for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

During her remarkable half-century career, Franklin broke boundaries, inspired millions, and changed the shape of popular music. In 2010, Rolling Stone named her the greatest singer of all time. In 1987, she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis and raised in Detroit by a gospel singer mother and reverend father. Franklin and her sisters grew up singing in the church, and at age 14, she launched her recording career with the album Songs of Faith. In 1960, Franklin signed to Columbia and began making jazz-influenced R&B records, scoring one minor crossover hit with “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody.”

In 1966, she joined Atlantic. On her first single for the label, 1967’s classic “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You),” producer Jerry Wexler recorded her with Alabama’s Muscle Shoals session band. Plenty more hits followed for Franklin on Atlantic throughout the late ’60s and early ’70s: “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “Respect,” “Baby I Love You,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” and more. During this period, Franklin delivered grittier vocals than during her years at Columbia and emerged as a soul music icon.