Aretha Franklin dies at age 76

Aretha Franklin, the legendary 'Queen of Soul” and a symbol of black pride and women's liberation, has died at 76, the Associated Press reports.

Franklin, whose exceptionally expressive singing about joy, pain, faith and liberation earned her a place on music's Mount Rushmore, died in Detroit.

She became one of the most revered singers of her era by exploring the secular sweet spot between sultry rhythm-and-blues and the explosive gospel music she'd grown up singing, an approach that produced powerful and hugely popular songs that turned Franklin into a symbol of black pride and women's liberation.

Twenty of her singles topped the R&B chart and more than 50 reached the R&B Top 10 over a six-plus-decade career, none more well known than 'Respect,” which became a crossover smash hit in 1967 and a fervent feminist anthem.